Corn Pellet Stoves

As pellet stoves become increasingly popular, so does the different types of fuels. At first, there were mostly wood pellet stoves, but since the market is in need of different fuel sources, corn pellet stoves are also gaining recognition. Trial and error helped stove makers realize that corn pellets don’t burn as well inside of wood burning appliances, so Corn Pellet Stoves were invented! There are two basic types of stoves to choose from, both including a mechanical air supply system; forced draft systems and induced draft systems.

Forced Drafts vs. Induced Drafts

Only pellet stoves depend on a mechanical air supply system to function. Forced draft systems use a fan to force air up through the vent and into the combustion chamber while induced draft systems use a fan to draw air from the combustion chamber through the exhaust system. Regardless of which one you choose, it’s important to know that pellet stoves, wood or corn, use several internal fans which use approximately 100KWH of electricity per month, spiking power bills. Battery packs can be purchased to reduce this cost and help out in the case of a power outage.

Corn Pellet Manufacturer Costs

Trusting companies in a market that’s new is something hard to do. Many wood pellet stove producing companies are now catering to corn pellet consumer needs. Quadra-Fire is a highly recommended company that provides freestanding corn pellet stoves and inserts for existing fireplaces. Dell-Point, Inc. and Bixby Energy Systems are also manufacturing corn pellet stoves, some of which are already on the market and can be found in stores like Home Depot. Corn pellet stoves can range anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000, not including installation. Installation should be done by the professionals to guarantee warranties are in place. Cleaning and maintaining shouldn’t cost you too much since all that’s required is a brush or towel to remove the ash. As long as you keep up with you're maintenance, your stove should remain in proper working order for many years.

Types of Corn Pellet Stoves

Separate from wood pellet stoves, corn pellet stoves include a small auger, which is pretty much the control handle. It distributes the fuel slowly, and the speed is adjustable depending on your needs. Hopper capacities can range from 35 to 130lbs of pellets at a time. Look at it like this for a second, if you bought an 85lb hopper capacity stove, you can continuously burn fuel for 3-4 days without ever having to adjust your auger or refill your hopper. You can also choose stoves that are equipped with wall thermostats (for automatic usage) or glow plug igniters that automatically light the pellets of corn. Corn pellet stoves look the exact same as wood pellet stoves in color and style. You can choose from modern, traditional or oriental looks and all come with the same ventilation system (4”pipe through your wall).
Learn more about corn pellet fuel here.