Heating Your House Efficiently with a Wood Burning Fireplace or Stove

How we've heated our house on 1 cord a year for the last 34 years: Tips and tricks for burning firewood in a fireplace or wood stove to efficiently heat your house. If you cut your own wood it's a cheap way to heat. But it's important to burn a CLEAN EFFICIENT FIRE, for more heat and less pollution. Burning wood creates 400 times more fine particle air pollution than oil or gas.
If you have a wood stove with a metal stovepipe, using a Heat Reclaimer can increase your heat output by 30%, such as this: amzn.to/3adjgTA
This lower cost Heat Reclaimer is best used with a fan: amzn.to/3bpcsSY
The glass doors I found on Amazon are NOT air tight, and say to leave the doors open when burning the fire, which defeats the purpose if you want to heat your house. You might be able to find air tight glass doors at a fireplace shop, or have them custom made, but if you can afford to buy and install it, an insert is much better.
A certified wood burning fireplace insert is more efficient than glass doors.
You'll also need a chimney liner kit which comes in many sizes: amzn.to/31Lapo6
Measure your fireplace opening width, height and depth, and be sure to order an insert that will fit.
Our house came with an open fireplace. For $300 in the 1980's we had custom airtight Pyrex glass doors made, greatly increasing the heat output. Plus we added double mylar to the windows in our house, which made a huge difference.
Video includes: Creating an outside air intake directly into the firebox, drying firewood, lighting a fire, keeping it burning well, keeping smoke out of your house when you open the doors, and using fans to extract heat and circulate it into the house.
This VODA low cost Quiet Fan is powered by the heat of a wood stove: amzn.to/31IYp6t
Low cost Stanbroil Fireplace Tongs are good for moving logs: amzn.to/2MvKV94
Bellows are handy to get a fire going: amzn.to/2BrOSoR
Video recorded with Sony FDRAX53 Camcorder, which I recommend, available at amzn.to/2WG2oCo As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Videos: See my rack for cutting smaller wood at • Easy Kindling & Small ...
Cheap smoke filter for clean air using a box fan: • HEPA vs DIY Air Filter...
Watch a crackling fire for 2 hours at • Real Crackling Fire, 2...
More tips for heating with wood at • Tips for Heating Your ... Includes how to clean the glass, replace the gasket, split kindling, using candle wax shavings to get a fire going, building a drying rack above your fireplace to dry towels or clothes, and adding ashes to your garden or lawn - a source of potassium, calcium and boron, and half as alkaline as lime. Any charcoal that's left over after a fire is also good for the soil, to help hold nutrients.

[@bus_it4016]

Thumbs up if you want this guy to read you a bedtime story! 🤣👍🏻

[@JustMrMak]

That's what I said LOL!

[@janishani1]

😄😄😄 About you finding matching comments to yours after reading the comment section.

[@growlkitty]

LOL He should do children's audio books for extra 💰?!

[@briandoyle6188]

With the log fire and this guy's voice I was chilled out.....🔥🔥🔥🔥...simply yet beautifully explained...

[@philipcooper8297]

One thing for the beginners, if you just got to your cabin and it's cold outside, before you start fire with wood, have a newspaper burning in the fireplace. If you don't do that, you'll have cold air in the chimney which will act like a lid and you'll get a lot of smoke inside your cabin.

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

Why is the paper burning, different from wood burning? Ty

[@dimitrisr.5120]

@@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783 cause paper light's up instantly but wood doesn't also hot air going act's like a pathway for the rest of the air

[@stephenkollath9536]

The way I read it was: prime the flue with the paper. It has helped me so much with mine. Now I'm having a static issue.

[@nova31337]

The way I understand it. The goal is to start with one small log and some kindling for the first 20-30 minutes to things acclimated then add more wood. Would that approach be similar to what you suggest?

[@gmail3419]

A truly first class video. Well explained, well paced, no silly music, just good information. Greetings from Patagonia, Argentina

[@HartzHomestead]

Thanks! I make an effort to give all the essential information without wasting viewers' time, at a relaxed pace. Glad you appreciate it.

[@cassetteo]

@@HartzHomestead I would have mentioned a difference between ceramic and tempered glass...

[@HartzHomestead]

@@cassetteo Yes, I will do that in my next video.

[@capt.stubing5604]

After 20 years in the Woodstoves and fireplaces business I compliment your video. Just one suggestion, try reversing the ceiling fan to draw the cold air up to mix with the warmer air. This will also do a better job of bringing cold air from other rooms along the floor. It’s path there is less obstructed. This will give you a more even temperature throughout the home.

[@BRAND0N...]

Why did you watch this at all?

[@shimba2506]

@@hellotheremyolfriend 😂😂😂😂😂😂👍

[@motellion]

@@BRAND0N... A wise master remains a student 👊🏽🙏🏽✌🏽

[@BRAND0N...]

That's why all ceiling fans have a reverse switch.

[@BRAND0N...]

@@motellion 👌👈🙋‍♀️💁‍♀️🧏‍♀️🙅🤦🙍‍♀️🙎🙇‍♀️😏🤫

[@marzymarrz5172]

This is a good tutorial for a person who wants a source of wood heat but has only just begun the information gathering process. Thanks

[@b4real89]

Your voice is so calming. I can literally take a nap listening to this video

[@zakzoghbi]

Thank you

[@Ingot54]

This video is exactly what I was searching for. Thank you your making it. I have a much better understanding of how my wood-fire heater is working.

[@magsan75ify]

Great explanation. I have a new home with a fireplace and know nothing about it. this helps a lot to understand how it works.

[@davidbasset7557]

i learned so much, great video!

[@Glockdad]

very quality video thanks alot!

[@brianeddy41]

Helpful. Thank you.

[@connorbolthouse2578]

Very well done, informative and succinct!

[@Bliss_soul_111]

Thanks ..good explanation 🙏🏻

[@williamschroeder4085]

I love this guys advice

[@PaulHolness]

Thanks!! Very informative

[@victoreous626]

Alder is my favorite wood. It is native to the creeks and streams nearby. Smells great with little ash and decent heat production. Burns evenly too.

