Maybe you have read the stories online about those darn stoves spewing ash and soot all over the house. What causes that and how can you avoid it in the future?

Technically, your corn or pellet stove runs on a negative pressure system in the firebox (that means that it would pull air into the appliance, not spew smoke, ash and soot out of it) so it will not release any stuff into your home. The venting system runs on a positive pressure system ( blow into a balloon, that is positive pressure ) so it is important that the venting system is properly designed and sealed.

But how does the ash and soot ever get into my home?

Here are a few of the common mistakes and the culprit to the problem.

• Venting system not sealed and ash leaking into the home, the room air fan picking it up and blowing it around the room.
• Venting exit too close to the fresh air intake for the home and the home intake system picking it up and blowing around the whole house.
• Home not balanced for fresh air makeup and pulling in ash and smoke from outside.
• Someone (we won’t mention names), dumping dirty/dusty fuel into the hopper while the unit is running and dust, etc. blowing all over the house (read blog on clean fuel).
• Someone (we learned not to mention names), using a sears shop vac to vacuum out those hot ashes consequently burning a hole in the filter, blowing fire, ash and soot out the back of the shop vac and blaming it on someone else (again, not mentioning any names). Hey, we can find a little humor, right?

Last, but certainly not least is the infamous “beer belly syndrome”. This is a condition (and it gets worse with the bigger the beer belly), where you stand in front of the stove, open the door and the air from the stove fan hits your chest, rolls off your belly and with the force of a hurricane (again dependent on the size of the protrusion) goes inside of the stove and blows the ash, and soot all over.

To prevent this occurrence either shut your appliance down, let it cool and then perform your maintenance chores or sign up at the gym. Seriously, following proper installation, operation and maintenance practices will eliminate dust, ash and soot from ever entering your home.

photo credit: ryanovineyards

I just don’t understand it! I installed my Corn Stove expecting it to heat my entire home and save me a ton of money. I went through fuel like crazy this winter and have not seen the savings. What am I doing wrong?

Statements like this do not come along very often, but when they do it is fairly easy to find a solution. Let’s take a look at a few important things to consider before purchasing your corn stove.

First, a few important questions to ask:

1. What do I expect to achieve when purchasing a renewable energy appliance for my home?
2. Can I place the unit in the right location to get the most out of the appliance or is it going to be restricted by doors, small rooms or a lack of air circulation?
3. Is my home in need of a little or a lot of insulation so that the heat is not going out the window?
4. Can I enjoy my Corn Stove where I need to place it?

It is important that a qualified expert qualify your home and place your new Corn Stove where it will be able to distribute the heat evenly and give you the most benefit. Ceiling fans and running your central furnace blower will circulate the heat throughout your home and into those back rooms that need a little heat.

Most people do not realize that they are heating areas of their home that were normally shut down because of high heat bills. Typically the home temperature is up to 10 degrees warmer with your Corn Stove so it takes a little more fuel to get it there. You will enjoy the radiant heat and once again can sit in your home toasty warm and not covered with layers of clothes and blankets to save on those high heat bills.

Typical savings are in excess of 60 percent but even a 15-30 percent return on your investment in a environmentally green energy appliance is well worth it.

Proper placement, correct installation, fuel quality and scheduled maintenance will result in your Corn Stove operating at peak performance and efficiency. It is best to run the appliance on the lower heat settings like 2 or 3 rather than up at 4 or 5. The higher heat settings result in lower efficiency and the appliance cycling from high to pilot fire too often. A lower steady heat setting will bring the home up to the desired temperature and will keep it there for longer periods of time. The appliance will stay cleaner and you will not go through as much fuel.

Enjoy warm cozy days and nights while putting heating dollars back into your pocket!

Here are TWO great videos that will help on heating efficencies; selecting the correct appliance for your home and choosing the right fuel for your appliance.

photo credit: Zach Klein

Help! My stove is blowing up in my face, what causes that?

Signed, Singed and Smoking

With the design of the combustion system in a MagnuM stove, it is nearly impossible for the appliance to puff back, flare up and out the door, or “blow up in your face”.  If you are experiencing this with your stove, here is some information that will be sure to help.

Happening When You Light the Stove?

If this is happening when you light the stove then it is the starter fluid that you are using. Do not use gas, charcoal lighter or any other highly flammable liquid to start your stove. Only use approved starter for your appliance. This can be purchased at any good retail specialty shop.

