Biomass / Pellet / Corn stoves, who heats with them?

[wheelbuilder]

I've got a 54000 btu pellet stove that's my primary heat. I run about 3 tons a year thru it. Also have a wood stove that eats about 2-3 cords a year. I only have to clean the pellet stove ever 7-10 days unless we have a serious cold snap and are going thru the pellets. Been doing that for the past 23 years. The last stove lasted over 21 years, it came with the house.
My mom uses the same stove to help heat her house. She uses about 3-4 tons a year, but that's really reduced the amount of oil for the furnace. I was surprised she's kept it up since my stepdad passed, but other than my wife and I helping get the pellets to her house, she moves them from the garage to the porch and into the stove. She cleans the stove herself.
My dad burns coal, he burned wood when I lived home. We used to go thru 9-12 cords a year. I help him move the coal from away to home, he's had shoulder and back surgery and isn't in quite as good of health as my mom (both are 72)
I'm content with the pellets. For me its less time cutting and splitting. I do have to deal with keeping mice out of the pellets, if they get in my wood, not a big deal. I don't have a wood lot, but I'm considering growing corn to burn.

 

[5030]

I have a Wollenco Pelletmaster. It's a multi-fuel pellet stove. I've run it on wood pellets, wheat, cellulose pellets, olive pits, et, etc. It also runs on coal - never tried that. I thought wheat would be the ideal fuel - since we have so much in this area. Wheat worked OK but consumption was almost massive. Works the very best on Lignetics. A hard, resinous wood pellet produced in Sandpoint, Idaho.

This stove is the next thing to maintenance free. A tool is used - once a week - to knock down clinkers and clean out the auger pot. If you are quick - the stove doesn't even need to be shut down. Once a month - scoop out ash. I've given up on keeping the glass windows clean. I run this stove at such a low setting - windows "fog" up pretty quickly.

Little hint on the view glass... Open the door when it's running and take a smaller paintbrush and wipe the soot off the glass. I do that almost daily. That air wash stuff is phooey. Use a NATURAL BRISTLE paint brush, not a plastic bristle one, it will melt. Wife likies to see the fire...so do I.

Mine eats any brand of pellets and any strain of corn and I grow the corn so my corn cost is entirely in planting, fertilization, harvesting and drying and I run acres enough where the corn in the stove is basically inconsequential in cost. Been running Michigan Hardwood and Somerset for quite a few years with pretty good results. Both are low ash but ash isn't an issue anyway. Corn makes a lot more ash than pellets do. In fact, I could probably burn any grade pellet with corn. I add the pellets to keep the corn clinkers under control. The pellets, for some reason, mitigate the hard corn clinkers. Don't know why, but they do.

We rely on the stove for heat but also have a condensing propane furnace and the furnace still cycles when it's bitter cold out, couple times a day usually. The stove carries the entire heat load between 11PM and 7AM when the furnace is on auto setback.

Been doing that through 2 stoves (actually wore one out) and over 20 years and interestingly, my vent pipe is all original except for the bottom transition outdoor Tee (that has a cleanout as well), but I take all the venting apart every spring and wash it inside and pressure rinse it out. The bottom Tee rusted through last year so it got replaced. Always smells faintly like popcorn near the house...

 

[coobie]

Burned wood pellets the last 15 years(about 5 ton per year).Last year we switched back to propane.Have two 500 gal.tanks and top off in the summer for $1.05 per gallon lasts all winter into spring.Wood pellets used to cost $99 per ton(good deal) now the are $240 per ton.IMHO wood pellets are not a great cost affective option any longer..

 

[5030]

Burned wood pellets the last 15 years(about 5 ton per year).Last year we switched back to propane.Have two 500 gal.tanks and top off in the summer for $1.05 per gallon lasts all winter into spring.Wood pellets used to cost $99 per ton(good deal) now the are $240 per ton.IMHO wood pellets are not a great cost affective option any longer..

