In the winter we heat our home with a wood stove. Since we have a built in water jacket, it is essential to always make sure there is water in the water tank that is connected to the wood stove prior to starting a fire. It's best to have it at least halfway full to reduce the amount of steam that is produced as the water heats up. We use junk mail and small pieces of wood as kindling to start our fires. We make a fire in the morning and in the evening based on the tempurature inside the house and what the average outside temperature will be until the next fire.