If the fire is already lit do not add any fire starter. This is sure to give you a surprise. Fire starter gel is not intended to add to the fire once it is lit and burning.

Happening When You Open the Door?

If the appliance puffs out the door when opened or the fire flares up when you open the door then the appliance is either installed incorrectly, you have negative pressure in the home, or the unit is plugged and needs servicing. In all of these cases it is important that you follow the manufacturer’s recommended daily, weekly and monthly maintenance guidelines and consult with a trained service tech to get your stove back in perfect operating condition.

We have a GREAT online resource for technical questions on our forum, which you can visit and find expert help.

To access the manual for your heating appliance, you can visit our Technical Documents and Owner’s Manual section of our website.

photo credit: quinn.anya

One of the most talked about questions in the alternative energy and renewable heating fields is:

“How much can I expect to save if I switch to an alternative heat source like a corn or pellet stove?”

Everyone’s story will be different but you can expect to save 60% or more on your heating expenses. I look at it two different ways.

1. If I took a couple thousand dollars and invested it in savings I would make maybe 3-5 percent on my money.
2. If I take that same money and invest in a corn stove or furnace I will get a 40-60 percent return on my money every year.

The frosting on the cake is that while saving money my home will be warmer than when my primary unit was heating my home, and I get the added benefit of the ROMANCE that a fire creates. We have story after story about how the corn stove became the focal point of the home bringing families together.

Do you have a story to share about your corn stove? We’d love to hear from you.

photo credit: Casey Serin photo

photo credit: norwichnuts

Are you sold on alternative heating and ready to throw your furnace out the window?

Wait.

Even though heating with renewable energy such as corn or wood pellets is a cost effective and fantastic method of heating your home, you don’t want to throw your furnace out the window just yet.

Do I need to keep my furnace if I install a Magnum stove?

The answer is yes you do. There are code compliance issues that require a primary heating system to be installed in your home. Today, there are no insurance or building codes that will allow a solid fuel device to be considered as primary.

This does not mean, however, that your corn/flex-fuel appliance will not heat your entire home.

The best advice is to let your renewable energy appliance do the bulk of the heating, and when you go away on vacation, etc. allow your primary furnace to take over.

There are plenty of design solutions; your corn burning appliance can complement your entire system so that you can stay toasty warm.

Many corn/flex-fuel customers report that their primary furnace runs very little, if at all, even on the coldest of days. So while we do not recommend you throw your furnace out the window, we are excited for you to experience the wonderful heat and savings associated with corn and pellet stoves!

One of our raving fans share how well their corn stove heats their entire home in this video:

photo credit: Keith Williamson

American Energy Systems has a rich history of providing superior corn stoves and flex-fuel heating appliances; including fireplaces and furnaces. We are pleased to offer a blog community to people passionate about using alternative energy to heat their homes and offices.

If you want to shop online and skip directly to our extensive Magnum and Country Flame product lines, please jump over to our Main Website at Magnum Heat. To go directly to our Magnum E-com Store click here.

For specific questions or assistance with one of our appliances, you can participate in our online Magnum Forum -which is getting rave reviews for quick, easy access to all your technical needs. 

 Cme2heatitup on Ebay, one of American Energy System’s Resellers, sells overstock, scratch and dent, and  special promotion units for wholesale prices. These are one of a kind items and deals, as Cme2heatitup is the ONLY authorized AES online Reseller that can sell DEMO units for full factory warranty.

If a show room is more your style, and you’d love to see a corn or pellet stove in action, you can find a dealer near you! Just use our Magnum and Country Flame locator!

For a fun, new community of people passionate about heating their homes with alternative energy, you can join our Fan Page on Facebook at Facebook.magnumheat.com Be sure to leave us a comment so we can say “hi”!

We are active on Twitter now too, so follow us at Twitter.com/alternativeheat Be sure to @ reply so we can follow you back! We love the discussions on Twitter going on about green living, saving money, burning corn, and alternative energy for heat. Weigh in!

We are working hard to offer countless videos featuring all our our Magnum and Country Flame products. Dozens of easy to understand and helpful demonstrational videos are posted on Magnum Heat channel of YouTube. From trouble shooting and venting, to choosing your corn or wood pellets to buy, we’re here to help.