Getting the Worst from Your Stove Controlled draft stoves and fireplace inserts generate excessive air pollutants if operated improperly. A common, but highly improper, operating procedure involves fully loading the stove or insert with wood and restricting the air flow through the unit by almost closing the draft controls. This creates a cooler, slower burning fire that produces a great deal of smoke. This smoke not only represents lower combustion efficiency and increased creosote deposits on chimney walls, but also adds to the air pollution problem. A stove that is too large tempts owners to burn wood slowly.
Some stoves have a large heating capacity.
When homeowners purchase units that have too much capacity, and when those stoves are filled with wood, they tend to produce more heat than is needed to be comfortable. This results in a comfortable heat output, but also in the slow burning of wood in an air-starved condition. Polluted air and dirty chimneys are inevitable results. Getting the Best from Your Stove A better way to control heat output from a stove is to limit the amount of fuel burned at a given time. Always maintain a hot fire.