Jotul 8

[shaggy205]

I picked up an old Jotul 8 stove last year, and just started burning it this winter just to keep basement chill off during the below zero weather we have been having in Maine. I have approximately 2 1/2 cords of 2 year seasoned wood I picked up for free from local utility cutting in my area. I don't really know the sq. footage this stove is rated to heat?? Has draft wheel up front no catalyst. My questions below:

1. Sq. footage rating?

2. What to expect on length of burn?

3. Can you load this stove up to baffle or just a few logs at time to prevent over fire?

*Stove is vented out back, straight up w/ one 90 into masonry chimney and terra cotta 8x8 flue.

 

[webbie]

Sq footage in Maine differs from elsewhere - I'd say 900 square feet of moderately insulated area in Maine.

Best burn when you are attended is to load 2 or 3 splits in every 2-4 hours and burn with a decent amount of air. You can certainly load it way up - which you can do for overnight burns, although a stove like is more like 6-8 hours on a slow burn.

 

[shaggy205]

Sq footage in Maine differs from elsewhere - I'd say 900 square feet of moderately insulated area in Maine.

Best burn when you are attended is to load 2 or 3 splits in every 2-4 hours and burn with a decent amount of air. You can certainly load it way up - which you can do for overnight burns, although a stove like is more like 6-8 hours on a slow burn.

Thanks webbie, you are definately right about sq. footage being different up here! Just tooling around with this stove, planning on getting an epa stove soon, but all in all not a bad stove. I am surprised how clean you can burn this stove with a little effort. Anyone else burn a jotul 8 and want to chime in would love to hear from ya.

 

[SimonB]

I'm using a Jotul Model 8 (oldest model with draft wheel) right now until I get my Supreme fireplace sorted out. It is a pre-EPA stove, so no catalytic converter, but if burning moderately it appears to burn very cleanly. I agree with Webbie that 2 or 3 splits every 2 hours is about normal. The only trick I find is to pull the coals to the front of the stove so that the air draft coming in generates enough heat to cleanly ignite the new load without much smoking.

The only other advice I'd offer on this stove is if you are running with the draft wheel wide open (usually just when starting), be sure to keep an eye on it as it can overfire quite readily with the draft wheel anywhere above 50% open.

For overnight I load as much as I can fit in it and dial the draft wheel down almost closed. We are heating a 1200sf house in Ontario, and when the nighttime temps are 0F and above it will maintain the temp for about 6-8 hours, but when the nighttime temps are -20F the house drops to 60F.

Simon

 

[jotulboy]

I have a #8 also, it was rated at 1500 sq. ft. I also use to have the 118. Right now I have been using the coal chubby but going back to wood next year. Thinking of getting the woodstock fireview. The coal bags are getting to hard for me to carry. I need something with a long burn time.
The #8 will burn for about 4 hours and need to reload.