Does anyone else heat by corn? Talk about saving $$!!!

[lindakmonty]

Last year we decided to start heating by corn. Our electric bills weren't horrible but usually over $200 for heating about 2k sq/ft...we installed a corn burner... it is great It was about $3k to get it in and installed. It works through our existing ducting...very easy. We went from spending over $200 a month and keeping the house around 75-76...to costing $105 a month in corn and keeping the house 86!! I love to be WARM!!! It took us a few months on a waiting list to get one...so I thought if any of you wanted to look into it, I would get on a list now! We can cut the cost a lot more if we get the corn directly from a farmer...but it has to be a certain % dry..and all that good stuff... does anyone else have one? Do you like it? I love it!!!!

 

[GoofieRuthie]

Are you serious??? I've never heard of this! Does the house smell like popcorn all the time???? That would be wonderful yet torture at the same time. I've honestly never heard of this. I may have to google it. Lord knows I could use something to help with the gas bill in the winter. ugh!

 

[lindakmonty]

no the house doesn't smell like popcorn ...good thing b/c I'd be eating it all the time dh wanted a cheaper source of heat..and started doing a lot of research. He just retired from the military and there were some guys he worked w/that had them and recommended we check it out. You can google "corn stoves" there are some that burn wood pellets and cherry pits, olive pits etc...but we just went w/a corn only stove. It does work wonderful. I really wasn't too excited about spending a few k on a new stove..but I am very glad we did...It is soooo warm!!! You do have to empty the klinker once a day and keep corn in the hopper. Its not as easy as just turning the dial on a thermostat..there is a little work involved...but it is very much worth the savings to us! We just buy the corn from the mill... we fill rubbermaid containers...we go through about 2k # of corn if I remember correctly...a month..and that's not bad at all! We were looking at the Amaizeablaze brand...but I think we ended up getting a Harmon corn stove...I'll have to look. I can post pictures tonight if anyone is curious to see. I would check into it! It has been great for us!

 

[budbeerlady]

My in-laws have one. It works pretty good! They did have a problem last January the corn they bought at the feed mill wasnt dry enough to burn properly. So they donated the few bags to our pig and goat, and they bought new. It is cheap, they have the extra hopper on the top so we arent filling it constantly. I think it is homey to have to flames going all the time, theirs looks kinda like this one. We are getting one when we finish off our 3 season room. They are easy to vent out the side of the wall. http://www.bullockcornstoves.com/cheap charlie.htm

 

[Galahad]

We are planning one of these units with the remodel we are working on, though we didn't need to get on a waiting list. A really great idea. We are getting one that burns "pellets" and cord.

 

[Chipperdini]

A relative of DH's does. I believe her heating expenses for last year totaled about $800 (she lives in an area that gets pretty cold in the winter). It is her sole source of heat.

 

[shortbun]

Where are the "corn thread people?" lol!

 

[chris1gill]

we have a pellet stove that works great, but I still find it quite expensive to heat the house... is corn less expensive than the pellets?

Now the bigger question, where on earth do you get the corn? I've honestly never heard of heating your house with it, but I'd be game if the source of corn was constant...

 

[golfgal]

My FIL installed one a couple years ago and their heating cost are down to zero since they live in a small town and trades his home brew beer for some corn at the local elevator .

OP--I would DIE if our house was at 86 all winter, I don't even like to be that warm in the summer!

 

[lindakmonty]

we have a pellet stove that works great, but I still find it quite expensive to heat the house... is corn less expensive than the pellets?

Now the bigger question, where on earth do you get the corn? I've honestly never heard of heating your house with it, but I'd be game if the source of corn was constant...

The guy that sold us the stove said it's cheaper than the pellets b/c corn burns hotter and doesn't take as much to burn but it has worked great for us. There are several mills that sell the corn and you can get it from a farmer directly for 1/2 the price but we just haven't checked around too much yet. We just got it in Feb. The mills and farmers have it all year. Plus here in Ohio..there are definitely no shortages of corn!!

golfgal... 86 probably is too hot for most people... you can turn the stove down so the corn doesn't feed as fast but I like the house being that warm so I can run around in shorts all year in the house. We have hard wood floors so 86 and they're even ok to walk on w/o socks plus my ds5 is only 34 # and gets cold very easy... dh liked it about 80...but he'd rather us be warm and comfortable he's so sweet!! Man..I wish I could barter like that ... beer for corn...that is a great deal!