Volcano

[hoptimum]

I just got a message from S & B in Cali. The pump is no longer available but if I send my old unit in they will replace it with a new one for $249.00. I think this is a good deal as I'm 7 years post warranty and I will probably go for it but seems a shame as these pumps are available from big industrial/medical suppliers but they only deal in large orders so walking into a local store and pulling one off the shelf is highly unlikely for me .
Oh the problems of the middle class.

You know as well as anyone how reliable and well built they are. $250 for a new Volcano sounds pretty good.

 

[Nunavut Tripper]

You know as well as anyone how reliable and well built they are. $250 for a new Volcano sounds pretty good.

Yes there is a reason there is a fleet of them in every vapor lounge...reliable,simple,rugged and no learning curve,just pack the bowl and press the button. I mailed the old one to S&B yesterday so it's a deal now.
I own several other vapes but I miss the bag because of the taste. The terpenes are distributed through the load so every toke is flavourful.

 

[Chezgreendream]

Hey guys, so I recieved my classic volcano not too long ago and I must say I dont know how I have been living life without it. I do have a few questions though, maybe someone can be so kind to answer.

1) The most important, right now I am alittle concerned with the air quality, coming from the bathroom in my home. There is a slight odor coming from the drains in my sink. This odor has caused me to have an allergic reaction, I am currently waiting for a plumber to fix this. I maintain my home properly ventilated and the bathroom door closed. I was somewhat concerned that this less than average air quality would sneak into the vape bags, though I use the cano about 3 rooms away from the bathroom. What are the chances that this air can seep into the bags? I know the cano has a filter Im not sure how great this filter is to block out air contaminants. I know this question is a long shot, I just wanted to hear ideas on wether it would seem safe to use the cano in the meantime or should I wait until the issue witj the drains is resolved.

2) The first time I used my unit I filled the chamber up to the max, but I want the next time I want to be able to fill it up to a quater of that amount. I read that if filling less material than the max to use the steel pad given. Am I putting the material first and then the steel pad over it? To me it seems a bit awkward since when I put the pad by itself it was kinda stuck inside the chamber and I had to knock it to come out. Plus I didnt want pack it down so tightly using the pad to create too much resistance. What would be optimal?

3) I got the easy valve, I usually empty the bag fully, fold it up and store it in a closet. I read somewhere here that you can use these bags for a year. But I was concerned that If I use these bags and store them in a cool dark place that tjey might grow bacteria and mold inside them. WHat are the chances of this happening? Or are there any mechanisms in the bag itself that prevent this from happening.

THanks for all that take the time to read and respond to my questions.

 

[Nunavut Tripper]

Hey guys, so I recieved my classic volcano not too long ago and I must say I dont know how I have been living life without it. I do have a few questions though, maybe someone can be so kind to answer.

1) The most important, right now I am alittle concerned with the air quality, coming from the bathroom in my home. There is a slight odor coming from the drains in my sink. This odor has caused me to have an allergic reaction, I am currently waiting for a plumber to fix this. I maintain my home properly ventilated and the bathroom door closed. I was somewhat concerned that this less than average air quality would sneak into the vape bags, though I use the cano about 3 rooms away from the bathroom. What are the chances that this air can seep into the bags? I know the cano has a filter Im not sure how great this filter is to block out air contaminants. I know this question is a long shot, I just wanted to hear ideas on wether it would seem safe to use the cano in the meantime or should I wait until the issue witj the drains is resolved.

If you're concerned just use it in the garage till the smell is gone.

2) The first time I used my unit I filled the chamber up to the max, but I want the next time I want to be able to fill it up to a quater of that amount. I read that if filling less material than the max to use the steel pad given. Am I putting the material first and then the steel pad over it? To me it seems a bit awkward since when I put the pad by itself it was kinda stuck inside the chamber and I had to knock it to come out. Plus I didnt want pack it down so tightly using the pad to create too much resistance. What would be optimal?

I thought the pad was for concentrates. I've never used mine but just use enough herb to cover the screen well.