[@HartzHomestead]

We burn both alder and maple - they get about 100' tall here, and burn very well, plus cherry, vine maple and whatever I prune off the fruit and nut trees.

[@leepearce2285]

Excellent advice ,thankyou 👌👍

[@handymanjourney]

Great wood thanks!

[@jasonhorse3894]

Thanks for your video, really useful.

[@Mr51Caveman]

I always love seeing someone cutting kindling with their FINGERS in the cut stroke!!!

[@HartzHomestead]

@@Mr51Caveman Other than a few slivers, I've never hurt myself splitting kindling. I should really wear gloves, but don't usually think of it.

[@mannya9700]

informative video thanks for making this! 👍

[@boostjunkieMike]

Great video👍🏿👍🏿

[@Swerve744]

Thanks for posting. Very informative.

[@HartzHomestead]

You're welcome! I love sharing things I've learned with others. Check out my other videos. Thanks for your comment!

[@dinamikasanluis]

Thanks friend !!

[@100ampscurrent]

Thanks. Good video. And very pleasant English for my ears

[@mazman8343]

Great stove 👍

[@michaelg.4911]

thanks makes sense, this will help me not freeze, sitting a house with wood oven only :)D

[@janishani1]

Grateful, Sir! Super useful video. Also your voice is very pleasant and calming, the perfect one for audio books 🤗🤩👌🏽. Have splendid and peaceful days. Much love! 🧡

[@HartzHomestead]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[@gloriouswellbeing]

thank you, very useful to us,, :)

[@dimsun3039]

Super helpful

[@johnellison1072]

Great video and I love your fireplace nice job

[@spenceryelinek3671]

Thanks, Forest Gump.

[@HartzHomestead]

You're welcome. Forest and I are probably both borderline Asperger's, so we just tell it like it is. After all, life is like a box of chocolates, we get whatever nut is inside.

[@kshenriques]

I love this video! My fireplace is an insert that doesn't have that fresh air vent. Sometimes I have to open the door slightly to get that air in to get the fire going. Also, Sometimes the wood we get from the local suppliers is "dryish" and we have to open the door to get air on it so it can burn. I've tried to start these logs with kindling but it doesn't work good in this Ashley Hearth insert unless the wood is dry like the desert. I cheat a little bit. Dip 3 cotton balls in some kerosene and place it in the middle between some crushed up newspaper....voila 🔥🔥🔥

[@HartzHomestead]

Wax works too, shave some off a warm candle and keep it in a jar to put on the logs when you light a fire. Your insert must have an air control, but the incoming air may not directly hit the fire. Bring wood in the house at least a couple weeks or more before you burn it, and stack it loosely where there's some air flow to dry it well before burning it. Splitting it smaller will help it dry faster. The kindling needs to be very dry, preferably cedar.

[@WOMPITUS]

I like your insert. Very simple.

[@HartzHomestead]

Thank you. It's not actually an insert, it's a heatilator, which is built into the bricks, and I added custom glass doors when we bought the house. It's a reasonably good system, but a modern insert would likely be better. It does have the advantage of larger glass doors.

[@zacpel1438]

I find moving cool air towards the stove seems to be more comfortable than moving the hot air away. Put a box fan or small fan in bedroom doorways and blow the cold air out. Also easier than mounting it up high.

[@HartzHomestead]

Yes, that works too. I prefer the fan up high where it's out of my way and I don't trip on it, though it took a few minutes to mount it there.

[@Lugnut_93]

This guy's voice cures constipation; it soothes my hemorrhoid burn...

[@Gollammeister]

I'd love a wood stove in winter in my council flat

[@dmnguye69]

After my wood stove. ....nothing else can compare 😀

[@kinnish5267]

this helps me as I just got a new stove -- thanks

[@craigsmith4084]

Miss living in the Northwest! Don’t forget to have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year.

[@HartzHomestead]

I shouldn't really say this, but in 35 years of burning wood for heat, we've never had our chimney cleaned. When I put a new cap on the top, there wasn't much creosote buildup. We have a brick chimney with a masonry liner, and a half inch air space between them, which acts somewhat as an insulator. So the creosote doesn't condense on the chimney as much as it would with a metal pipe or single wall masonry. We burn dry maple, alder and cherry, with enough air to keep it burning hot, so the fire never smolders. The one time we had a brief chimney fire was because I made the mistake of burning cardboard in the fireplace, and it went out when I closed the doors and shut off the air supply. I suppose we should get it inspected at some point though.

[@safetyfirstintexas]

Started this season with a lopi dual door insert ive ducted outside "make up" air with dryer vent hose and a custom intake transition. Got to keep those center slide knobs accessable.😎 It rocks 84> in < 34 out. Be well.

[@HartzHomestead]

I looked up Lopi and it sounds like they are excellent quality and efficient. Nice to hear you figured out a way to duct in outside air for the intake.

[@safetyfirstintexas]

@@HartzHomestead 2x 11/4 " square tube on each side of the air controll rods with bottom plain cut out. 3x 11/4" square tube running side to side below heater base line ,end capped with top plain cut out to interface with above tube bottom cut out. And dryer hose circle cut out of bottom tube.with corresponding sized thimble glued and screwed to bottom. Air comes thru hose to bottom 1 1/4" bottom tubes , moves right and left then up into upper tubes where it goes from front to back into origional stove air intake. only way i saw to keep startup air and airwash air control rods operating correctly and have outside air too. Got er dunn

[@marcellebaudry5786]

bravo

[@whiteknightcat]

I just use twigs and dry leaves for kindling. Works flawlessly.

[@smirk_beats]

Great vid! \

[@HartzHomestead]

Thanks, you're welcome to subscribe, although I may only do one more video on pros and cons of heating with wood, then I'll be on to other subjects, like how to glue things, put up tarps, catch mice, compost, fix your house and so on.

[@ttsrg]

Thank you, but I've bought it w closed combustion chamber and can't set near the chamber w open door

[@Jamba-wl8ez]

Great video! Can I ask if you have ceramic glass on those doors? My doors came with the option for ceramic but that was $800 more. I'm considering doing the upgrade myself and it seems like I can get the glass for $400 but I'm not sure if it's absolutely necessary...

