Magnum Heat 

Do you own an ash vac? Ash vacs are vacuums designed specifically to help with pellet stove and fireplace clean-up and maintenance. They do a wonderful job and make clean-up a snap. Ash vacs are powerful and can pick up even the finest of ash and soot. They are also designed and manufactured for this specific purpose, and when used properly they provide the safest option available.

However, with Spring here and projects around the home abundant, it may be tempting to use your ash vac for things for which it’s not intended. Make it your rule to resist using your ash vacuum for anything other than your fireplace or stove. This special vacuum has a dedicated purpose and is not intended to be used as a shop vac. Doing so can cause damage to its special make up and internal dust chamber bag, as well as make it unsafe for its intended purpose next fall when you need it.

By all means Spring clean your house, vacuum out your vehicles, and tidy your garage. Just use or borrow other vacuums to assist with your projects. Give your ash vac the summer off.

Pellet stoves know no age limit. People of all ages around the United States are finding comfort in Magnum brand pellet stoves, and Edna Parent is no exception. Edna is in her eighties, lives in Minnesota, and just purchased her second Magnum pellet stove for her single story home. Edna’s unique single story home is built into a hill side and features a spacious 30 by 30 foot family room where she recently installed her new Magnum Countryside pellet stove. “I just got a new one,” Edna says of her stove. “It puts out even heat, perfect for my home.”

Edna had a Winchester stove prior to her new Countryside, and has since given it to her son-in-law to heat his workshop. The Winchester put out almost too much heat for Edna’s home, so she switched. “My son-in-law has a Baby Countryside in their home, so he was happy to use the Winchester in his shop.”

What Edna loves the most about her new Countryside is the stirrer. “I burn wood pellets and thanks to the stirrer I don’t have hardly any ash in the pan. I really like how clean it burns and the even heat it puts out.” When asked about maintaining the pellet stove, Edna does it all herself. “I am able to manage to wheel the pellets in myself. When I need to clean out the stove, I just use the ash vac I bought. It makes the process very simple and easy to do.”

Quilting is one of Edna’s hobbies, and it’s the first thing she relates to her stove use in the winter. “I just finished the binding on a quilt yesterday. When I’m sitting here tying a quilt in front of my Countryside, I love the fact that I’m cozy. I want people to know just how much I enjoy the even heat of my stove.”

With the weather hopefully turning warmer soon, our thoughts naturally turn in the direction of renewing the domestic space around us. Thinking beyond your run-of-the-mill spring cleaning, you can use this season to maintain, repair or replace systems, appliances and accessories around your home. What should you focus on?

Safety should be a paramount concern, and springtime is a good time to replace smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Take advantage of this go-round to replace the batteries with rechargeable ones, which will save you money in the long run over disposables. Make sure that your pellet stove, fireplace, or wood burning appliance  are cleaned and maintained according to your specific appliance to ensure that you’re getting everything out of them that you can. Don’t just shut it down for the season without giving it some attention. Take a look at your garage and make sure you’re not storing toxic or flammable compounds for no reason.

Your home can be better than ever heading into the climate and traditions of high summer. Ensure that your gutters are cleaned and clear for spring rains, and keep in mind that a rainwater collection system will not only help you in the garden, it will be a great benefit to your water bill as well. Ensure that your air conditioner filters have been replaced well before the heat wave so you’re not pushing the limits of your unit unnecessarily. Take another look at your garage – is this the year you replace you haul out and recycle old appliances or donate what you aren’t using?

This is also a great time of year to take strides toward saving money for next winter. Take advantage of when you empty your attic for the inevitable yard sale to eye the condition of your home insulation. As temperatures rise and your home stays warmer in the evening, this is a great time of year to replace insulation with newer, more energy-efficient materials, piecemeal if you have to. Now that you may not need them as much, this is also a good time to make sure your chimney, hood and flue (as applicable) are clean and clear.

Spring is a time of renewal, and it’s more than ever a time for new initiative, creative thinking and inspiration. Take a look around your house and use that energy today!

Living green means something different to different people. Some people are making significant changes in their lives, while others are slowly taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint (and learning what that means). However, living more green does not need to be difficult. There are things individuals and families can do, while helping kids learn how to pitch-in and help. You can make smart choices every day and make your imprint on the planet lighter and more green.

