Replying to a message of Geo to Bob.Ackley:

 G> From: "Geo" 

 G> "Bob.Ackley ."
 wrote in message
 G> news:b08072.8e2655{at}FidoNet.no-ip.info...

 >> Around here they're pushing stoves that burn corn kernels.  If I
 G> understand
 >> correctly a bushel (about 56 lbs) of corn will heat a house for about a
 G> day
 >> at a cost of about $3.20 (a year ago it was $1.50).

 G> Yes, I've seen them, I couldn't believe corn was cheaper than coal.

It may not stay that way.

 G> Problem with corn stoves is that they require a blower to keep it
 G> going so if your power goes out you can't heat the house. With coal,
 G> no power required for most of the coal stoves (except the pea coal
 G> stoves which work like the corn stoves).

Most home furnaces require a blower to operate, either to move air into
the house or to move air through the burner(s) - or both.  The high-efficiency
gas furnace I had in my old house wouldn't run without electricity.  The oil
furnace in my present house won't, either.

 G> That's one of the things I really like about heating with coal, I live
 G> 700ft back from the street so we're all electric here and in the worst
 G> winter storms the power always goes out. We don't worry about that
 G> anymore. Couple generators to run the freezers and water pump and of
 G> course the router/computer/tv setup and we heat with coal.

Reminds me I need to get a generator setup for just that reason.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+