Biomass- from a educated skeptic
- Thread starter Big Daddy Chop Shop
- Start date
DonPowers
Well-known member
Looks like a nice stove, have been heating the house with one for the past few years. I like that it can go a month before having to take out the ash.
Also spent most of my career doing industrial HVAC in power plants.
Planning on having a few sources of heat for my garage, a 90,000 BTU wood fired boiler, some solar and possibly a geothermal heat pump.
My boiler will be located outside the building for a couple reasons. The first is I don't want a 30+ ft stack and the other is insurance. NFPA 211 section 12.2.4 states that solid fuel burning appliances shall not be installed in any garage. This is what a lot of insurance companies use to deny coverage or refuse to pay a claim. My neighbor had to remove his wood stove from his garage because of this.
Also spent most of my career doing industrial HVAC in power plants.
Planning on having a few sources of heat for my garage, a 90,000 BTU wood fired boiler, some solar and possibly a geothermal heat pump.
My boiler will be located outside the building for a couple reasons. The first is I don't want a 30+ ft stack and the other is insurance. NFPA 211 section 12.2.4 states that solid fuel burning appliances shall not be installed in any garage. This is what a lot of insurance companies use to deny coverage or refuse to pay a claim. My neighbor had to remove his wood stove from his garage because of this.
mygarageone
Well-known member
Great way to heat , but right at time time L.p gas is a much better bargain @ 90,000 btu's
Per gallon and @ the cost of 90 cents a gallon . Much cheaper than corn , pellets or wood for same amount of btu's .
Per gallon and @ the cost of 90 cents a gallon . Much cheaper than corn , pellets or wood for same amount of btu's .
Sounds like you are extremely happy with the purchase of your heat source.
Are you burning all popcorn or using field corn too ?
Are you burning all popcorn or using field corn too ?
Ironhorse74
MEMBER EMERITUS
One of the products the company I work for manufactures is corn stoves. Since the price of corn went up, the corn stoves sit in the warehouse like mummies in Egyptian tomb. I bet we have not built a corn stove in five years.
The big thing in corn stoves is how the stove handles the clinker. Do you have to shut off the stove and dig the clinker out? Moisture content of the corn is another part of the equation.
Good luck
Brad
The big thing in corn stoves is how the stove handles the clinker. Do you have to shut off the stove and dig the clinker out? Moisture content of the corn is another part of the equation.
Good luck
Brad
Highbeam
Well-known member
Re: Biomass- from an educated skeptic
Exactly, NFPA says no in a garage but does NOT define what a garage is. My shop has 3 overhead doors and I store various combustion driven vehicles in it but it is not a garage so the county permitted my woodstove and the insurance company (after a switch) also allowed it.
The thing about leaving a solid fuel heater running unattended is just silly though. That's how they work. My house woodstove and most pellet stoves are designed to run for 24 hours straight. The pellet stoves run on a thermostat so they automatically turn on and off to maintain a set point. This all happens 24/7 without required attention. Perhaps it's just your comfort level with the device, you don't trust it yet?
Exactly, NFPA says no in a garage but does NOT define what a garage is. My shop has 3 overhead doors and I store various combustion driven vehicles in it but it is not a garage so the county permitted my woodstove and the insurance company (after a switch) also allowed it.
The thing about leaving a solid fuel heater running unattended is just silly though. That's how they work. My house woodstove and most pellet stoves are designed to run for 24 hours straight. The pellet stoves run on a thermostat so they automatically turn on and off to maintain a set point. This all happens 24/7 without required attention. Perhaps it's just your comfort level with the device, you don't trust it yet?
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
All of your fuel choice need to be kept DRY !
Wood pellet can be made from hardwood or softwood. You want hardwood.
If you are interested in trying to build something, look up rocket heater (a variation on a rocket stove) on the web. Lots of variation, but they all are pretty efficient based on the flue temp.
Wood pellet can be made from hardwood or softwood. You want hardwood.
