Please help, I'm new - What is the most efficient fuel, Wood, Corn, pellets?

[21fred]

I am new to this forum and would appreciate help from someone with more experience with stoves.

I would like to get a free standing wood? stove to supplement my l.p. furnace.

I'm trying to find out what is the best fuel to use. Wood, Corn, Pellets, coal?

I've heard that coal makes the room smell, but I think that with new efficent furnaces, the smell will not be an issue.

Before I invest in a stove though, I want to know which fuel is the most efficient and cost effective.

Once I figure out which fuel to burn, I'll need to figure out what kind of stove to get. I'm impressed by some of the posts I've read regarding the improved efficiency of the new stoves.

I searched the forum for this topic and didn't come up with anything (though I 'm not a good searcher) so I appologize if it's already been covered elswhere.

Thank you for your consideration.

 

[webbie]

The efficiency of most fuels is somewhat similar, BUT the price is not. So that is the key. In other words, an electric heater may be 100% efficient, but the fuel is expensive!

So, the key is to compare the cost of various fuels in your area:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/

You also have to consider what your stove will be used for. Pellets and corn can be started very quickly and also turned off. Wood takes longer to start - and coal takes even longer.

Hard coal is very clean - and you will probably get less smell than wood. But unless you have a good source (live relatively close to PA), then it can be tough.

 

[Michael6268]

Coal Coal and more Coal. Like Craig said if you have access to it, you cant beat it. Unless you get wood for free, its the best bang for you buck! Coal doesnt make you "room stink" unless you have a venting problem with it, in which case a pellet, wood, or gas would do the same. You might get a little "sulphur" smell when you fill it, but only in the immediate area, and by no means would your room smell.

 

[laynes69]

Depends on what type of coal you will be burning. Good anthracite coal will produce no odor and little to no soot. Burns very hot and long, and with coal you can easily control its heating output. More constant btus. Now with soft coal, some coals are good, but alot of bit. coal produces soot, and that wonderful sulfur smell. Pound vs pound coal would be the way to go if you can get it fairly local.

 

[drizler]

All of it depends primarily on where you live. You failed to mention that.

 

[21fred]

Thanks guys.

I live in Delaware. I actually have 1 acre of woods and could pick up some of my fuel just by taking what falls (trees and limbs), though I don't want to cut down my entire woods.

I guess I need to find out how many BTUs are in a given amount of wood vs. the same money's worth of other fuels. Do they make a good stove that can burn wood as well as coal?


Do you recommend any stoves based on your experience?

Thank you all very much for sharing your knowledge with me.

 

[webbie]

Best to stay away from stoves that burn both - make the decision based on lifestyle, price- for instance, coal must be run 24/7, whereas wood can be started/stopped.

The chart I mentioned will show you the price comparisons of fuels.

As far as stoves, start with the Hearth.com product list and browse around here and at our ratings....and talk to your dealer. The Fireplace Shoppe in Wilmington is good if you are close by.

Our product page is at https://www.hearth.com/prod.html

 

[colsmith]

Before I invest in a stove though, I want to know which fuel is the most efficient and cost effective.

Since you have an acre of woods to work with, and could probably round up other free firewood, that might make a woodstove much more cost effective for you. Pellet and corn stoves have certain advantages, like you don't need to split the corn but rarely can you get the fuel free. Of course free firewood isn't really free, it takes a lot of time and effort. Do you have that time and want to invest in that effort? A natural gas furnace is pretty darn efficient and easy to use, but somehow that isn't what we all are attracted to. Burning wood is fascinating to watch, that is a factor for me even though it has no intrinsic value. And I expect all the schlepping, cutting, and splitting of firewood to provide me with LOTS of exercise for a long time to come. Many angles to look at. Good luck to you in your decision making. We read several books and cruised the internet a lot before we decided on our woodstove (we have a soapstone, for more moderate and prolonged heating) but we were gung ho on wood to start with, because we have 5 acres with lots of trees, lots of free time, and we are really darn cheap.

 

[fishboat]

This is another calculator that I've found useful:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/techline/fuel-value-calculator.pdf

there is a link on top to an excel spreadsheet.

What's nice about this calcualtor is it let's you put in your known fuel cost and it then calculates your break-even point on other fuels that may be available in your area. I my case my main fossil fuel source is propane. At $1.65/gallon locally, the break-even point for firewood, if I had to purchase it, is around $350/cord. Last time I checked I had a source at $175/cord.

 

[drizler]

From what I gather about the New England area you can't plan on cheap corn in your area. Wood pellets are no bargain either likely.

 

[babalu87]

Delaware is in New England?

Look into how much you can get coal for and if you have a way to get it to the house.
1 acre wont provide much in the way of firewood

 

[drizler]

Well, its not really but close enough. They are sort of tucked away over in there betwixt thet thar oceany thing, a bunch a mountains and a rotten apple. Anyways I bet the prices for pellets and corn will be similar and sky high. Now for my next geography lesson. I live about 40 miles from the North Pole. Yup I do and I was even there once sometime around 1960 and I sat on Santa's lap. Oh thats North Pole NY. Everybody knows that.................

 

[johnsopi]

You can get coal in Rising Sun MD by the bag or by the ton. There a lot of wood to be found too. I'm in Elkton but work in DE,