Multifuel sources?

[mpcm]

Pondering my options for heating the other end of my house, outside of the existing forced hot water from oil.

I keep seeing these multifuel references, but short of coal, I have not seen any other fuels at my various local vendors.

There seems to be more sources of fuel in the south, or out west. Short of wood, pellets, and coal... are there other practical choices for alternative fuels around new england?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If you have the land you could go with corn, but buying it can be problematic depending upon where you live, this is one source for corn in New England I'm sure there are others http://www.fivepointfarmcorn.com/ in Northwood, MA sells shelled dry corn for burning.

 

[imacman]

As Smokey mentions, corn is the most obvious alternative, but some multi-fuelers can also burn grass pellets, and cherry pits if you could find a good reliable source for them.

 

[Fsappo]

Keep in mind that things may be changing here quite a bit over the next 5 years as an industry. If you own a stove that can handle all the different fuels, your in a good position. It may be that good ole fashioned wood pellets may be your best choice for a while. But get a fruit processing plant plant in your town tomorrow, or someone local that wants to dry and sell corn...and at least your prepared.

Remember, Jimmy cracks corn but I dont care.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

A multi-fuel stove is best for the area you live in. In N/E Ohio we have corn everywhere. But right now corn is so high priced even the farmers are selling it to buy pellets. I have never seen cherry pits or sunflower seeds for burning. I was given grain and tried 300 lbs in a multi fuel furnace and I think I got half the heat as corn or wood pellets and the ash was high.

Most good stoves can burn a mix of up to 50% corn. That is the direction I would go and plan on using pellets. Just my $.02.

Eric

 

[jtakeman]

Even though I burn pellets as a rule, I still love the option of multifuel. If pellets hit the skids(shortage) or the price sky rockets(which just might happen come fall). I have the ability to burn what is available(corn-grass pellets-grains-bark pellets-leaf pellets-horse bedding(low grade wood pellet)-cherry pits-bamboo pellets-paper pellets-cardboard pellets and the list goes on). Another nice thing is its not picky with what I dump in and I have burned some really bad stuff in my testing.

We are supposed to get a fiber shortage this fall and you may see the quality of the pellets go down and the price go up. With my multifueler I can ride through this much easier than if I owned a picky stove. So its not just whats available for multifuel as it will also burn lesser quality wood pellets with much less hassles.

 

[hossthehermit]

Gotta agree with j-, it's not so much what you want to shop for, or would prefer to use for fuel, as what you can actually get and burn in the stove. It may be dirty, take a lot of fussin' with, clean twice a day, but generally, a multi-fuel is more likely to squeeze some BTUs out of anything that you can get through the auger feed. I don't advocate burning dead squirrels, but, hey, gotta do what ya gotta do, heat is heat.

 

[philbrick]

Even though I burn pellets as a rule, I still love the option of multifuel. If pellets hit the skids(shortage) or the price sky rockets(which just might happen come fall). I have the ability to burn what is available(corn-grass pellets-grains-bark pellets-leaf pellets-horse bedding(low grade wood pellet)-cherry pits-bamboo pellets-paper pellets-cardboard pellets and the list goes on). Another nice thing is its not picky with what I dump in and I have burned some really bad stuff in my testing.

We are supposed to get a fiber shortage this fall and you may see the quality of the pellets go down and the price go up. With my multifueler I can ride through this much easier than if I owned a picky stove. So its not just whats available for multifuel as it will also burn lesser quality wood pellets with much less hassles.

Why can't all stoves burn multifuel. What in the stoves dosen't let you burn anything but wood pellets

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Even though I burn pellets as a rule, I still love the option of multifuel. If pellets hit the skids(shortage) or the price sky rockets(which just might happen come fall). I have the ability to burn what is available(corn-grass pellets-grains-bark pellets-leaf pellets-horse bedding(low grade wood pellet)-cherry pits-bamboo pellets-paper pellets-cardboard pellets and the list goes on). Another nice thing is its not picky with what I dump in and I have burned some really bad stuff in my testing.

