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There’s nothing like the crackle, aroma and penetrating heat you get from burning wood. And with energy costs rising, it can be a smart move to augment your main heat source of expensive electricity, fuel oil or propane with wood – or switch to wood as your main source. Today’s spotlight on renewable energy makes wood more important than ever, and the cost is much lower than other fuels. Here’s how to get maximum efficiency in a fireplace, stove or insert that’s easy and perfect for everyday use.

Consider zone heating

Today, furnaces are meant to heat the entire home, even the rooms you don’t use very often. With zone heating you only heat the rooms where you’re spending the most time. It allows you to reduce your thermostat, then crank up your fireplace, stove or insert for a fraction of the cost. That means spending less money on furnace fuel while you keep your favorite spaces – like your family room – as warm as you want. See Zone Heating Demystified.

In its truest sense, zone heating involves adding a fireplace in a room to heat multiple rooms of the house through ducting. You can install ducting when you’re remodeling a room or during new construction. A Heat Zone Kit distributes warmth from your fireplace to the rest of your home. When run continuously, zone heating can redirect up to 25 percent of the heat to another area.

Invest in newer technology

Old wood fireplaces and stoves burn far more wood than the newer ones do today. You can amp up efficiency by converting your tired, old unit into something that’ll keep you warmer for less money. How do you know it’s time to upgrade your stove? Read Three Signs Your Wood Stove Needs Replacing.

Here’s the kind of technology that makes the difference today in improving efficiency:

• The Quadra-Fire® patented Four-Point Burn System burns and then reburns wood, gases and fumes four times. This keeps your fire going longer (nice for overnight burns) and produces steady, rolling flames. More heat, less wood.
• Automatic Combustion Control (ACC) makes start-up an easy cinch and gives you precise control with “set it and forget it.” Load your wood, light your fire and walk away.
• Smart Burn Technology™ on the Pioneer III fireplace can help reduce heating bills by automatically adjusting the amount of air coming into your fireplace.

You can also heat with pellets made from wood-manufacturing waste. Burning pellets, which come in 40-lb. bags, is very popular across the U.S. And our fully automatic, self-lighting pellets stoves are easy to use.

Which Quad is right for you?

There are many reasons why “Nothing burns like a Quad” – four-point burn system, automated combustion control, clean-burn technology, EPA certification and more. Our Pioneer II and Pioneer III wood-burning fireplaces are high-performance units where you can relax and savor long burn times, stunning flames and lasting quality.

Acquired from: https://www.quadrafire.com/shopping-tools/blog/how-to-heat-your-house-with-wood