Just bought a NEW Jotul Combifire #1

[BIG JAKE]

Put a stovetop thermometer on it and test the surface temp both ways(door cracked/closed). Unless the stove is not getting enough air(extremely tight house), it should heat better with door closed. With the door cracked, you're pulling more cold air in from outside which is counter productive to heating efficiency. If it's airtight you don't need a flue damper either just the air control.
Jotul is a great stove. Smaller stoves can do the job of a bigger stove but more labor to keep the smaller, quicker burning firebox volume fed-as you found out. And they need to run more continuous to be effective. Lifestyle has everything to do with stove size selection rather than just btu output alone. For instance, if you and your wife both work and get home at 6pm, you really are only going to be up to load it maybe 4 hrs? In that case a bigger unit is the way to go. If one of you does not work then no problem. I've got a little dovre(also european cast iron stove) it's probably rated at 25k to 29k btu but the little feller will heat most of my 2600 sq ft house if I keep it loaded. Granted, I'm in new mexico but we got down to 9 deg the otherday. That's a factor also. I'm just ramblin but might be some useful info for someone thinking of getting into woodburning. Anyway, hope it works for you.

 

[pointilist919]

I'm ready to Jotul. . .

Thanks all for the great information regarding chainsawaddict's Jotul Combifire #1. I have the specs for it at home along with a book published about stoking the fire in it and other Jotul models. I'll post the information that I have soon. I have this because I went from my NC home to an undisclosed location north of Washington DC on Saturday to procure a new Jotul Combifire #1 myself. It too has never been fired. The matte black cast iron finish needs a little tlc and some stove polish. The legs have never been attached and the wood shipping skids are still on the stove. I'm going to put it in my basement that opens to the backyard so people can step in for a quick warm up during an outdoor event such as a pig pickin'. It will be useful to reduce the need for the furnace to operate, temper the basement while I catch up on a thousand or so projects down there and eventually be the center of a sauna. I use a buck stove fireplace insert when I want wood heat updstairs. If I'm truly too cramped for time I burn fossil fuel, natural gas.

Thanks again for the good information, ;-]