We are supposed to get a fiber shortage this fall and you may see the quality of the pellets go down and the price go up. With my multifueler I can ride through this much easier than if I owned a picky stove. So its not just whats available for multifuel as it will also burn lesser quality wood pellets with much less hassles.

Why can't all stoves burn multifuel. What in the stoves dosen't let you burn anything but wood pellets

Actually if you have full control over both the fuel feed and the air what stops you is the corrosion resistance of the stove and its venting. Providing that you care not for having a warranty or intact safety listing.

Some also require an agitator to realistically burn some biofuels.

Other than those not so minor things, nothing.

 

[imacman]

Actually if you have full control over both the fuel feed and the air what stops you is the corrosion resistance of the stove and its venting. Providing that you care not for having a warranty or intact safety listing.

Some also require an agitator to realistically burn some biofuels......

As Smokey said, the exhaust pipe must be corn rated, and IMO, the agitator is a MUST for corn or most any other high-ash fuels like cherry pits, grass pellets, etc, etc.

Jay, Schoondog, and myself have done quite a bit of burning of grass pellets, and we know of what we speak when it comes to the need for an agitator, plus ash cleaning VERY often.

I'm very comfortable right now knowing that I can basically burn any type of fuel......that was my reasoning in switching to a multi-fueler in the first place!

 

[rona]

I hate disagreeing but the St Croix line is a pot style stove and is a proven corn burner without a agitator. Another multi fuel but made for corn stove is Bixby which also is a pot burner without a agitator. A third multifuel burner is the Quadra fire AE which also is a pot type burner without a agitator.

 

[DexterDay]

I hate disagreeing but the St Croix line is a pot style stove and is a proven corn burner without a agitator. Another multi fuel but made for corn stove is Bixby which also is a pot burner without a agitator. A third multifuel burner is the Quadra fire AE which also is a pot type burner without a agitator.

All those stoves ^listed above^ need cleaning, much more frequently than a "True Multi-fuel" stove with an agitator. Yes all 3 listed have some sort "Cleaning" device. But that "Device" is on a schedule. An agitator turns all the time (depends on what setting and what fuel as to how much and how often they turn), so the stove does not shut down, to clean the stove. I know the stoves you named don't truly "Shut-down", but there is a LOSS of BTU's while they do this. Agitator burn pots just Burn Pellets all the time, and most do it with a simple auger motor than turns the agitator. Some are different than others, but idea is the same. No loss of BTU's, No Auto-clean feature that has springs and motors and actuators that can fail or break. Just a simple motor and a stirrer.

Have been looking into replacing my Quad this year, been researching A LOT. Agitator stoves have much less problems, burn a lower grade fuel and can burn them for a much longer time.
Not saying the stoves you listed, don't work as advertised. But the others will Out-Burn them.

 

[rona]

I have owned a Harman PC45 for three season and found that the agitator has to be cleaned every two days because of the clinker being formed on it from burning corn. This is a common problem and is a reason why that stove comes with two agitators. This means of course you have to shut the stove down to remove and replace the agitator. The agitator usually burns up in one season and is a 45.00 non warranted item. This stove is a good dependable stove but it also will produce more soot from the agitator turning then will a pot stove.
As far as shutting down to dump the pot I agree the AE has a weak spot in that respect as it takes a fair amount of time to cool off, dump and reload, ignite and get up to speed again.
Compare that to a Bixby it slices the clinker dumping the bottom part and leaving the fire burning so within a minute of dumping you are back up to temp again. If tuned correctly by adjusting air and fuel mix you can burn it for 3 weeks before having to clean it.
The Auburn is manually dumped and the owner can slice the clinker and drop the bottom in the pot and then drop the fire down deeper in the pot. If done correctly the fire stays lite and you don't have to restart the stove. This is done morning and night when filling the hopper so it isn't a real hardship.
Now I live in Minn where -20 degrees is expected and we burn our stoves hard usually close to max output so the schedules I put down are realistic for our temps. Someone else may live in a more moderate state and the fuel use and dumping the ash container will vary.
I should also add I have burned a Harman PC45 for 3 seasons and helped the dealer do service work for a couple years. I also tried a AE for one year and have been burning Bixby stoves for 4 seasons. I have two stoves in the house- one in the basement and one on the main floor plus one in the shop.
If you check Pennsyvania college records they tested several stoves to see if burning grass pellets worked and the Bixby was one of the few that did. Primarily because you can adjust the dumping cycle with it.
Countryside or AES started with a agitator type stove but many owners converted them to pot style stoves. There has to be a reason for them to want to do that.

