How old is your pellet stove?

[SPUD]

Whitfield Advantage plus insert, circa 1997. I'll give out before the stove does

 

[Daveman]

2014 25-pdvc. Relatively new but has performed almost flawlessly since installed. That said, frequent cleaning and yearly maintenance is the key to long life lol

 

[Shank]

2008 Harman XXV I bought this year. I bought it and the previous owners did not clean it at the end of it's last season. Finally got around to trying it out last night and ran great.

 

[hinkle]

I don't have any experience with it, but since no one else answered your question, I'll tell you what I know about it.

Corn and wood pellets have a similar BTU/lb if at the right moisture content (I don't know what that % is).

Not all pellet stoves can handle corn efficiently.

My book says not to burn more than 50% corn/pellet mix in my stove.

My stove dealer (whom I don't trust) said that even if corn was free, it wouldn't be worth burning it.

Also, it should be mentioned that most manufactures, and opinions I've found, say that corn needs an agitator to burn properly.
A quick search says you'll occasionally get klinkers and that corn burns hotter than pellets, so you'll need to check with your stove manufacture and the rated temp. There's also mention of not burning seed corn, chemically treated, old, mildewy, etc.

The higher temps and, maybe, cost sound enticing but without a manufacture rating I would stick to wood pellets.

 

[Alfred]

Also, it should be mentioned that most manufactures, and opinions I've found, say that corn needs an agitator to burn properly.
A quick search says you'll occasionally get klinkers and that corn burns hotter than pellets, so you'll need to check with your stove manufacture and the rated temp. There's also mention of not burning seed corn, chemically treated, old, mildewy, etc.

The higher temps and, maybe, cost sound enticing but without a manufacture rating I would stick to wood pellets.

2006 St Croix Auburn, purchased/installed new in fall 2006. I'll burn 3-4 ton of corn a year and some pellets "shoulder season" or some mixed in the corn depending on how its burning, so that should put me around 55-60 tons. Replaced the combustion blower once so far and been re-lubing the blower bearings on and off ( a little noisy) but so far it just keeps going.
The "stove corn" that I purchase is dried down to about 12% and I believe shelled corn has to be dried to 15% for storage so that it won't mold.
When my stove was sold they made a Pellet pot and a clinker pot, I have both but the pellet pot I use for shoulder season, the clinker pot goes in sometime in later November.

 

[newsu]

I bought and installed a lopi foxfire in 1996. Have replaced both blower motors and a startup timer block 3 years ago. I have burned 2 - 2 1/2 tons a year for 26 years, 60 tons or so It's been a great stove .

That's a beautify. 👍

 

[rickwai]

18 yr old Harman P38. I converted it to a P43 auto Ignition a couple years ago though. All original motors. Board and wiring harness ect got replaced with the conversion

 

[newsu]

I have the St Croix Greenfield (
13 years) in one home and the Magnum Countryside 3500P (14 years) in another, both burn pellets or corn. The Magnum Countryside 3500P has the stainless steel burn pot with the Agitator which I stopped using years ago because hearing it in the room every few minutes was annoying and you don't need it to burn corn. The corn ash brick is easy to clear off to the side once every 8 or 12 hours. The St. Croix Greenfield, to clear the ash brick, you just push in the fork handle that shaves the top off the ash brick and pull the burn pot lower handle that drops the remaining 2/3 rds in the ash pan. Takes only 30 seconds and you never have to open the door. You can mix pellets and corn in any percentage, it all depends on how much heat you want. My first preference is 100% corn when I can get it in my area and the price is right. Corn burns much cleaner and is cleaner throughout the whole stove. You want 11°to 15° dry corn. Corn burns much hotter than wood pellets, for what you burn in pellets, you burn less in corn and get more heat.

Personally, I prefer a stove that burns pellets, corn and other biomass over a stove that is restricted to only pellets. Even just mixing a small ratio of corn to pellets improves the heat output. Having the flexibility makes a much better overall long-term user experience.

 

[chamas]

1994 Envirofire EV IIi. Replaced auger motor, auger motor timer, burn pot liner, auto igniter is burned out. No idea how many tons?