I just read an article about corn-burning stoves and fireplace inserts being very economical to use and gaining in popularity. I'm curious if anyone out there has actually used corn for heat this winter. The article stated the corn furnace monthly cost is around $30. Can this be possible?

-- Betty (Mich) (brolffs@voyager.net), February 13, 2001

Answers

Response to Innovative Heat Source

Your answer is probably only if you only used it at the lowest setting during the day and turned it off at night. To keep it running at the lowest setting would be more in the neighborhood of $60. At the lowest setting it probably gives off as much heat as a space heater. See my thread from a couple of days ago for more information. (In Mich. you would probably be looking at an average of $100-$125 a month for your heating season.)

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 13, 2001.

Oops, I didn't realize there was already a thread on this subject. Found it, and I'm getting a lot of good information from it.

-- Betty (Mich) (brolffs@voyager.net), February 13, 2001.

I tried something this year,,, saved all the corn cobs from feeding animals,, I dont have alot rabbites,, and what I feed the deer and turkeys with,, saved the cobs,, kept them dry, and burned them in my woodburner, had 100 pound bag full,, heated the house all day with them,, only added wood at night. Saved alot of wood that day, going to keep doing that with the cobs, (that and pipes, thanks Hoot)

-- Stan (sopal@NET-PORT.COM), February 13, 2001.

On old farms, it was the job of one of the younger kids to go into the hog lot to retrieve corn cobs for momma to use in the kitchen stove.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

I used the corn cobs last winter for the wood stove, and also for use in the smoker. It made wonderfully sweet meat! sissy

-- sissy sylvester-barth (jerreleene@hotmail.com), February 14, 2001.