Corn Furnaces (Bio-Fuel) Reduce Heating Costs and are Good for the Enviornment Too

Recent rises in fuel prices have had most furnace owners—whether propane, natural gas, or oil models—seeing a substantial rise in their heating bills. These new financial headaches, coupled with increased environmental concerns over the gas emissions from traditional furnaces, have many clamoring for the development of new, safer, renewable energy sources. Odd as it may sound as first, corn furnaces are actually leading the way to achieving this goal.

Corn furnaces work by burning supplies of shelled corn, which is a renewable resource. Oil and gas, however, are limited, non-renewable resources. As time goes on and supplies of these much-sought-after fuels dwindle, costs will only continue to skyrocket. Many people who already struggle to afford monthly heating and electric bills may find themselves unable to heat their homes at all.

Using a corn furnace to heat a home is safe and simple. Most models require refilling only every ten or so days, so there is no need to constantly keep an eye on the machine. The only ongoing maintenance need is emptying the ash tray once a week. If the corn supply runs out, the furnace simply shuts off. Corn furnace owners report a light smell similar to that of a barbeque when their furnace is running, which is far more pleasant than oil odors emitted from oil furnaces. Most importantly, unlike traditional fuel-burning furnaces, there is no creosote buildup to cause a chimney fire.

Compared with oil and gas furnaces, corn furnaces certainly hold their own. One bushel of corn is the equivalent to about 3 gallons of fuel oil, with the average home requiring approximately 250 bushels per season. (Remember that most places do not need heat year-round.) Most corn furnaces have a AFUE rating of around 85%, which is well above the United States federal minimum of 78% and higher than many furnaces on the market today.

Another highlight of adopting a corn furnace is the chance to help financially-strained local farmers by creating a steady and reliable market demand for greater corn supplies. Many corn furnaces are designed to accommodate other bio-fuels like soybeans and wheat, which are also renewable resources that help keep small family farms up and running.

If you're interested in trying corn as a heating source, but not quite ready to give up your current model, you can always install a corn furnace as a supplementary heating source. This allows you to fully experience the power and reliability of bio-fuels, while easily being able to switch back to your old oil or gas furnace if you want to.

Austin Scott regularly writes for Furnace Helper on topics like Corn Furnaces and Furnace Repair

How To Maintain An Oil Burning Furnace

Oil burning furnaces need maintenance, more than gas or propane burning furnaces need. My own experience says you can go as long as 3 years without servicing it, but that is not advisable because sometimes the failure that results is severe (electrode insulator cracks, and you get the Bessemer Process on the electrode mount, which is to say, it melts). You are far better off cleaning them annually.

Cleaning and servicing them is no big deal, but it is messy since that soot is tarry and stinky.

Turn off power to the system. Remove the oil burner assembly, which will also have the electrodes on it. How you remove this assembly is very dependent on the particular unit; follow the oil line out of the pump to where it goes into the furnace housing and that will give you a good clue. Often (usually) you have to either remove or hinge back the high voltage transformer to get at this assembly.

When you have the burner out, remove the nozzle and replace it. Make sure you replace it with a nozzle with the same spray pattern, though you can vary the gallons per hour (GPH) rating to rate the furnace up or down in capacity.

Spray patterns are described as either solid, semisolid, or hollow - which refers to the distribution of oil in the spray cone, and have a specific angle which defines the angle of the cone of oil that is shot into the furnace. Solid is the most common pattern in my experience and 85 degrees is the most common angle that I have seen.

Wipe the whole assembly down to get the oil and soot off of it. You will need to position and gap the electrodes, but first do a visual inspection of them. If there are visible cracks in the insulators, replace them. If the ends are eroded and pitted, replace them. If in doubt, replace them.
 

There is a special tool you need to position and gap the electrodes; do not try to do this without that tool. It only costs about $4 at a supply house; I repeat DO NOT TRY TO DO IT WITHOUT THE TOOL!!!! You can have a fire, and in the worst possible case, an explosion that wrecks the furnace if you gap them badly enough. Make sure you gap and position the electrodes to conform to the particular spray pattern of the nozzle.

When you have done all this, take a rag and wipe down the air passages leading into the furnace. Wipe off the squirrel cage on the combustion blower. Wipe off the oil pump, the transformer, and the electrodes on the transformer. Also look for an optical flame sensor (some units have them) and wipe it clean.