 

[jtakeman]

Just ask some of the Mt Vernon owners about clinkers hanging in the burnpot and messing with the auto cycle.

No auto cycle in pellet mode with my Omega and I have burned multifuels in pellet mode. So I have no heat lag while waiting for the auto cycle to finish. It self cleans on the fly. In multi mode there is a purge cycle for the really bad burning crap. But I really haven't needed to use it yet, Even with all the stuff I tried. My air and feed trims have been all I needed to work around things.

I'll take my agitator/burnpot design any day, Only draw back is a slightly dirty stove(from mixing the ash). Don't compare just any agitator with what Enviro has. The burnpot design has alot to do with how good the agitator is. If there is no way to remove the ash from the burnpot buy pushing it over the side, Its gonna get backed up otherwise and your just mixing the ash around hoping the possitive pressure blows it out. Heavy crud will just stay in and clog things up. You would be better off with an auto dump setup if they don't self clean. Self cleaners(auto dump) have there own issues with things that stick to the burnpots. Can't dump it if its stuck to the side!

Just my 2 on it!

 

[blazincorn]

www.blazincorn.com We are another source of dried corn in southern New England. Dried to 11% Located in Slocum RI. Deliveries can also be arranged Heating the farm with maxim 250 and house with PC45. Oil man stops here no more

 

[Crosslink tommy]

Corn that is dried to 11 % is this where you find that the harman pc 45's burn the best ? Or is there a better % it needs to be? Seems like my 45's will not burn 13.5% very well. On the auto settings.

 

[blazincorn]

Corn that is dried to 11 % is this where you find that the harman pc 45's burn the best ? Or is there a better % it needs to be? Seems like my 45's will not burn 13.5% very well. On the auto settings.

Crooslink tommy, corn dried between 10%-12% is considered premium and from 12%-15% is considered standard. All the corn that I have burned in my PC 45 has been in 10%-12% range. This is my first season with the 45 so I am still learning about it. Not sure why 13.5% won't burn well, should be low enough moisture content. Did you get analysis sheet or was it just by word that this was what the corn was dried to. We send out a sample of the corn to a lab so we have an analysis sheet to show the moisture content and ash of the corn we are selling.

 

[jtakeman]

My local farmer dries there's to 12% on average. I have burned 15% with no issues other than it took longer to ignite. They also have lower moisture corn for more money as they need to dry it longer and it requires more fuel.

If I burn the higher content I usually start it with a hand full of wood pellets or mix it with wood pellets. Wood pellets/Corn mixed at 60%pellet/40% corn burns nice even with higher moisture levels. But thats my personal preference as it burns cleaner/longer than straight corn. I didn't bother with corn this season as the corn was priced so high and wood pellets were stupid low at the box stores!

 

[Crosslink tommy]

I live in the country farmers all around me with moister % testers had two different farmer test my corn it was at 13.5, I talked to two harman dealers and they told me that on the corn settings ( 1-3) not to run over 1 or 1.5 .The stove did ok on these settings. but last year I burned moldy corn that from the farmers they gave me ,(they could not get it picked do to the mud in the fields) in my pc45 on my show trailer ,and it would burn on any of the pellet settings. Most of been really dry I wish I would have had it tested.Ever year I test out different brands of stoves. to actuley see how they perform with my boiler kits in them,in my own home or garage. They all are so different you know. I mix all kinds of different things (fuels) in the stoves to see how my kits react to them. ( from soaked desiel pellets to % of coals etc.)
WARNING :DO NOT TRY DOING THIS IN YOUR STOVES AT HOME. A nice blen of store bought pellets and dryed corn usally runs very nice