3) I got the easy valve, I usually empty the bag fully, fold it up and store it in a closet. I read somewhere here that you can use these bags for a year. But I was concerned that If I use these bags and store them in a cool dark place that tjey might grow bacteria and mold inside them. WHat are the chances of this happening? Or are there any mechanisms in the bag itself that prevent this from happening.

I wonder if the heat would kill mould spores ? At any rate I've never had a problem with mould but I don't get a year out of a bag...maybe a few months before it gets gungy or develops a leak.

THanks for all that take the time to read and respond to my questions.

 

[grokit]

Re the bag: just suck from it, don't exhale/blow into it and nothing should grow

 

[Vitolo]

don't exhale/blow into it

I avoid exhaling into any vapor path ever. (tubing included)

 

[Chezgreendream]

Thanks for the replies. I have taken care of the bathroom issues. Also, I have gotten more familiar with using less material and using a liquid pad as well. SO those are not issues to me anymore. But I have always had the questions on the bags and how clean they would be to use. Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[Nunavut Tripper]

You know as well as anyone how reliable and well built they are. $250 for a new Volcano sounds pretty good.

Well I went for the deal and sent my old Classic to S&B in Oakland. They don't repair if it has the old air pump so I got a brand new Classic for $249.00 including shipping to Canada. This is a stripped down model and does not come with a bags,mouthpiece or bowl which I don't need.
It's the same as my old one except it has an air filter and much faster bag filling time. I think a wise move by S&B because if any customer has one long enough to wear it out maybe it's in their best interest to keep said customer happy and equipped with their product plus they're still making a buck on that sale too.
Happy customers are cheap advertising.

 

[hoptimum]

Well I went for the deal and sent my old Classic to S&B in Oakland. They don't repair if it has the old air pump so I got a brand new Classic for $249.00 including shipping to Canada. This is a stripped down model and does not come with a bags,mouthpiece or bowl which I don't need.
It's the same as my old one except it has an air filter and much faster bag filling time. I think a wise move by S&B because if any customer has one long enough to wear it out maybe it's in their best interest to keep said customer happy and equipped with their product plus they're still making a buck on that sale too.
Happy customers are cheap advertising.

Keeping current customers happy is a lot cheaper than trying to acquire new ones. If your new Volcano serves you as long and as well as your old one, $250 is a good deal, IMO.

 

[Popcorn Lung]

Hello fellow FCers I would love some advice here and maybe some of you can chime in. I have the chance to purchase a used classic volcano for $200 and wanted to see what you alls thoughts are of that price.

I realy want the digital and really should not be spending any money right now. So I'm on the side of No at the moment.

I just wanted to hear some thought from some of you Cano owners that may persuade me not to wait for the digital at a time when I can actually throw money around.

 

[justcametomind]

I'm no expert but I'd go for it!

I'd avoid getting a used digital since I heard here the digital module is the single thing that could give issues over time.

 

[hoptimum]

Hello fellow FCers I would love some advice here and maybe some of you can chime in. I have the chance to purchase a used classic volcano for $200 and wanted to see what you alls thoughts are of that price.

I realy want the digital and really should not be spending any money right now. So I'm on the side of No at the moment.

I just wanted to hear some thought from some of you Cano owners that may persuade me not to wait for the digital at a time when I can actually throw money around.

I have a digit and I like it a lot, but functionally the Classic is just as good. $200 is a decent price if the Volcano is in good shape and isn't too old.

 

[olysh pops]

You inhale the same quantity and quality of vapor if you use classic or digital volcano

200$ seems to be a cheap price, do you know how old it is ?

 

[Popcorn Lung]

Thanks for the info everyone. The seller says he purchased it a year ago new. But I couldn't buy it now even if I wanted to because the seller left town.

I was doubting my decision but I think I got to go with what I really want on this one...digital Cano. This just means I'll have to hold off a few more months until I save up enough. How many times has that been said in this thread?

 

[olysh pops]

If it is one year old, there is 2 years guarantee left.

 

[Tommy]

Cheers my dear friends... long time no see

Unfortunatelly I'm back for the worst reasons...