[@HartzHomestead]

These doors were custom welded by a fireplace shop, and they gave us the option of either tempered, Pyrex, or ceramic glass. We chose Pyrex, and we've had some very hot fires without them breaking. You might look into the price of Pyrex, but ceramic is even better. The glass on ours is just held in with a gasket, so it would be easy to change. I once had a pane shatter that I'm guessing was tempered, with a very hot fire of cardboard with flames right against the glass, so it can happen.

[@HartzHomestead]

Ideally you want to burn a very hot fire from start to finish to reduce the amount of air pollution the fire creates. If your glass is tempered, there is some risk of it breaking with a very hot fire, so I think it's worth upgrading to either Pyrex or ceramic.

[@Jamba-wl8ez]

@@HartzHomestead thank you! I am probably going to upgrade to ceramic... I got custom fireplace doors from Stoll that is built like a tank and I can't wait to have a slow burning hot fire in it.

[@adiliqbal2777]

Great video! I have a wood burning fireplace with glass doors as well with a dampner, ash box on the bottom back of the fireplace. I'm having trouble with the heat coming into the house with the doors closed. I feel like it all just goes right up the dampner. Any suggestions? The fireplace doors have vents all around it as well

[@HartzHomestead]

It helps if the glass doors are clean, so you get radiant heat. Have you tried pointing a fan at the fireplace, to extract heat and blow it around the room? Also helps if the doors seal tightly, so you're not losing a lot of air from the room. If it has gaskets that are not sealing, you can replace them. If the vents you mention are a heatilator like mine that circulate air behind the firebox and back into the room, find a way to add fans to blow more air through them. If they are in the door itself, and letting air into the fireplace, you'd be better off closing them if the glass can take the heat of a hot fire. Also a short, hot fire is better than a slow, smoldering one.

[@adiliqbal2777]

Thank you so much for your expertise. I'll def try the fan technique. What I dont understand is why my glass door frame has vents all around its frame. Initially I thought it was for heat to exit and come into the room but after letting the fire burn for a half hour I noticed it was not emitting heat rather likely taking air in from the room and feeding it to the fire. Yes I do believe it is a heatilator just like you have on the bottom of your fireplace too that gets air flowing around and behind the firebox. Would you suggest I seal the vents on the frame of the door?

[@HartzHomestead]

@@adiliqbal2777 If you can figure out a way to blow air into the bottom vent, you could see if hot air comes out the top. It depends on if glass doors with vents were added later. If the vents are built into the fireplace, like a heatilator, you should be able to feel air going in the bottom and heat coming out the top vents after a hot fire has been burning for a while. An insert will have also have vents, but also usually a fan to blow air through and hot air would be coming out the top. If the purpose of the vents are just to keep the glass cool, blocking them off could cause the glass to break if you have a really hot fire. I had too hot of a fire once with some cheap bifold glass doors, and one shattered. Cheaper doors are just made with tempered glass, while high quality air tight doors and inserts are made with pyrex or ceramic glass.

[@bumstudios8817]

I plan on redoing my firepit outside soon... got any tips how i can use the fire to heat the area better than just the middle?

[@HartzHomestead]

An outdoor fire isn't usually going to heat a very big area. About all you could do is have some walls or solid fencing around it about 8' back or more, so you are containing the heat, like in a yurt or teepee, or have a sunken fire pit, if you have good drainage.

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

Do you have to use a steel grate, what are the pros and cons of using one. Ty

[@HartzHomestead]

I don't use one. I put a couple smaller pieces of wood crossways under my main firewood to allow air to circulate under them. A grate can allow coals to fall down away from the fire, rather than keeping it all together. The goal is to keep the fire burning hot until all the coals are out. Just my opinion.

[@JustMrMak]

Great video, have you ever thought about narrating bed time stories? Calming indeed :)

[@HartzHomestead]

Yes, I'm working on how to do the audio and video for that. I've done closed eye processes for workshops before, I'd like it to all be original.

[@darkbee2359]

Do you have any experience of the "self-powered" metal fans that sit atop a metal stove or fireplace insert? I have a built in electric fan for my fireplace insert but it's loud and of course it uses electricity. I'm wondering if those metal fans would be good enough to at least get some air circulating.

[@HartzHomestead]

I haven't used them myself, but I expect they move some air. I do have my fans on a variable speed control, because they are a bit loud on high. Some fans are much quieter than others.

[@lynnedinsdale5009]

Just got one im uk worth it r great

[@sim7409]

exciting & fascinating 😂

[@clb5335]

what kind of glass doors do you have?

[@HartzHomestead]

We had the doors custom made in 1984 by a fireplace store for about $300. They gave us a choice of tempered, pyrex, or ceramic glass. We chose Pyrex, and I've had some really hot fires without them ever breaking. I'll show more detail on how the doors are made in another video.

[@EvanWharton]

I just realized you mention that your glass doors were custom made out of Pyrex! We'd love to replace the current door on our old wood stove with a glass one--did you make it yourself?

[@HartzHomestead]

A local fireplace shop custom made the doors for me 35 years ago, for $300. I measured the fireplace opening, and they gave me a choice of tempered, Pyrex or ceramic glass. There are screws that hold it tightly in place, with fiberglass insulation to seal between the frame and bricks. The doors can be lifted off, and there's a gasket holding each piece of glass in a slot, and a gasket around each door to seal when you open and close. I've replaced the gasket once - very easy to do. Well worth the investment.

[@craigdailey947]

Fireplace Doors were manufactured by Custom Firescreen (sold thru Kirkland Fireplace, Brand X Manufacturing back when he purchased), The Pyrex option is no longer used as ceramic (NeoCeram or PyroCeram) are less expensive than Pyrex now and stronger verses the heat. But note as of this posting (2021) you will pay about $400 - $500 just for the Ceramic glass, not including the doors which will likely cost $1000+, so consider an insert when pricing out this option.

[@HartzHomestead]

@@craigdailey947 That was also my conclusion, that you can't buy decent fireplace doors for under $1000, so it's better to just get an insert, which will cost more than that, but also be much more efficient.

[@JM-io4vb]

Your video mentions having fans near the fireplace to help circulate the heat. What if you have central air - could you just turn on the fan? In theory, wouldn't that pull the warm air from the room with the fireplace and circulate it throughout the house?

