Corn Burning Furnaces

With fossil fuel prices expect to continue increasing, many people are nervous about future heating bills. Corn burning furnaces are an odd, but popular biomass alternative.

Corn Burning Furnaces

As mentioned by President Bush in his State of the Union speech, the United States has a bad oil addiction. Throw in the negative environmental impact of using fossil fuels, and it becomes apparent a change is needed. As we look around for alternative energy sources, biomass is becoming a popular choice. Biomass is simply energy derived from the burning of bio fuels such as animal waste and excessive crops.

As people starve around the world, it is sadly ironic that we have a major surplus of corn. Corn makes an excellent biomass power source. Corn burning furnaces are based on this idea. More importantly, they produce as much heat as traditional furnaces, but at a much lower cost.

Corn burning furnaces use dry shelled corn as the power source. Unlike the edible variety, corn burning furnaces do not require high quality stock. Pretty much any shelled corn will do so long as it is dry and free of husk fibers.

Corn burning furnaces are particularly attractive from a cost perspective. Generally, burning corn for heat will cost you half as much as oil produced energy, 30 percent less than coal produced heat and 70 percent less than heat produced with natural gas. If you’re buying energy to heat your house from a utility company, converting to a corn burning furnace can save you 75 percent.

Furnaces using corn biomass for power have come along way. If you’re picturing standing in the snow with a shovel, you will be happily disappointed. These days, shelled corn is delivered to your home where it is stored in a tank. As the furnace requires additional fuel, a thermostat senses the loss in temperature and opens a door in the storage tank. A pre-set amount of corn falls into the furnace and, ta da, you have heat. The heat is then piped into the home through the same duct systems used with a regular home.

At first mention, a corn burning furnace “out there.”  In truth, it is the most searched type of furnace on the Internet, which should tell you something about its popularity and viability.

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