Shelled corn has varying qualities, and to achieve best results the quality of the shelled corn to be burnt in the Corn stove or boiler must be clearly stated.
Moisture Content - The moisture content of the any shelled corn should be no higher than 15.5%. When the Moisture content is high the growth of mold or mildew is higher and especially when in storing corn for later use. The grow of fungi will cause problems as it might result in clumping up of the corn and maynot be feed correctly into the combustion chamber resulting in poor burning. Other health issues like the fungal spores causing or aggravating respiratory problems with the people exposed to the spores.
Another fact with high moisture is the reduction of heat generated based on per pound of shelled corn, approximately 90BTU is lost per pound of shelled corn for every one percentage point above 15.5%
Some models of corn-burning stoves and boilers may require that the moisture content of the shelled corn be as low as 13% to get efficient combustion of the corn. Be sure to ask the dealer or manufacturer about the recommended moisture content of shelled corn for efficient combustion.
Cleanliness of Shelled Corn - The shelled corn needs to be clean, with as little as possible of broken kernels and foreign materials (cob pieces, husks, stalks, stones, and other residue). Small pieces of corn kernels could interfere with proper combustion and likely cause some smoking problems too. The foreign materials tend to clog the flow of the shelled corn into the stove's combustion chamber.
Specify U. S. Grade #2 shelled corn with just a small amount of broken corn and foreign materials (BCFM). If there are problems associated with burning Grade #2, if you have issues with Grade #2 then it might be neccesary to buy U. S. Grade #1 which will have even less BCFM. However, Grade #1 corn will be considerably more expensive than Grade #2. Consult your shelled corn dealer for more information.
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