[@HartzHomestead]

Fans do 2 things, they extract more heat from the fireplace or stove which would otherwise be going up the chimney, and they circulate it around the house. So yes, turning on the central heating fan would circulate the heat throughout the house, but also having a fan blowing air directly across the hot fireplace or stove will pick up more heat in the first place that you can then circulate.

[@robertm5969]

Yes

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

That looks so great and cozy, i would sleep in front of it like a bear

[@HartzHomestead]

If you want 2 hours of a crackling fire, I posted one at kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJawhqyAr7WVack

[@dylanreischling4151]

Our house is older so we have no insulation. The fireplace is older so it has a indoor air intake. It’s a insert with a circulation fan. Best investment ever. It was rated at around 15k BTus but it heats our entire house. We sweep the chimney every year. For backup we have a toyotomi kerosene heater and electric heat for backup too. We go through a lot of wood just because our house is older. Probably depending on the winter 2-5 cords a year of wood. It heats good. We haven’t had any issues. We’ve been using wood for a few years now. Before the insert er could have the fire going and not heat the room up one degree. Now we have to crack windows to keep it under 78.

[@HartzHomestead]

Yay for the insert! If you own the house, have you considered options for insulating it? If the walls are truly empty, drilling holes and having it blown in would likely be the best. If it's a ceiling with an attic, that can be easy to do, whatever you can get to. Our house, built in the 1950's, had single pane aluminum windows, and adding 2 layers of mylar with storm windows I built myself cut our wood burning in half and the house was warmer. The walls had less than 3" of rockwool insulation, maybe about R7, so in one bedroom that got moldy in the corners, we tore out the sheetrock, shimmed the walls out 2" with styrofoam strips and 1x2's, and put in R23 insulation. No more mold. It was a pretty big job though, with re-sheetrocking. Our ceiling was the same thin rockwool, we raised it to R46, 11" thick fiberglass. It's November and we haven't lit a fire yet, except to make a crackling fire video. I have my feet on an electric hot pad though, and briefly turned on the electric heat a few times.

[@dylanreischling4151]

Hartz Homestead our house was built in 1952 and we have found some funky thinks in it so we don’t know what is in them. The windows used to be single pane but we replaced them with double pane. The attic has R30. Over the summer we added new blinds that are a insulated type they added about R5 to the windows. With our insert we can put a load of wood in at 9 am and get home around 2:30 with it still going. If it’s super dry wood it doesn’t last as long. We’ve thought about having it blown in too. Thanks for the reply

[@HartzHomestead]

R5 blinds would make a big difference. I've replaced our windows with double pane, but am still planning to use our 2 layer mylar storm windows, and am planning to make some insulated blinds too. Studies have found a super insulated house only needs about $20 a month worth of heat. We never burn a fire unless we're home. With our big fireplace I need to push the logs together or add wood about every 30 minutes to keep it burning hot. Otherwise it would fizzle out and start making a lot of smoke. A smaller firebox holds the wood together better. Really dry wood may not last as long, but it does burn cleaner.

[@dylanreischling4151]

Hartz Homestead sorry for the late reply. The blinds have made a big difference. We sweep our chimney every year because during winter we often burn 24/7. We have 3 sources of heat, electric, kerosene, and wood. We use the kerosene furnace as a backup or when we go traveling. The electric we normally only use if kerosene gets really expensive, if our tank is low, or if the kerosene furnace isn’t working. Have a good holidays

[@rickbino5792]

Could you please compare the cost of operating a wood stove system to a gas fp system to heat a house..?

[@HartzHomestead]

Heating with wood is cheaper than gas, as long as you have an efficient wood stove, and especially if you cut your own firewood. But gas is clean and takes almost no time to operate, while burning wood can be time consuming, messy, and creates much more air pollution. There are so many variables it's hard to give exact numbers.

[@raybarber9837]

I really enjoyed listening to this, do you do voice-overs? We are about to move into a bungalow that has a log burner in the chimney, that rises between the lounge and our bedroom. Could I put a vent between from the lounge to the bedroom to bring some warmth in?

[@HartzHomestead]

I just do voice overs on my own videos. Since I don't sit and talk to the camera like some creators, I edit all the video, then record a voice over narrative, and sometimes a guitar track. I'm not sure what you mean by a log burner in the chimney. You can always put a vent between 2 rooms, but if they are on the same level, you might need a fan to actually move any air, and also sound will travel through the vent. If one room is above the other, heat will always rise, so you'd want a damper to control how much heat comes up.

[@raybarber9837]

@@HartzHomestead Well it sounds good. The number of times I've aborted a video at the beginning because the narration is so bad.

[@michaelmongeon9737]

I've been burning wood all my life. I have a woodstove. Hickory firewood is the hottest BTU wood in the southeast. Split in the spring stack it in a sunny spot. It will burn hotter than hell by winter.

[@indianasquatchunters]

Michael Mongeon is Osage orange ( also called hedgeapple) available were you live? I think it has the highest BTU value as far as North American trees. You’re right tho, Hickory packs more heat than white oak!

[@Brookside975]

@@indianasquatchunters Hedge apple does burn hot, but it sparks a lot too.

[@vthammerman]

That is interesting! Northern Vermont here and we burn mostly Beech and Maple.

[@redbootshomestead558]

Well explained thank you! Any suggestions how to heat to more rules is it possible to have a wood-burning stove and to let the pipes of the main wood burning stove run into the other rooms?

[@HartzHomestead]

It would be easier to blow the heated air with fans into other rooms (or pipe it through ducts) than to try to re-route the chimney pipe, unless you build your own Rocket Mass Heater. A horizontal run in a chimney pipe would likely not draft well, and could be a fire hazard. But you could collect heat near the ceiling above a wood stove and duct it through the house with a fan. Our chimney is in the middle of our house, so the bricks get warm upstairs too with a hot fire.

[@robertm5969]

Some modern fireplaces allow for built in B vents which allow you to directly pipe in hot air to different rooms or floors. If you've got central air and the return is near the fireplace, you could put it in fan only mode and have it pull the hot air from the fireplace and dump it in every room. Our fireplace already heats our house evenly as the blower goes directly to the central living space and up the 2nd floor staircase.