For now Coobie but who knows what next winter will bring. I'm a tad bit higher on propane than you are at a buck and a quarter but still cheap enough. I have 2 500 and I'm adding another 1000 gallon bottle. I use quite a bit of propane to heat the tractor shop, has heated floors. If I wasn't running my own field corn and just ran on pellets only, I wouldn't run the biomass stove at all but the wife likes the steady heat and we both like the fire. Our cats especially appreciate it, they all congregate around it and one is a fixture on top the pellet bin. I tanked around 1000 bushels this year for cattle feed and stove feed and I have 3 ton pallets of pellets in the hay barn. I'll probably use one pallet this winter. I remember too well, the 99 buck a ton pellets myself and we thought 99 bucks was high for extruded scrap pallets.... Back then, the only pellet available around here was Lignetics from Pigeon, Michigan. Those were the days. $212 at TSC isn't bad (factoring in inflation) but not a cheap as propane and certainly not even close to NG.

Running now. 73 in here, 40 outside and it's idling on corn and pellets 3:1 mix.

First stove I bought was an Englander way back when (30 years ago) and got my present multi fuel USSC about 21 years ago. Been a good unit but I maintain it constantly. Always on the Hearth.com forum giving tips about stove maintenance. I guess people think they are 'plug and play' like stuff is today. Not how they work at all. Was kicking around buying a Key Stoker rice coal stove but rice coal is hard to come by here so I stick with the corn / pellet stove. The new generation of Key Stoker rice coal stoves don't require a masonry chimmney either.

I grew up on coal heat and my first house I bought in Ohio was coal heat. Kind of miss the coal heat.

Hopefully it's a mild winter. I'm not putting the plow on the big Kubota unless the snow god's dump on me.

 

[coobie]

For now Coobie but who knows what next winter will bring. I'm a tad bit higher on propane than you are at a buck and a quarter but still cheap enough. I have 2 500 and I'm adding another 1000 gallon bottle. I use quite a bit of propane to heat the tractor shop, has heated floors. If I wasn't running my own field corn and just ran on pellets only, I wouldn't run the biomass stove at all but the wife likes the steady heat and we both like the fire. Our cats especially appreciate it, they all congregate around it and one is a fixture on top the pellet bin. I tanked around 1000 bushels this year for cattle feed and stove feed and I have 3 ton pallets of pellets in the hay barn. I'll probably use one pallet this winter. I remember too well, the 99 buck a ton pellets myself and we thought 99 bucks was high for extruded scrap pallets.... Back then, the only pellet available around here was Lignetics from Pigeon, Michigan. Those were the days. $212 at TSC isn't bad (factoring in inflation) but not a cheap as propane and certainly not even close to NG.

Running now. 73 in here, 40 outside and it's idling on corn and pellets 3:1 mix.

First stove I bought was an Englander way back when (30 years ago) and got my present multi fuel USSC about 21 years ago. Been a good unit but I maintain it constantly. Always on the Hearth.com forum giving tips about stove maintenance. I guess people think they are 'plug and play' like stuff is today. Not how they work at all. Was kicking around buying a Key Stoker rice coal stove but rice coal is hard to come by here so I stick with the corn / pellet stove. The new generation of Key Stoker rice coal stoves don't require a masonry chimmney either.

I grew up on coal heat and my first house I bought in Ohio was coal heat. Kind of miss the coal heat.

Hopefully it's a mild winter. I'm not putting the plow on the big Kubota unless the snow god's dump on me.

I have no crystal ball to predict the future but for now I will stick with propane ...

 

[5030]

I have no crystal ball to predict the future but for now I will stick with propane ...

neither do I but being a Michigander you are privy to the Line 5 fiasco and Whitmers' lawsuit and I hope you understand that cutting off line 5 will increase the cost of propane substantially along with other products, like jet fuel and gasoline. Why I purchased extra skids of pellets and topped my tank off with shelled corn and why my diesel bulk tank is also full right now. Next winter pellets compared to bottled gas could look mighty good. Propane prices, unlike NG are totally market driven and there is no oversight by any governmental body with propane like there is with NG.

I do know it's toasty in here however.....
I will say I like having a choice of heating fuels no matter what.

 

[coobie]

neither do I but being a Michigander you are privy to the Line 5 fiasco and Whitmers' lawsuit and I hope you understand that cutting off line 5 will increase the cost of propane substantially along with other products, like jet fuel and gasoline. Why I purchased extra skids of pellets and topped my tank off with shelled corn and why my diesel bulk tank is also full right now. Next winter pellets compared to bottled gas could look mighty good. Propane prices, unlike NG are totally market driven and there is no oversight by any governmental body with propane like there is with NG.

