Although the majority of pellet stoves are designed, as their name implies, to burn recycled and processed sawdust, there is another type that are specifically designed to burn corn pellets. While both corn stove and wood stove look much the same from the outside, the inside workings are slightly different.
Both types are highly efficient and they have no need for a chimney. In its place, a pellet stove vent in conjunction with a pipe through an outside wall is used. This venting arrangement makes it easy to have one installed in any room you wish.
The corn pellet stoves include a small screw that is responsible for gradually feeding the firepot. Of course, the speed is adjustable and that is what controls the amount of heat output. They are equipped with draft blowers where combustion air is drawn in and then goes over the pellets while forcing it outside. A slight vacuum is created inside of the heater, which stops smoke from getting indoors.
Wall thermostats are also available to set up for automatic use. The temperature is set to the desired level so that once the day warms up, it will shut down. When the temperature begins to fall towards the evening, it will start up again. The corn stove also has glow plugs as optional igniters that will light the fire automatically when required. With an eighty-five pound hopper, you will be able to run it on a normal basis for many days without having to refill it.
Of course, there are pros as well as cons associated with operating a corn stove. For instance, because corn is clean burning, you will be hard pushed to notice any smoke being emitted from the outside vent pipe. Nonetheless, they do not burn as cleanly as wood burning stoves and they tend to require cleaning out more frequently. In addition, the corn pellets vary more in their moisture content. Nevertheless, they are environmentally friendly because they are a renewable resource. However, chemicals are sometimes used during the growing of the corn, which can result in some toxicity in the exhaust.
Corn pellet stoves do compare more favorably with the wood pellet stoves when it comes to efficiency, yet they do not emit as much heat as conventional wood burning stoves.
The cost to run a corn stove versus a wood stove depends on where you live more than anything else does. For example, if you happen to live in Maine or Massachusetts, you may find it difficult to locate an economical and reliable local supplier. Many times, there is a waiting list for folks who wish to purchase a corn pellet stove, so they are obviously gaining in popularity. In 2006, an estimated 65,000 corn pellet stoves were sold in the United States. In 2007, that figure reached 350,000 of them being used in the US and the number of owners just keeps increasing.