[@syedarmaghanhassan4652]

hey.. thanks for sharing.. what tight fitting glass doors... certified inserts... smoke mechanism and rules... opening the window to balance the pressure.. where does the air come in from, where is it going out.. these are very technical subjects which you are touching very casually. you are a knowledgeable person. Please elaborate in layman terms from the beginning and in details, how does this work. This is why we are watching the video. Please share more content. Thank you very much again!

[@HartzHomestead]

Thanks for the feedback. Read my video description for more details, and some good inserts you can order. A lot depends on where you live, and if you have a local fireplace shop that can recommend the best insert for your particular fireplace and budget. I'd recommend an insert over glass doors, and unless you are very handy, you may want it professionally installed. I am planning another video on the subject, I will try to be more specific.

[@EmpoweredPercussion]

Very helpful. We just bought a new house here in Minnesota and I think the current temperature is -10° at the moment. We have a wood-burning stove in the fireplace and I am trying to learn if it is good enough to offset some of my healing expense. The furnace is turning on often at 68°. I noticed I don’t have a fan pushing air out of the chimney area and I might consider mounting a midsize fan back there into the wall that surrounds the fireplace. I wish I could send a picture. The prayer homeowner had for 6 x 6” squares cut at the bottom and top of the fireplace with some screen over it. I’m sure this is to let a little bit of air flow out but I don’t necessarily see any air being pushed through to help circulate it unless it’s doing it naturally. Three logs a day is not bad at all, how warm is your house throughout the day?

[@HartzHomestead]

Because burning wood causes a lot of air pollution, I usually just burn one hot fire a day, which gets the house up to about 70F, then we use electric heat sporadically as needed just in the rooms we are using most. Our house is often at about 65F, sometimes drops to 60. Double interior Mylar storm windows help a lot. Our electric bill is about $50 a month in summer, $100 in winter. I wear long johns, fleece pants and a turtleneck with a sweater vest most of the time and have a hot pad I put on either my feet or shoulders if I'm just sitting a long time.

[@HartzHomestead]

If those vents really do circulate air around the firebox, it would be well worth putting fans in them. Try blowing some air through the lower vents while the fire is hot, and see if it comes out hot at the top. If you have a fireplace with an insert, it should have its own fan. The heat may not make it through the masonry of the fireplace.

[@EmpoweredPercussion]

@@HartzHomestead so I put a fan on it last night and the furnace is currently really hot right now. A little bit of beer comes out of the top of the vent but what I noticed is the inner side of the fireplace is completely lined with steel. The steel tapers up into a triangle up towards the ventilation duct. I think it's best that I try putting a fan in front of the Furnace where the air can escape from the top. I post pictures but it doesn't work here. The furnace really warmed the house overnight and I noticed right away going into the kitchen it was nice and toasty. Thanks for your help sir.

[@enceladusfox2247]

I agree with the other people commenting ...

[@redsresearch]

dont u loose most the heat going up the brick chimney then have it condensating on the brick chimney in the attic?

[@HartzHomestead]

You'll always lose heat up the chimney with wood burning - it's never 100% efficient. Masonry or rocket mass heaters are the best. With a fireplace, it helps to have an insert or else tight-fitting glass doors with a heatilator back and fans to extract as much heat as possible before it goes up the chimney. With a hot fire using very dry wood there's not much creosote to condense inside the chimney, especially with a clay liner inside a brick chimney which acts as an insulator.

[@redsresearch]

@@HartzHomestead well why not block off the chimney at the bottom right above the woodstove around the stove pipe so no hot air gets lost up the chimney?

[@davideaggugiaro9846]

if I can recommend the new cold air not below but on the sides of the flame because it tends to cool

[@HartzHomestead]

I have heard that cold air can lower the fire temperature, but I notice my fire really takes off and gets hot with a fine stream of fast air coming right into the flame. Ideally the air should be pre-warmed, but that also uses energy, so I'm not sure if it really matters either way.

[@rogerhite1954]

Brand of insert or glass doors?

[@HartzHomestead]

I had my glass doors custom made by Fireplace Extraordinaire in Kirkland, WA about 35 years ago for $300, with Pyrex glass. I don't know about brands available today. Ask at a local fireplace store, and/or research it online. Measure your fireplace opening first. For an insert, also estimate your chimney height and size, as they usually put in a liner. If you burn much wood, an insert is definitely better.

[@rajivrao4772]

When I start my fireplace the area immediately outside the fireplace is nice and toasty, but we have high ceilings and can't feel the warmth from the rest of the room. We tried the ceiling fan and I think that worked (or it could be in my head). Does aiming a second fan directly at the fireplace actually help distribute the heat? How far away should this fan be? And should I set it to low speed?

[@HartzHomestead]

The ceiling fan should help, try it in both directions on high speed and which works the best. You'll get the most heat circulated with the fan just a few feet away on high speed pointed directly at the fireplace (assuming you have glass doors on your fireplace). Turn the fans down if it's too windy or too loud. I burn a hot fire for just a couple hours, then turn the fans off when the fire goes out.

[@rajivrao4772]

Just so I understand correctly, I should keep my sliding glass doors closed when operating the fireplace? I read online these doors should be fully open when the fire is burning (however the metal curtain should be closed to contain any sparks it burning embers)

[@HartzHomestead]

@@rajivrao4772 If you have cheaper bi-fold doors with tempered glass, it's possible a very hot fire could shatter the glass, so to be safe, it's usually recommended to leave them open, or burn smaller fires, away from the glass. If you leave the doors open, most of your heat will go up the chimney, and it will barely heat your house at all. Higher quality glass doors (which cost about $1,000) are ceramic or Pyrex glass, which can take very high heat, so you should always keep them closed when burning a fire. That's the only way it will warm the house. It's much better to install a fireplace insert (about $2,000) or use another type of heat.

