# Corn heat in mobile home?



## WC WI Lisa (Aug 28, 2007)

Hope I'm in the right area for this....
I bought a corn stove for my mobile home with the thought of using it to help heat along with propane. I'm wondering though.... can I have a digital thermometer put in with a timer on the blower to just keep circulating the air and heat completely with the corn stove? I am NOT mechanical in any way so have to come to all of you for answers here. Not sure of the right terms to use here.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

WC WI Lisa said:


> Hope I'm in the right area for this....
> I bought a corn stove for my mobile home with the thought of using it to help heat along with propane. I'm wondering though.... can I have a digital thermometer put in with a timer on the blower to just keep circulating the air and heat completely with the corn stove? I am NOT mechanical in any way so have to come to all of you for answers here. Not sure of the right terms to use here.


They may not have one that will hook directly up to your stove but it can most certainly be done. You should check your stoves manufacturer website or catalog (or service number)and see if they recommend or sell one for ease of installation. Otherwise, an experienced electrician or handyman could do the wiring for you.

If it is a new stove, covered under a warranty, I would think twice about doing this. Any modifications to the stove or it's wiring will probably void your warranty. You may also want to review your mobile homes insurance policy. I would have to obtain a new, more expensive policy to have something like this in mine and have insurance cover anything that might happen in association with an open flame.

ETA: Having both a thermostat and a timer may be a bit more than you need. If it were me, I would do one or the other, not both.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I think the blower that he wants to hook the timer to is for the furnace and not the corn stove. Sounds like he wants to use this blower to circulate heated air from the corn stove thoughout the trailer. May work if the stove is mounted close to the furnce inlet. 

As far as the digital thermostat. I'm not sure.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I'm wondering why you got a *corn* stove . . . . ???
Have you checked the price of corn lately . . . . .???
Or do you grow your own . . .??

Those that I looked at were *pretty* . . . . But
They use a electricity gobbling "glow bar" for ten minutes--every time they start up.
The glow bar is just to get the corn burning.
Expect your electric bill to jump up a bunch.
It also did not seem to have the ability to throttle down to a low or medium "burn" rate.
Seemed like it was either full on --or off.
bad deal


I held my tounge and walked outta that *store*


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## WC WI Lisa (Aug 28, 2007)

I have about 300 bushels of dried shelled corn left over from last years crop. I took it in trade of some land rent, and can continue to do that as long as I rent my land out I suppose. The unit I bought does have a variable range from low to high. Insurance company has no problem with corn stoves, but a huge problem with wood, not sure why, I suppose it has to do with no heat being transferred arount the sides or back of stove, or heat going up though chimney pipe. I was referring to the heat being circulated through the home, not having it directly connected to the furnace, the stove would be mounted about 8 feet from the furnace inlet. And Wy White Wolf..... I'm definately a she.


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## highplains (Oct 5, 2006)

We have a cornstove and it works great, beats electric and fuel oil furnace, cut our costs by 2/3! Alot depends on your make and model of stove. I have an older stove that uses the gel to get it started, we shutdown about twice a week for cleaning to maintain max efficiency, and it keeps the house toasty warm up here in the Dakotas where the cold winds blow all winter long.
As for the blower on the main furnace - it can be done but I recommend talking to an electrician for it.
Love our stove and even when corn prices are up it is still a steal comparatively to electric or fuel oil.
When the big blizzards come we had used fuel oil furnace as a backup, we replaced windows this year and now we might not have to use the backup except for the super sub zero weather.
if you can get corn at a decent price I'd say you chose wisely.

make sure that you don't smell any smoke in the house otherwise it isn't working right!


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Sorry, sometimes I forget to look at who's posting.


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