Multi fuel stoves, different from pellets?

[slow-al]

Firts, Macman's post about multi-fuels availabilty raised a question, how do we help the guy that answers everyone else's questions?

Other question is, what's the difference in a multi-fuel and a pellet stove, I think I read that corn and cherry pits burn hotter than pellets so would a higher rated vent be necessary for multi fuels?

Also, could an existing pellet stove be altered to burn another type of fuel? Corn for example, produces more clinkers and needs to be stired on occasion, (if I remember correctly) or it'll drip a sort of goo due to the higher moisture content, (again, may have a flawed memory). If a stove were feed a fuel other than pellets what happens? Does the auger just dump an inappropriate amount of fuel since it's designed for pellets and the corn or cherry pits have a different size and shape?

 

[jtakeman]

I believe corn does not burn hotter. It burns for a longer amount of time and requires less air and less fuel fed in to maintain the burn. There seems to be debate's about this. Hard to fallow and I hear different BTU values were ever I look. Search "corn BTU value" on google.

Most multi fuel stoves also stir the pot. If corn were not stirred you would end up with a large molten rock. Literally stuck to the burn pot. Some have shacker grates. I have also seen rotary burn pots. Self dumpers too.

The biggest difference is the stoves brain or control board. You need a larger feed range to adjust for different fuels. (Bixby stoves has a program you load on the laptop or PC. It allows you to change the feed and air settings a long with other settings). Although each stove is different. They all seem to do the job.

I have not burned cherry pitts yet but will when I find them. I have burned Switch grass pellets. High bark wood pellets. and I have a good lead on news paper and ground up leaves pellets. The problem right now there isn't a large price break for the alternitive pellets. The switch grass and high bark are just $5 to $10 cheaper per ton. So until the price drops and there is some competitive suppliers. Best to stay with pellets or corn.

But the forcasters say there will be a variaty to choose from "In the future". We shall have to wait and see.

jay

 

[slow-al]

The biggest difference is the stoves brain or control board.

jay

I guess this is what I was expecting, so if the fuel becomes available then it might be expected (hoped really) that some of the stove builders might make a replacement board to alter their stoves to accomadate the alternate fuels?

And if the manufacturers won't then maybe someone will, like the guy in Canada making the boards for a Breckwell was it?

 

[jtakeman]

I guess this is what I was expecting, so if the fuel becomes available then it might be expected (hoped really) that some of the stove builders might make a replacement board to alter their stoves to accomadate the alternate fuels?

And if the manufacturers won't then maybe someone will, like the guy in Canada making the boards for a Breckwell was it?

The control board would allow adjustments for the multifuel, But you would still need a way to remove the ash from the burnpot. So I don't think there will be updates to existing stoves.

jay