whether you're a new wood stove owner or have had one for some time you might be surprised to learn that you may be able to operate your stove more efficiently get more heat and save money by doing so using your stove properly can reduce the amount of wood you use by up to a third while giving you as much or more heat another benefit is cleaner air for you and your neighbors to breathe both inside and out smoke coming from your chimney means your stove is not operating efficiently smoke is unburned fuel and a waste of your cash with a little practice and care you can easily produce a nice hot fire with little or no smoke this applies to both older uncertified stoves and newer high-technology epa-certified stoves the newer certified wood stoves are highly engineered high performing appliances but even they can be operated improperly and inefficiently certified wood stoves are unique because of how they are constructed they use technology that creates an optimum burning environment and actually reborn' 's the smoke to reduce it which also produces more heat when it is properly used you should see no smoke coming from the chimney of a certified stove here are six steps to a fire that gives plenty of heat while saving your hard-earned money first select your fuel it is extremely important to use the right fuel make sure your wood is very dry and well seasoned using green wood or wood that has not been properly dried significantly reduces the heat output of your stove and increases creosote buildup in your chimney fire wood should be stacked for drying for at least six months and protected from fall and winter rains use a moisture meter available at most stores to tell if your wood is ready to burn it should have 20% moisture or less or just knock on it if it sounds Hollow it's probably seasoned second start your fire write small hot fires are best it's important to use smaller pieces of seasoned firewood when starting your fire so it will become a good hot fire quickly it's best to keep the stove door slightly open for about a minute to help the fire get burning strong lead before latching it third get your stove hot the key is to get the stove hot enough so it will perform as designed and reborn' the smoke start with a small hot fire at larger pieces of wood one at a time as needed instead of loading your stove with several large pieces at once forth maintain the fire for overrun certified wood stoves be sure not to close the damper or air control too much that makes the fire smolder and smoke don't overload any stove which also causes smouldering this creates too much smoke produces less heat builds up creosote in your chimney and wastes your fuel and money fifth keep the doors closed unless you are adding more wood keep the doors closed so the stove will operate as designed when the doors are open you are losing heat up the chimney and one final thing never burn garbage do not burn junk mail newspapers or any other garbage in a wood stove in most areas burning garbage is illegal a small amount of paper can be used to start the fire but other than that the only items to be burned in a wood stove are fire wood fire starters and manufactured fire logs approved for use in wood stoves after you have taken these steps you can check how you're doing by looking for smoke from your chimney if you are burning properly you shouldn't see smoke if you do you'll need to review these steps again proper fuel and a hot fire are the most common solutions here are a few additional points to consider keep your chimney clean and clear by using a certified chimney sweep annually creosote caused by burning can build up in your chimney and create a safety hazard have your stove serviced yearly by a wood heat professional preferably one certified by the National fireplace Institute to make sure your stove and chimney are in good shape clear out the ash regularly but only after the ash has cooled completely leave about an inch of ash in the bottom of the stove for optimum performance dispose of the rest in a metal container if you have questions or want to learn more about the most efficient clean and cost-effective operation of your stove visit a local specialty hearth retailer you you