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FAQ:
Heating With Wood Pellets, Corn, Grain
Pellets, and other Biomass Fuels
1. What are the benefits of biomass
fuels?
There are many reasons to heat your home with a biomass
furnace. First and foremost, the cost savings are
impossible to ignore. Many customers have cut their
energy bills by up to 80%!
Aside from the financial rewards, heating your home
with biomass fuels also allows you to support local
farmers; you can keep your hard earned dollars in
the local economy... and that's good for everyone!
Biomass furnace technology is also friendly to the
environment because corn is a renewable resource
(unlike fossil fuels), it burns clean, is pollution-free
and keeps your family safe from the threat of carbon
monoxide in the home.
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2. What is one ton of wood pellets
equal to?
• 120 gallons of heating oil
• 170 gallons of propane
• 16,000 ft3 of natural gas
• 4,775 kilowatt hours (kWh) electricity
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3. How much fuel will I use yearly on average?
Naturally, the amount of fuel you will use depends
on how cold the winter is, how warm you keep your
home and the energy efficiency of your house. On
average you will use 1 to 1.5 bags per day to heat
the average size home.
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4. Can a biomass furnace heat
my entire home?
Yes they can! Biomass furnaces function much like
your traditional furnace, but in a more energy-efficient
and cost-effective way. In many cases, your biomass
furnaces can even be used with your home's existing
ductwork.
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5. What kind of fuel do I need
for my furnace?
Wood pellets, shelled corn, grain pellets,
dried cherry pits and other biomass fuels.
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6. How do you store the wood pellets?
There are several different ways to store your wood pellets. The final decision
will be based on what is the most convenient for you. For those getting small
quantities
of wood pellets at a time, garbage cans or storage tubs work well. For those
who
want to purchase wood pellets in bulk and have it delivered, outside silos are
available
in
various sizes to meet any need.
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7. Does the furnace produce an odor when burning wood pellets?
There is no smell at all inside the home, and any odor that is produced outside
the home is minimal.
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8. Is there a way to recycle my wood pellet ash?
Your wood pellet ash can be used for its nutritional value. Unlike ash from firewood
or coal, wood pellet ash offers additional value as a fertilizer and as a liming
agent. Burning wood pellets does not produce a large volume of ash, but what
you
do
produce
can be safely applied to garden areas, flower beds, lawns, and fields.
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