[@rajivrao4772]

That's interesting I thought keeping the doors closed would push the heat up through the fireplace while leaving them open would allow the heat to come inside the house. I'm not too sure what kind of doors we have we just recently moved into this house, however I do know there is an insert

[@HartzHomestead]

@@rajivrao4772 If you wash the glass doors then look very closely in the corner it might be printed what kind of glass it is. Usually tempered glass doors are more loose fitting, ceramic glass will be more air tight with a gasket around to seal it when they are closed. You do get more radiant heat with the doors open, but if the glass is clean you get it when they are closed too. The problem is if you leave the doors open it sucks a lot of warm air from the room up the chimney. Try it both ways and see.

[@richer4poorer]

Is there someone or somewhere we can go for an assessment to learn about the best way to heat our tri-level with a wood burning stove?

[@HartzHomestead]

Search for a fireplace shop or contractor who installs wood burning stoves or fireplaces in your area, or a metal shop or mason. A metal stove on the lowest level (so the heat rises) might be the cheapest, but if you can afford it, a masonry heater or rocket mass heater is cleaner burning and provides more even heat in the long run.

[@TheSeedsower107]

Can you please tell me the make and model of your insert . Thanks

[@HartzHomestead]

Our fireplace doesn't have an insert, it's a Heatilator that was built into the fireplace in the 1950's. I did have custom glass doors made with Pyrex glass about 35 years ago by Fireplace Extraordinaire, but they don't make them anymore. It's hard to find tight fitting glass doors. A modern insert would be much more efficient.

[@TheSeedsower107]

@@HartzHomestead well it looks great and your technique for getting it going is something to take note of. Thank you so much for your response and for sharing this excellent how to video !

[@Gollammeister]

Unfortunately local council removed fire places probably yrs ago be great to have a multifuel stove

[@trentcoyle9393]

Also a damp paper towel dipped in the ashes will clean your glass like new! You're welcome.

[@HartzHomestead]

It's true, I've done that. I still takes some scrubbing, but the ashes are free and readily available. For a really thick coat of soot on the glass, scraping it off with a razor scraper gets most of it, then the damp paper towel & ash finishes it off.

[@paulatwood9794]

@@HartzHomestead using a razor blade Marine metal scraping material we'll put my new scratches in the glass and eventually make it hard to see through. I'm a shell used wet wood ash misted with white vinegar.

[@HartzHomestead]

@@paulatwood9794 I assume your not-so-smart phone wrote some of that for you? I gather you're saying I'll scratch the glass, but keeping the razor blade flat against the glass, in 35 years I don't think I've scratched it any. I worry more that scrubbing it a lot would scratch it. I hadn't thought of using vinegar with the ashes though, so I'll try that - thanks for the suggestion!

[@paulatwood9794]

Yes that was my smart phone talking for me due my arthritis in my extremities. I've had good luck with using the white vinegar for my stove glass It also makes the brass look new after removing any tarnish. (I finger typed this time,LoL!)

[@claytonroberts344]

What I need to know is how high up do you make the fireplace chimney were when the smoke comes out it want to to the ground and into the neighbor's house???????

[@HartzHomestead]

No matter how high you make the chimney, if your fire is smoky it will drift all over the neighborhood, which truly is a health hazard for everyone. Always burn a hot fire with dry wood and good air flow so you can't see any smoke, preferably in an EPA approved wood stove or insert, better yet a rocket mass heater. Burning wood makes the most pollution of any heat source and a smoldering fire is the worst.

[@mattseymour8637]

What wood do you use?

[@HartzHomestead]

Mostly alder and maple, which are very common here. Some wild cherry and vine maple. I use cedar for kindling. I also burn whatever wood I'm pruning from fruit or nut trees if it's big enough, like apple, plum or hazelnut, or scraps of lumber from building projects as long as it's not painted or pressure treated. I've burned cottonwood before but it's so wet it takes 2 years to dry. Thanks for asking. What do you burn?

[@vletrmx]

Interesting video, thanks! Doesn't a wood burning stove make your whole house smell like burnt wood? Or would this be a matter of maintaining a smoke-free fire?

[@HartzHomestead]

Avoid letting smoke into the room. Burn a hot fire with very dry wood, which produces less smoke. Open an outside door or window just a crack before slowly opening the doors to the fireplace, and the fire will suck air up the chimney, so smoke doesn't come into the room. If we do get smoke in the room, I run a Merv 13 filter on a box fan that clears the air in about 10 minutes (see my video on that). Breathing smoke is very bad for our lungs, so it's important to keep the air in the house smoke-free.

[@vletrmx]

Hartz Homestead Thank you very much! I’ll see what I can do with this unused stove we have, after I get the chimney sweeped.

[@MrAlejo007]

@@HartzHomestead i did the same but my box fan has 4 filters 20x25x1 3M 1900 is like Merv 13, in Cubic Arrangement Box Fan on Top Blowing Up so it cleans the air really fast My Wood Stove is new ultra efficient little or no smoke and holds the fire up to 6 hours

[@bbikermama]

Is there a way to add fans to circulate the hot air back into the home?

[@HartzHomestead]

Lots of ways. It depends on your fireplace or stove. I use about 3 fans.

[@bbikermama]

@@HartzHomestead could you make a video?? I have a home build 24 years ago, fireplace has no insert, glass doors…

[@johnhopkins849]

My fireplace has a damper with 3 settings. The "handle" is inside and up out of view so changing it with the fire lit is something i haven't figured out yet. Anyone else have something like this and know what to do?

[@HartzHomestead]

Usually you shouldn't need to change the damper when the fire is going. I leave mine open all the time because the glass doors keep warm air in the room from going up the chimney. If you don't have glass doors, you still can't close the damper all the way until the fire is completely out or you'll get smoke in the room. If it works to burn a fire with it part way open, you could set it there before lighting the fire, as long as the draw is good enough to avoid smoke in the room. The best solution is to have an insert or air tight glass doors.

[@LisaMurphy]

I'm not throwing scrap wood in the garbage, I have a fireplace! You can use that stuff for kindling, and use your junk mail too. I don't throw wood in the garbage unless it's painted or stained or chemically treated.

[@HartzHomestead]

Yes, I keep a box in the garage for scrap wood, to split up and burn, unless like you say, it's painted, stained or pressure treated.

[@GwaiRide]

My recycling bin hasn't seen paper products in years haha

[@MrHunterseeker]

I didn't know the ash pit could be used that way.

[@HartzHomestead]

Works really well for me.