Got 2 Volcano's. First one since 2005, only really started using it on a daily basis in 2009, in 2010 I had to send it back to the factory because the air pump was lazy (it took 3 minutes to fill a 60cm bag), got it back working good but only lasted 6 months.

So I bought a new digital one in 2011 and it worked almost everyday since then (lets say 360 days per year). I don't smoke, only vape, since 2009. About 2 weeks ago I had a case of sore throat (or at least I though it was). When I get sore throat, even vapor is harsh, but this time it seemed like a different type of harsh. I did not mind and as always just waited until the sore throat stopped.

But I kept on vaporizing, smaller ammounts but I kept with it. I usually use between 0,5gr and 1gr per day (4 to 8 bags) and with the sore throat I used just half of that per day. But it does not go away.

My wife spent the last 4 years without smoking or vaporizing, but recently she started again with just one or other eventual Volcano bag that I prepare to her when she asks for it. And yesterday she said: "What's that herb that you've been putting in there since 1 or 2 weeks ago? It really hurts in the throat."

To which my answer is: "the bags I prepared for you in the last few weekswere from several different strains, like at least 5 different strains. Did they all felt hard to the throat?"

Then she said yes and now I'm convinced there's something wrong with my Volcano Digital.

The air pump is perfect this time, it fills ballons at the same pace as it did in the first day. Maybe the thermostat is broken or lost track of temperature and does not develop the temperature shown in the digital screen?

Anyone ever heard this kind of complaint? Like someone who only vaporizes with a Volcano for several months or years and then suddenly it starts developing vapor that is always very harsh to the throat?

I'm even starting to worry about the chance of it releasing any sort of substances that it's not supposed to. Could it be that something inside the Volcano was broken and it now releases any sort of chemical or just irritating substance that it is not supposed to release? In fact the feeling I get on my throat is very strange. The other day I even got symptoms of asthma for about 45 minutes... and I never had any sort of asthma or respiratory problems.

Of course I'm going to contact Storz & Bickel Germany (I'm in Europe), but since it's sunday I'll only contact them tomorrow and I would like to know first if anyone else experienced the same possible problem.

I'm so much in love with my Volcano that even before contacting them I'm already almost decided to buy a new one. I would buy a new one every 3 years if I had to and without complainting about the machine or manufacturer. So I'm already happy to come here to this thread at FC this evening because I noticed someone saying that they can get an old Volcano back and make a nice discount to sell us a new one.

I could send my Classic model from 2005 back and get a new one cheaper and, while doing that, I could send my 2011 Digital model together so that they check if it is ok or if it needs to be fixed in any way (in which casa I would pay 60 euros / 80$ to have it fixed and returned). Like this I could very possibly stay with 2 Volcanos working well, and a second one is never too much for me (one to have in my house and the other for my office).

Let me know, please. Thanks!

tommy

 

[olysh pops]

Hi Tommy

Don't you think a new cleaning product used recently with your Volcano may explain this harsh vapor and symptoms of asthma ?

 

[Tommy]

Hi Olysh!

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I thought about that and a lot of other possibilities. But it can't be that because I always clean the pieces with the same brand of alcohol at 96%. What I did consider was the product used to clean the table where I have it (because the air is pumped in from above the volcano), but I already changed it to other places and it seems to happen equally.

It's not everytime, but almost. Or it varies, sometimes it is harsher than other times, but seems to be always harsher than it was before a month ago.

Could it be dirt? Could it be a few cat hairs that got somewhere in the way the air is pumped?

I think I'll send them an email tomorrow.

In the meanwhile very soon I might be able to borrow a Classic volcano from a friend and that one is working properly for sure, so I'll have the chance to compare and check the diferences live and on set.

If has any idea, please let me know.

Thanks and sweet vapes!

tommy

 

[olysh pops]

Replacing bag, cleaning the mouthpiece and the filling chamber should allow to eliminate possible issue sources. But I am rather sure you already did that.

Cat hairs ? You may have a look under the Volcano, there is an air filter (before air intake) which might be clean..

Hope it can help

 

[Chezgreendream]

Hi Olysh!