Here are some simple ways to live more green:

1. Turn down the heat or air conditioning when you leave, the house can be a bit less comfortable and use less energy.
2. Learn more about green furnaces and heating sources that use renewable energy.
3. Wash your clothes in cold water if possible. The cost of heating water for warm and hot loads uses the most energy.
4. Use filtered tap water in a re-usable container instead of bottled water. The plastic water bottles you buy are a major source of waste, plus take lots of resources to manufacture.
5. Recycle your electronics. When you get the latest gadget at Christmas or on your birthday, do not put it in the trash. Sell it, donate it, or give it to someone else. Places like Best Buy take old electronics.
6. Use reusable bags when shopping. Most of these bags come from recycled materials. Also, you will not be using paper or plastic bags that take plenty of resources to make.
7. Keep your faucets and toilets in good repair. A slow drip can waste hundreds of gallons a year.
8. Keep unused areas of the house closed off. There is no need to heat or cool unused space such as the attic, a three season porch, or storage space.
9. Pay your bills online and lower the amount of paper waste you get each year by half. Some places are offering electronic receipts too.
10. Buy in bulk when possible. Buy the largest containers that you can use without wasting contents. This will reduce the amount of packaging your purchases have while preventing you from wasting the product. Many grocery stores, bulk cooperatives, and farmers markets even encourage you to bring your own reusable containers.
11. Shop local when possible. Foods, fuel, and other items that don’t have to travel long distances can save on the environment.

What are some additional simple tips for people to live a little bit more green? What small steps did you take at first?

Many people often confuse industrial vacuums with one that is intended to be used to clean ash from a fireplace or stove. There is a difference between the two, and only an Ash Vac should be used to clean out your vents, heating appliance, and ash.

Do you have another question we can answer? Please leave it in the comments or visit us on Facebook today.

Here’s some more Frequently Asked Questions about Pellet Stoves, Fireplaces, Heating, and Renewable Energy.

What can you do to help others consider greener heating options?

Did you know that recommendations and personal experiences often influence people to explore alternative heat more than other sources? People like to hear experiences from close friends and family in a warm, safe environment with no pressure to buy or make a decision. If you are an advocate of using alternative heat and already own a Magnum appliance, please take the time to answer questions or show your friends how your appliance fits into your home and life. With cold weather here, invite friends over for a warm beverage by the fire. Card club or book club around the fire will warm hearts and open up opportunities for conversations about renewable energy that is important to you. If you do refer people, don’t forget to give us a heads up so we can welcome them.

We are more than willing to help answer questions too, but Magnum stove and fireplace owners are often able to give practical advice and personal accounts of how much money can be saved. If you have a story you’d like to share publicly, you can submit it here.

What is a bushel of corn?

A bushel refers to a unit of measurement that dates back to the Middle Ages, and has undergone some changes in its definition and measurement representations. Most commonly used to measure dry crops in agriculture, the US industry still uses this term in reference to standard weight of crop rather than volume. Because crops like corn, wheat, oats, and barley have different weights, a bushel of each can vary. Commodity prices of crops like corn are usually communicated in bushels as well.

How many pounds are in a bushel of corn?

A bushel of dry corn is about 56 pounds. A bushel of dry corn is also about 25 kilograms.

If I’m buying corn for my pellet stove, how is it sold?

If you are buying in bulk, directly from a farmer you’ll likely purchase your corn in bushels. If the corn has been bagged and sold by a corn dealer or retail store, you’ll like purchase by the pound. It is typical to find bags of corn sold in 40lbs bags. Therefore, a 40 pound bag of corn is less than one bushel of corn.

Do you have any other questions we can answer?

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New articles are posted each week on our blog and What’s New section, we engage with fans on Facebook and Twitter, and post videos to YouTube and photos to Flickr.

We’ve even made our brochures digital and download-able on the website, but sometimes you want to have a brochure to look at on the couch, at the camper, or in the car, right? Thank you for your interest! You can request a brochure sent to you here if you’d like.

Did you know that heating with renewable fuel isn’t necessarily a conflict with allergies? Many people ask about allergies and the ability to switch to a renewable fuel source like a corn stove, pellet stove or pellet furnace. With the advanced technology in our appliances, the solution isn’t in the type of fuel you choose; it’s in the technology!

Pardon Me While I Sneeze is one of our popular blog posts for people wondering about allergies and the advantages you’ll find with Magnum renewable fuel appliances. With fall allergies in full swing in many parts of the country, we want to share this important information again, and make sure it gets in the hands of those who are wondering.

“Many customers suffering from allergies have stated that when they have installed their MagnuM or Country Flame Flex-fuel appliance that their allergies that flared up from even their old style furnace were reduced by the heat produced from their new unit.”

Don’t let allergies stop you from exploring the benefits and savings of renewable energy. Call us today to discuss your renewable energy options available!