Reassemble the furnace and fire it off. The flame should start instantly and quietly - no WHOOMP, no delays followed by a WHOOMP. If it is adjusted right, it will just start, immediately and quietly.

You then need to adjust the air to the flame. Open the inspection port so you can see the flame. Turn down the air until the flame becomes dull yellow and smoky, then increase the air until the smoke just vanishes and the flame "flower" is bright yellow. If the flame "flower" becomes too lean, it will be very bright and tinged with blue. At this point, you are sending too much air in and sending too much heat up the flue. When the inspection port is closed, if the flame roars and the furnace kind of "shudders" a bit, back off the air until that stops, then look again in the inspection port to make sure the flame is not smoky.

When all this is done, allow the furnace to reach operating temperature, then adjust the flue damper. The flue damper should swing freely and not catch, either open or close. If you cannot achieve this, replace it. When you have achieved this, adjust the damper so that it is swinging about half open when the furnace is running and at temp. When the furnace stops and the flue cools, the damper should swing shut on its own.

Beyond this, oil the pump motor, oil the blower motor, change the filters, tighten the belts, replace the oil filter, and you are done. You could also test pump pressure but that does not change unless either tampered with or if the pump is failing; I almost always ignore it.

Although this sounds like a lot, when you get good at it you will do it end to end in 1/2 hour. You will also stink of fuel oil when you are done, so wear old clothes.

Oh yes. Must not forget. You WILL spill a certain small amount of fuel oil over the course of this; have some kitty litter (oil dry) available.

Jim Locker holds advanced degrees in physics, has designed and developed computer systems and software for over 30 years, was a landlord for 20 years running up to a couple of hundred properties, and can build or fix just about anything. He presently works as an independent computer systems consultant and works for Just So Software, Inc. whose site is http://www.softwareforlandlords.com

Who Can Benefit from An Outside Wood Burning Furnace?

Outdoor wood furnaces are increasing in popularity. This rise in popularity is often due to the amount of money a person can save from using one. Outside furnaces are known to help reduce the cost of heating. When it comes to outside wood burning furnaces, many individuals are unsure exactly who can benefit from them. The truth is that just about anyone can.

As previously mentioned an outdoor wood burning furnace is most well known for its ability to heat on a low budget. This low-cost heating is often most beneficial to homeowners. In most cases, many individuals spend the majority of their time inside their homes. This means that a home must always be heated. In addition to being heating, hot water is needed. An outside wood burning furnace may not only be able to provide indoor heat, but hot water as well.

For quite some time, homes of all sizes have been heated by an outside wood burning furnace. If you find it difficult to afford the cost of heating your home, you are encouraged to learn what an outside wood burning furnace can do for you. Almost all homeowners have reported a drop in their home heating costs. Many of these homeowners saved a substantial amount of money. The amount of money you will save will vary, depending on the type of furnace you purchase.

While homeowners may benefit the most from the use of an outside wood burning furnace, they are not the only ones who can. In addition to homeowners, business owners may also be able to benefit from these outdoor furnaces. As with homes, an outside wood burning stove also provides low cost heating. The smaller the cost of home heating, the more a business owner is able to profit. If you are a business owner that is trying to reduce your expenses, such as heat, you may want to see what an outdoor wood furnace can do for you.

In addition to heating large buildings, such as a home or business, outside wood furnaces can also be used to heat smaller facilities. These facilities may include, but should not be limited to, barns, shed, garages, and greenhouses. If you find yourself spending a large amount of time inside your barn, garage, tool shed, or greenhouse, you may be able to benefit from the use of an outside wood burning furnace.

In addition to providing you with cheap heat, you will also enjoy the fact that you are in a heated environments. Many garages, sheds, and barns are not heated. If you are spending a large portion of your time in one or more of these facilities, there isn’t any reason why should be cold, especially when it is so easy to create a heated environment. If you are interested in heating your home with an outdoor wood burning furnace, you may not even need a separate furnace. Many outside wood burning furnaces are able to heat, at least, two buildings.

As you can see, whether you are a homeowner, business owner, farmer, or an indoor gardener, you can benefit from the use of an outside wood burning furnace. For a reasonable, upfront price, you could be saving money on the cost of heating. You may even be able to notice a savings right away.

Brad King is a writer for Hawken Energy where you can find a great deal on a outside wood burning furnace