[@DJSLOW]

When do you close the flue

[@HartzHomestead]

I never close the flue, I close the doors to the fireplace and the vents. If you don't have tight sealing doors on the fireplace you would want to close the flue whenever your fire is completely out, to keep warm air from the house from going up the chimney, but then you have to remember to open it before starting a fire.

[@davidmcneil9340]

Splitting the wood with your hand directly under the axe.. 🤔

[@josuer.7200]

Well at the time of the video still have the 5 fingers and the hand so... I think his sight is really good...

[@trumanbarney3755]

27 years as a Navajo on the reservation and that's how I've always done it. Isn't hard, we even use the nail puller on a hammer to split wood as well.

[@edinfific2576]

He is making fairly short and well-controlled swings with only enough energy to crack the wood, and even if he misses there is a very, very low chance he will hit his hand, and even then a low chance of sufficient force on impact to cause a serious injury. Although perhaps placing the axe head upside-down and slamming the wood over it could get the job done with less risk.

[@denverbasshead]

Who cares? Let people suffer the consequences of their actions

[@chenyanxiang]

冷天吹风扇，讲究

[@HartzHomestead]

The fans circulate the heat from the fire around the house. They make a big difference. I have to be careful not to bump my head on the one blowing heat into the bedroom.

[@annaaron3510]

Central heat from a furnace with your thermostat set around 65 F ? No fireplace unit heats well.

[@HartzHomestead]

Our house does not have central heat, but I now heat primarily with electric wall heaters, because burning wood creates a lot of air pollution. It does heat our house very well though, since I added better fans, the heatilator cranks out a blast of 250 degree air that gets our house nice and toasty. Only takes one short fire a day.

[@annaaron3510]

@@HartzHomestead WAIT ! If wood is burned cleanly the myth of pollution is a myth. The where does that electricity originate ? Those "clean": renewables demand mining, provide less than 5% of needs, and scar our landscapes. They have a life expectancy. Burning well seasoned wood in EPA stoves is cleaner than the grid. Firewood is renewable, sustainable, healthy.

[@stateniland]

splitting the cedar like that will eventually have you feeding the fire a few fingers..

[@HartzHomestead]

One time I scraped my fingers a bit with the blade and wished I'd been wearing gloves, but in 40 years I've never really hurt myself. I have gotten a few slivers with cedar and old growth fir.

[@stateniland]

lol. best to bury hatchet in top of cedar Then come down on it to complete split ...No fingers in harms way of blade ;)

[@HartzHomestead]

I do that quite a bit too - works good. I also use an old fro with a vine maple mallet for splitting big chunks into slabs, then to kindling.

[@zazarays]

i chopped off both my hands by mistake that way. I don't start the fires anymore

[@Weirdyzz]

He is not hitting that hard.

[@ShinkleGunDog]

Is it tempered glass or ceramic glass?

[@HartzHomestead]

Ceramic glass is best, and allows you to have a very hot fire without worrying about the glass. Tempered glass is cheaper, but it can possibly break if it gets too hot, and ideally you want to burn a hot fire because it burns cleaner. My doors were custom made with Pyrex glass, which is somewhere in between. I've had some very hot fires and my Pyrex has never broken.

[@ShinkleGunDog]

Thanks bud! I have a large see through fireplace, but the glass is a long way from the fire. Ceramic is exactly 10 times the price. I'm thinking of using tempered.

[@HartzHomestead]

@@ShinkleGunDog I once lit a fireplace full of paper and closed the 4 bifold doors, which were tempered. The flames filled the fireplace and were right up against the glass. We had a party going on, with a barbershop quartet singing, and suddenly one of the panes shattered. People wondered, was it the fire, or the singing? Anyway I learned not to light a fireplace full of paper. If the fire is not too close to the glass you should be OK.

[@rajannegi8883]

Watching this video at -5°C in India , wondering how this fire place works....cause we here get only basic ovens with just one exhaust vertical pipe. Metal doors and body....and front airflow vent that is open all the time

[@HartzHomestead]

Metal stoves radiate heat better, plus you can usually cook on them. But if the air intake is open all the time, warm air from the room can go up the chimney, so it helps to have a way to control it. It might be hard to find an efficient air tight wood burning stove in your area. A Rocket Mass Heater you can build yourself is more efficient, both for burning clean and storing heat, and you can cook on the barrel, or have an oven welded into it. Many metal stoves in the US have a 4" diameter air intake you can connect a metal pipe to from outside the house. If not, one option is to run a 3" or 4" pipe from outside to the proximity of the stove, with a damper to close it so cold air doesn't come into the house when you don't need it.

[@charlesroberts6284]

Do you have a Metal insert

[@HartzHomestead]

Our fireplace has a built in "heatilator" from the 1950's. It circulates air behind a metal back, through tubes in the chimney, and blows it out through a grill above the fireplace. I've added airtight pyrex glass doors. It's much better than a simple brick fireplace, but not as efficient as a modern insert. The air coming out of the grill reaches 400°F. One advantage is the bricks get really warm and hold heat for a long time after the fire.

[@charlesroberts6284]

@@HartzHomestead I have a heatilator to should I leave the doors close I have vents that blew air out at the top

[@HartzHomestead]

It depends on what kind of glass your doors have. Cheaper bi-fold type glass doors are often made of tempered glass, which can only stand about 500°F heat. You could close them with a moderate fire that is far enough from the glass, but a very hot fire could shatter the glass. Ceramic glass doors are higher quality, usually air tight and can take a very hot fire up to 1,300°F. Look very closely in the corner of the glass and see if the type of glass is printed somewhere, or if there's a manufacturer's label.

[@jme.7652]

Anyone know where to place the wood burning fireplace in a house?

[@HartzHomestead]

As close to the middle of the house as practical, so the heat can radiate in all directions to warm your house. If you put it on an outside wall, you'll need to insulate the back side, or lose heat to the outdoors. If you're building a new house I'd suggest a rocket mass heater in the living room, as they are super clean burning and efficient, and the mass keeps your house warm longer. The only disadvantage is you can't sit and watch the fire. Also they take smaller wood, which can be a pro or con, and some insurance companies might not accept them.

