Magnum Heat 

There are areas of the country where customers are using the MagnuM Pellet Stoves off of the grid; Western Montana and Arizona to mention a couple. The Forest Service in Montana is using our model BC-DC up in the mountains where there is no power. The MagnuM DC powered units are very frugal on power usage so they make a perfect application for wind power, solar and battery operation. There are several companies that provide small wind and solar units for small usage products like this or you can tap into your whole house system. The appliance requires a constant 14 volt with a solid 5 amps of current. Proper filters must be installed in the system to prevent voltage surges and variances in volts and cycles. The wind or solar generator companies can help with that.

The only problems that we have seen thus far is if the wind, solar or battery system does not provide a constant 14 volt input. This is easily rectified by having adequate battery storage and voltage stabilizers in the system. If the battery volts drop below 9 volts, the unit will automatically shut down. If you are on only battery power, the self ignition system will not work and you need to light the stove manually. This is a great way to heat off the grid and save precious energy.

Are you using your stove off the grid? Have you utilized solar, wind or battery systems instead of electricity to power your stove? We’d love to hear from you!

Yes, pellet stoves and corn stoves on the market today need electricity in order to work. If you want to run your corn stove during power outages, you will need to purchase a battery backup and inverter. These can be purchased at local retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City, and many people in areas prone to bad winter storms and power outages find comfort in having a battery backup, even if it’s seldom needed.

Wondering how much electricity a pellet stove uses? Read, “How Much Electricity Does It Take to Run My Pellet Stove ?” 

Electricity is measured in kilowatts (kw) and a kilowatt is 1,000 watts and usually costs between six and tens cents per hour. In some areas like California the rates will be higher and in areas with hydroelectric power the rates can be lower, but the average is eight cents per hour per kw in the corn belt.

Electrical Usage for Magnum & Country Flame Pellet Stoves

The igniter for a MagnuM Baby Countryside stove uses 175 watts and it normally takes three to five minutes to light wood pellets in a stove (it may take longer in some cases) and the igniter runs for ten minutes. The igniter takes .175kw x .08 = 1.4 cents. If the igniter is on for ten minutes it would take only ten out of sixty minutes in an hour so 1/6 x 1.4 cents = .233 cents per lighting cycle. The use of the igniter on a Magnum Pellet stove will vary with individual usage, but if it went through a relight cycle twenty times in a day it would take .233 cents x 20 = 4.66 cents or less than a nickel a day (with wet or poor fuel it may take 2-3 cycles for the unit to light properly).

The fan motors, auger motor and stirrer motor (if standard) take approximately 2.5 amps to 3.0 amps to operate. Voltage x amps = watts, so 110v x 2.75 amps = 303 watts of usage per hour. With the average price of a kilowatt at $0.08, the average electrical cost to run a stove would be .303kw x .08 = 2.42 cents per hour. If a stove ran for 24 hours in a day it would use approximately 58 cents per day (2.42 cents x 24 hours =58.176 cents). Many times a stove is not needed or used 24 per day, so the actual cost would be based on the actual hours a stove is used by a homeowner—if it was used 12 hours per day the electrical cost would be about 29 cents per day.

It should be noted that the fan for the heater exchanger on a Magnum stove does a good job of pushing the heat into the room and helps to circulate heat in a house—especially in a lower level or a basement where hot air rises throughout a structure. Magnum Pellet stoves also give off radiant heat (like the hot heat of the sun) in addition to convection heat. Compared to wood stoves or heating appliances without a blower, you get better heat circulation with a corn stove (in many cases higher thermal efficiencies with a corn stove). A forced air furnace and some other forms of heating also need a blower to move the hot air around a structure and will take as much or more electricity than a corn stove. Although electric baseboard heat does not need a blower, the average electrical usage will be much higher than a corn stove to heat a comparable area.

Note: These calculations do not include meter fees and other charges from an electric company. Voltage will vary from 110 volts to 120 volts and at start up there is a slightly higher electrical draw. For more information on electrical usage for appliances you can visit or “Google” various websites or contact your electric company.

Do you have a question you’d like answered? Maybe you have a tip to share with other pellet stove owners, please share!

photo credit: fontplaydotcom