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With the milder weather, now is actually the best and most efficient time of the year to use your wood burning fireplace. When there is a fire in a typical fireplace, much of the already-heated air inside your house is sucked up the chimney too. Although the room with the fireplace stays warm, the rest of the house gets chilly. Overall, there is a net energy loss.
During milder weather, crack open a window just a little in the room with the fireplace. Choose the window closest to the fireplace. Instead of sucking already-heated air from the rest of your house, the extra air will be drawn in the window. With all the radiant heat from the fire, you will still feel warm in that room. This simple tip can turn your fireplace into a net energy producer.