[@jme.7652]

Hartz Homestead, do you know any types, sizes, or styles of furnace that are popular today? Maybe you can send me a website that can answer my question (?)

[@HartzHomestead]

@@jme.7652 See the links in the description of this video for stoves and fireplace inserts that are available on Amazon. The Drolet Wood Stove has excellent reviews and sounds like a high quality stove. You can also search Google or visit a fireplace shop.

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

Starting a fire free with junk mail is my tip unless that's a bad idea, still you can use it for outside fires.

[@HartzHomestead]

I recycle the envelopes with plastic windows and glossy junk mail, because it doesn't burn very well, but burning is a great way to get rid of anything with personal information on it. Newspapers actually light easier, they're thinner.

[@anthonyd.9314]

Are those ceramic glass doors or are they tempered?

[@HartzHomestead]

They are Pyrex, which is less common. Tempered glass might shatter with a very hot fire. Ceramic is usually the best choice.

[@anthonyd.9314]

@@HartzHomestead I have tempered doors on my fireplace and I worry about closing the doors I also have a heatilator with metal firebox and 2 fans that blow heat out the top but I can't find ceramic doors to be able to close and heat the room properly

[@HartzHomestead]

@@anthonyd.9314 I had these doors custom made 37 years ago for $300. I've seen air tight ceramic glass doors online but they are about $1000, and for that you might be better off getting an insert. If the glass in your doors is replaceable, you might call some fireplace or glass shops and see if they can custom make Pyrex or ceramic glass the exact size to fit your doors.

[@shellcrackerlover5889]

Nice presentation but seems complex. I just wanted a fire.

[@HartzHomestead]

Feel free to light a fire however you want to. It's only complex if you're trying to heat your house efficiently with it.

[@ahti29]

Cant understand the American way of heating.What about accumulating heat?Isnt it better than constant wood burning?

[@HartzHomestead]

I usually only light a fire about once a day to warm up the house, keep it burning strong until all the wood is burned up, then let it go out. Our brick fireplace stores some of the heat. A rocket mass heater or Russian fireplace would be better, as both burn smaller firewood in a very hot, but short fire, which heats up a large mass of stone or brick and radiates that heat into the house long after the fire is out. One advantage is the fire burns very clean and there's almost no smoke pollution. The worst thing to do is load a stove up with wood and damp it down so it smolders for a long time.

[@theinternets7516]

If you dry wood inside the firebox it's no different than burning wet wood. You are still losing heat through the energy required to dry the wood and you are still creating creosote build up as the water vapor travels up the chimney with the smoke. You should also be cutting your wood in the fall so that it gets a full year to season. Overall a good video though.

[@HartzHomestead]

Our winters are so wet here in Western Washington that I don't think wood dries much from November to February, except the occasional dry freezing spell. I do cut trees while the sap is down (or already dead trees) and stack it loosely in full sun under cover through the summer, which seems to get the wood quite dry in about 8 months. Also bringing it into the house a few weeks before burning helps. We only resorted to drying wood inside our firebox a few times when driest wood ran out. It's hard to get a hot fire going with damp wood, but after drying it inside the firebox it burned very well. Not sure about the creosote. It seems a hot fire with a little added moisture will make less creosote than a smoldering fire. It isn't really worth the trouble though, so in that situation again, I'd just turn on the electric heat. I see you also have a channel, which I have subscribed to, and you're welcome to subscribe to mine. I'm working toward the new 1000 subscriber requirement for ad revenue, so I appreciate every new subscriber.

[@markbrinton6790]

@@HartzHomestead I just subscribed, I liked your video. Ignore the morons who name call and leave mean comments(I'm not saying it was the guy in this thread).

[@geraldmoore6257]

I'm a retired chemist and although no expert researcher in the area of wood burning, I do understand the physics and chemistry involved. I agree, that drying the wood inside the firebox would retain all the negative aspects of burins wet wood. The only difference being that when it comes time to actually burn the wood you wouldn't have trouble getting it to burn or maintaining the burn. So, dry your wood outside the stove.

[@rebelliouslogic2705]

Does the cover have to be sealed?

[@HartzHomestead]

You need to be able to control the amount of air getting to the fire - enough air to keep it burning hot, but not so much you are losing a lot of heated air from the room up the chimney. Most cheaper bifold glass doors don't seal well enough, but are better than nothing.

[@rebelliouslogic2705]

@@HartzHomestead hey thanks for the fast respond.. I have another question. The gas line has been capped off. Is this safe to use with fire? Going to confirm with the gas company as well.

[@HartzHomestead]

If it was originally a gas fireplace, I'm not sure if it would be safe to use with wood. I think wood burns a lot hotter than gas, besides causing a lot more air pollution. If you're still using gas anywhere in the house, that line could still have gas in it even if it's been capped. I'd suggest asking someone who specializes in fireplaces look at it. You might be able to put in an insert designed for wood burning.

[@ncsuwolfpack0]

He almost sounds like Tom Hanks lol

[@Plastik13]

Why you close the door ? Can not you let it opened while the wood is burning ?

[@HartzHomestead]

If you leave the fireplace doors open while it's burning, the air in the room will go up the chimney and suck cold air in from outdoors into your house, so you lose most of the heat created by the fire. It's OK if you really want to sit in front of an open fire, but not if you are trying to heat the house.

[@BarryWillBuck]

What is the square footage of your house?

[@HartzHomestead]

About 1,200 sq ft, depending on how you figure it. Downstairs is 700 sq ft, upstairs the ceiling is the roof, so it slopes. The fireplace is in the middle of the house, and we have R-42 in the roof, (11" of insulation). Having double pane glass plus 2 layer mylar storm windows makes a huge difference. When we put glass doors on the fireplace and installed storm windows, we cut our firewood use in half and the house stayed much warmer.

[@BarryWillBuck]

@@HartzHomestead okie dokie

[@johnnylawrence]

My OCD was going crazy with all the times the doors were being opened.

[@HartzHomestead]

Well, that was taken over 4 hours, shortened to 5 minutes for the video. In our big fireplace I have to push the wood together or add new wood about every 20 to 40 minutes to keep it burning hot. A wood stove or insert normally has a smaller firebox, which keeps the wood closer together and may not need checking so often.