Earth Stove

I recently moved in a house with a model 100 earth stove. I have used it for a week or so this fall. Seems to work well. I talked to the local stove shop, they said that it is recomended to plug off the vent pipe that runs up the center of the chimney. There is also two small vents that go from the back into the firebox. Should a person plug those also? They didn't know.
Also had touble replaceing the door seal. Used 1 1/4" rope but couldn't shut door. Any hints?

do you have a brick chimney with liner (ventt pipe) no do not plug any holes in the back of the stove. those are the air inlet / damper to stove box. that stove also hould have a automatic damper on it. I have a erath stove 100 in my garage and love it. it is wide open going straight up the chimney pipe.

I have an ES 705, similar design as the ES 100. Rather than plug up the pipe that goes up the stove vent a ways, I pulled the upper pipe and replaced the 90 degree el with a tee and fitted a sets of fresh air secondary burners at the top of the firebox in the shape of a two tined fork. That was/is the purpose of the pipe in the vent; to add air to burn off unburned smoke and wood gasses. I dunno why they would recommend that you plug it up.