With fall approaching I’ve had a lot of people ask me what it’s like to own and operate a corn stove. Why? I’ve owned a corn stove for the past several years and I also sell them from my farm in Southern Illinois. What has people so interested in corn stoves? Well, over the past couple of years, I’ve been heating my home through the fall and winter seasons for around $350 worth of corn. With many people facing a MONTHLY heating bill of $350, you can understand the appeal.
Corn stoves require little maintenance - once a day you will open the door and remove a clinker (solid brick of corn ash about the size of a piece of toast - environmentally safe) and add about a bushel of corn - that’s it. They are easily connected to your ductwork and require the same type of 4 inch tube that’s connected to your dryer for exhaust. Other than that, you will need to blow the stove out through the vent pipe every couple of months with a leaf blower or shop vac - that’s it.
Seems pretty simple to me - but consider the fact that you’re going to save several hundred to a few thousand dollars - it becomes a no brainer! I know your next question - where the heck am I going to get my corn? The truth is - corn is much easier to find than you may think. Your local feed store or farmer (like myself) is bound to have a steady supply that you can buy at or just above market cost - around $2 a bushel - or enough to heat your home for about a day.
Check back (or sign up to my rss feed - you’ll automatically be sent my latest entries) as I write about installing and operating a new corn furnace in the upcoming months. Until then, take a look at my site. I offer three types of corn stoves - including the pricing - general questions and answers about corn stoves and the latest industry news.