I do know it's toasty in here however.....
I will say I like having a choice of heating fuels no matter what.

I Believe Line 5 only affects the folks in the UP of michigan..

 

[5030]

I Believe Line 5 only affects the folks in the UP of michigan..

No. It does (impact them) but the products transmitted come down to Sarnia, Ontario, South Detroit (refinery at M39 and I75, I believe Marathon and Toledo Refining in Oregon, Ohio (South Toledo). Uppers get their propane mostly from Line 5 cracked crude. So do I and so do you if you follow the product trail. Not all but a big portion. I have no issue with the burial of Line 5 at all, especially with Enbridge covering the entire cost. My issue is, what is a stark environmental issue in the future has become a political football for the governor. Bad deal and it will adversely impact the cost 9your cost) of propane as a heat source, should they be forced to curtail transmission. Because the cost of propane is unregulated, the refiners can basically charge whatever the market will bear.

Kind of like wood pellets. Any savvy extruder will raise the price until the market won't bear the cost increase anymore and then they are left with a choice. either get 'in line' on price or have an excess inventory and pellets don't keep well. What is occuring here with low bottled gas prices versus pellet cost. I'd love to see 99 buck a skid pellet prices again, I'd buy a full truckload and put them in the barn, I have the room.

In reality, factoring in the rate of inflation, that 99 buck skid is still 99 bucks in 1995 dollars. The price has only increased with inflation, the value per dollar spent is stagnant.

Glad we don't live in New England. Pellet cost there is substantially more again, because the market will bear the cost, even though there are a number of extruders in New England, it don't matter.

Right now being mild, I'm consuming about a 5 gallon pail of corn / pellet mix every 24 hours and the central propane furnace has not been on in at least a week, maybe longer, but I see the mild weather is ending. Supposed to be a mix of rain and snow here tomorrow with a possible accumulation of an inch of wet snow, slush. Just the ticket for some good crashes and work for the body shops. I'll be staying off the roads and at home.

 

[Industrial Toys]

We burn a lot of "ENJOY TONIGHT" wood as we call it. A term from the grocery store stickers on expired food, 50% off. Wood lying or standing that isn't worth splitting, handling or storing away. Cut into three foot long pieces and just stacked on the porch. Often cleans up a mess at the same time. Cold damp day here and (this garbage) is keeping the house cozy and the fire provides a good atmosphere.

 

[coobie]

No. It does (impact them) but the products transmitted come down to Sarnia, Ontario, South Detroit (refinery at M39 and I75, I believe Marathon and Toledo Refining in Oregon, Ohio (South Toledo). Uppers get their propane mostly from Line 5 cracked crude. So do I and so do you if you follow the product trail. Not all but a big portion. I have no issue with the burial of Line 5 at all, especially with Enbridge covering the entire cost. My issue is, what is a stark environmental issue in the future has become a political football for the governor. Bad deal and it will adversely impact the cost 9your cost) of propane as a heat source, should they be forced to curtail transmission. Because the cost of propane is unregulated, the refiners can basically charge whatever the market will bear.

Kind of like wood pellets. Any savvy extruder will raise the price until the market won't bear the cost increase anymore and then they are left with a choice. either get 'in line' on price or have an excess inventory and pellets don't keep well. What is occuring here with low bottled gas prices versus pellet cost. I'd love to see 99 buck a skid pellet prices again, I'd buy a full truckload and put them in the barn, I have the room.

In reality, factoring in the rate of inflation, that 99 buck skid is still 99 bucks in 1995 dollars. The price has only increased with inflation, the value per dollar spent is stagnant.

Glad we don't live in New England. Pellet cost there is substantially more again, because the market will bear the cost, even though there are a number of extruders in New England, it don't matter.

Right now being mild, I'm consuming about a 5 gallon pail of corn / pellet mix every 24 hours and the central propane furnace has not been on in at least a week, maybe longer, but I see the mild weather is ending. Supposed to be a mix of rain and snow here tomorrow with a possible accumulation of an inch of wet snow, slush. Just the ticket for some good crashes and work for the body shops. I'll be staying off the roads and at home.

These days (getting older) I try to stay out of the political folly BS.If chit hits the fan I have plenty of options..