Entries Tagged 'Heating' ↓

Once you have experienced the efficiency of a corn pellet stove, you will never go back to other home heating systems. Corn pellet stoves are an economical and sophisticated way to heat your home, without worries of high heating bills. They are environmentally friendly and cost effective.

Growing Popularity of Corn Pellet Stoves

Corn is one of the most inexpensive fuels today, and the use of corn pellet stoves have doubled since last year. Even before this burst of popularity, an estimated 65,000 corn pellet stoves were used in the United States in 2005. Cheaper than propane, oil and natural gas, there are waiting lists with corn stove makers due to the rapid rise in popularity.

Corn pellet stoves and wood pellet stoves look similar on the outside and both come in a variety of styles, finishes and sizes. Glass front windows are standard with both types of stove. They can both be vented to the outside, therefore there is no need for a chimney. Smoke is not trapped inside the house because the draft blower creates a vacuum and draws the combustion air through the pellets and smoke gets forced outside through the vents.

How Corn Pellet Stoves Work

Pellet stoves are run on tiny pellets of the same consistency and size and are fed automatically into the stove. Differing from wood stoves, corn pellet stoves produce convective heat and not radiant. This is a benefit to homes with children, because they do not get extremely hot to touch.

You simply pour the corn pellets into the holding bin, which is called a hopper, located at either the top or the bottom. The hopper usually holds about 35 - 100 pounds, depending on the size and burn rate of the corn pellet stove you are using. If it is a large hopper, it will burn longer because of the amount of corn pellets that fit into it. Continue reading →

We’re getting into the coldest days of the year now, and a lot of homeowners are being faced with an important decision: my 20 year old furnace is dead, what kind of furnace should I buy? Should I get the cheaper model or the more expensive one that has the higher efficiency rating? Is two stage operation or a variable speed fan worth the extra cost?

A good place to start is to figure out your current heating costs. If you use natural gas, what other natural gas appliances do you have? If you’re only other natural gas appliance is a hot water tank, this will typically consume $200-$300 in gas every year. A gas stove will typically consume less than $50 in gas a year. The rest should be used by your furnace.

Another method to determine the energy costs of your heating is ask for your month by month energy costs for the last year (or more) from your utility company. The difference between your gas costs in the winter and the summer provides a good estimate of your heating costs. Continue reading →

Woodland Direct specializes in Fireplaces, Chimneys, and Fireplace Doors; Custom, New or Replacement. Over 25 years of professional experience for a wide selection, low shipping cost, and guaranteed satisfaction.

Woodland Direct is an internet retail business that specializes in fireplace and chimney products. They offer energy-saving chimney caps and dampers, fireplace glass doors, fireplace heater systems, and more– all items that the homeowner can personally install to save big on energy costs. Continue reading →