If you are interested in trying to build something, look up rocket heater (a variation on a rocket stove) on the web. Lots of variation, but they all are pretty efficient based on the flue temp.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I watched a video on the stove. Impressive. The owner said they were going to try wood chips. If they could get that to work they would really have something, but it is highly unlikely. Too much moisture content.
dfiler2
Well-known member
Congrats, it sounds like a nice unit. I've been involved with burning many tons of corn and it is a great fuel source. The "clinkers" mentioned are from unburnable material in the corn, mostly like very fine sand, it can build up and be extremely hard, the nice thing is you can soften it with some water. In really cold temps or with corn above 12 -14 % moisture it can be more difficult to burn. Mixing some wood pellets with the corn works very well if you have an issue. Be careful burning soybeans they can cause a real mess. Cherry pits work great if they're fairly dry, I've actually burned wheat screenings but you need to refill quite often. Play around with some different fuels you can probably find something local pretty cheap. And unless your brother in law is claiming what you give him as income there is another 35% savings for him.
Ironhorse74
MEMBER EMERITUS
Re: Biomass- from an educated skeptic
2006 when corn was 2.00 a bushel we were selling corn stoves like they were going out of style. Even liscensed a certain well known ag company to build our stoves under their name. When corn hit almost seven bucks a bushel it was way to expensive to burn. At 3.60 a bushel corn is still almost double it was in the corn stove hay days. You are right I am not in that part of the biz anymore and it has been a decade since I lived in Iowa and paid any attention to the price of corn.
All corn stoves generate a nasty starchy clinker. Most stoves have to be turned off and let cool before you can pry them out of the bottom of the pot.
Brad
2006 when corn was 2.00 a bushel we were selling corn stoves like they were going out of style. Even liscensed a certain well known ag company to build our stoves under their name. When corn hit almost seven bucks a bushel it was way to expensive to burn. At 3.60 a bushel corn is still almost double it was in the corn stove hay days. You are right I am not in that part of the biz anymore and it has been a decade since I lived in Iowa and paid any attention to the price of corn.
All corn stoves generate a nasty starchy clinker. Most stoves have to be turned off and let cool before you can pry them out of the bottom of the pot.
Brad
nadogail
Well-known member
I recall seeing truckloads of sawdust being delivered to an apartment house near where I attended elementary school in Portland Oregon.
I believe they used an Iron Fireman stoker primary heating.
Does anybody bur n sawdust any more?
I believe they used an Iron Fireman stoker primary heating.
Does anybody bur n sawdust any more?
tractordude
Well-known member
Re: Biomass- from an educated skeptic
Not true, I run a Harmon PC45 and never had a problem. The PC45 has a stirring rod.
I have run straight corn, I prefer to run a 50/50 blend, when I'm not on straight pellets. A variance in the test weight of the corn makes the stove fluctuate burn/feed rates on pure corn alone.
I run used dry coffee grounds go thru my stove also.
Not true, I run a Harmon PC45 and never had a problem. The PC45 has a stirring rod.
I have run straight corn, I prefer to run a 50/50 blend, when I'm not on straight pellets. A variance in the test weight of the corn makes the stove fluctuate burn/feed rates on pure corn alone.
I run used dry coffee grounds go thru my stove also.
Op, nice stove.
Hardwood or Softwood? Depends on a LOT of factors. Your stove may prefer one over the other. Hardwood usually has fewer BTU's/lb but is cheaper than softwood. Softwood is usually cleaner (less ash and dust on glass) If you do burn pellets NEVER buy a large quantity without testing them first. You can be stuck with a lot of poor burning pellets. (Even your "standard" can change in quality from season to season depending on what they used for raw material)
Hardwood or Softwood? Depends on a LOT of factors. Your stove may prefer one over the other. Hardwood usually has fewer BTU's/lb but is cheaper than softwood. Softwood is usually cleaner (less ash and dust on glass) If you do burn pellets NEVER buy a large quantity without testing them first. You can be stuck with a lot of poor burning pellets. (Even your "standard" can change in quality from season to season depending on what they used for raw material)