Limitations of Burning Corn for Heat

Possibly the first and most important limitation of corn as a fuel is the stove itself.  If the stove uses augers to feed the corn into the combustion chamber and fans to maintain combustion and move heated air to the room then an electrical power interruption will shut the stove down.  Very simply with this style of stove, no electrical power means no heat from your corn stove. Some stoves require a manual reset after a power interruption, as a safety feature.

Stove Buying Criteria

When purchasing a corn stove there are some questions which you should answer:

• What is the heat output of the stove?  Do you know how much heat you require to maintain the heated space at the desired temperature?
• If you are trying to heat your whole house with a stove or space heater, does the house layout allow for the convective movement of heat through the whole house? Most newer houses are not built to allow convective air movement.
• What is the size of the fuel hopper? Will it require filling on a daily, weekly or biweekly schedule?
• What is the seasonal heating efficiency of the corn stove?
• Does the unit meet UL and CSA standards?
• Does the unit have hot exposed surfaces which could cause burns to skin?
• What type of exhaust venting is required?  Does it require a chimney with a flue liner or can a combination flue/fresh air vent pipe be used?
• Are you prepared to clean out the clinker daily and clean the heat exchanger of ash on a weekly basis?
• Will the stove handle granular solid fuels other than shelled corn?  This is important in the event that the economics of burning corn become unattractive or an alternative low cost pelleted fuel becomes available.
• Will this corn burning appliance be a primary heat source or act as a supplementary heat source? Stoves with small fuel hoppers will not keep a house warm for long periods of time, unattended.
• How will corn be stored for winter operation