As soon as the fire has warmed the air in the stove, stove-* pipe, and chimney, the heated air rises, forced up by the cooler air from the room and from outside. Admitting air below the fire box gives a draft and helps the fire to burn. Admitting air through the opening in the stovepipe checks the draft by admitting cold air and by causing less air to pass through the stove.

The oven and the hot-water reservoir, if there is one, are heated by opening a damper which allows the hot smoke from the fire box to pass over the oven, under the hot-water reservoir, under the oven, then up behind the oven and into the stovepipe.