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I thought about that and a lot of other possibilities. But it can't be that because I always clean the pieces with the same brand of alcohol at 96%. What I did consider was the product used to clean the table where I have it (because the air is pumped in from above the volcano), but I already changed it to other places and it seems to happen equally.

It's not everytime, but almost. Or it varies, sometimes it is harsher than other times, but seems to be always harsher than it was before a month ago.

Could it be dirt? Could it be a few cat hairs that got somewhere in the way the air is pumped?

I think I'll send them an email tomorrow.

In the meanwhile very soon I might be able to borrow a Classic volcano from a friend and that one is working properly for sure, so I'll have the chance to compare and check the diferences live and on set.

If has any idea, please let me know.

Thanks and sweet vapes!

tommy

Ive had similar experiences like the ones you mentioned and it had to do with the air quality in my home. One time I noticed that when I vaped from the balloons I would get a sore throat and breathing would be heavier. What I noticed was that on the nearby streets they were paving the roads, so there was a tar smell. I waited until the roads were finished and it went away. I didnt realize that this was my issue at first, as I was looking on top of the table where I set my volcano on and looked for clues, but one day when I smelled the tar, it clicked in my head that it could have been the culprit and it was.

Now, Ive also noticed that if ai set my volcano in the kitchen near the detergents, or in the bathroom, the vapor quality tastes somewhat altered, I would like to say contaminated, but I really hope not. I can taste it in my tongue and as it goes in my system. I do not get that if I set the volcano up in my living room.

Though, the volcano uses a filter, I think that the filter just blocks out most dirt and debris, but if the air is altered, then most probably that will go into the vapor as well.

I hope this helps.

 

[Tommy]

Hi Olysh!

Thanks. Every opinion and advice are helpful. Yes, I know about the filter, which I changed for a new one about 3 months ago. Chamber, moutpiece, solid valve, bags, etc, were all recently changed and I have 3 sets (3 bags, 3 mouthpieces, 3 filling chambers and 3 solid valve units). I even took one of the 3 and cleaned it (with 96º Alcohol) while leaving the other 2 uncleaned, but the effect is the same.

I have 3 sets because like this I get two nice advantages. One is cleaning once every 3 months instead of once every month. And the other is that when I go out (of my house) I can take 2 bags filled with vapor instead of just 1, hehehe. Or even I can fill 2 bags at a time, one for me and the other for my wife and yet leave the 3rd set unused so that when the first 2 sets are getting "dirty" I still have 1 that is clean.

Now let me read what Chezgreendream is saying

All the best and sweet vapes!

tommy

Hi Chezgreendream!

Thanks! In fact I have a construction (of a new building) very close to my home, like 50mt in front of it. But the construction started 4 months ago and I'm only getting this issue for the past 2 weeks. And the worst part of the construction was in August, that's when they were working heavily and we could even see dust in the air sometimes.

It's not the same as if they were paving roads, in which case you really get strong "chemical" odours into your home. Here we never got any sort of smell in our home from the construction. On the other hand it could be our maid that cleans the house once every week that's using a different product to clean the tables or something, but then I did something else that puts away both possibilities:

I took the Volcano this weekend for a ride in my car (I have an adaptor) and the bags filled inside the car were just like the ones I fill at home: very harsh for the throat.

I want to think that the temperature released is not the one shown in the digital screen, like if it was not well regulated. Like if I have it on 185ºC but it releases the air on 210º (for example). But even this does not seem like the answer to the problem, because the density of the vapor is basically the same I always get and if I was filling ballons on 210º (which I never do) then the vapor would tend to be much more dense, from my experience with it as I already tried it in 205º and it really was more dense (yet harsher and less tasty, as you might well know).

Last night I still filled a bag before going to bed but then I said to myself it would be the last one. I'm not sure if today I get my Plenty or my Herborizer (which I have not used for more than 1 year and I very rarely use), or if I just roll a few ones and smoke them. Because now that I don't feel sick anymore and I'm sure I don't have a sore throat for being sick, last night I could really notive the 2 different things in my bag: the taste of the amazing weed I have (organically grown, without overferts, underferts, plagues or mold) and then the taste of that other thing that I have no idea what it is but it really seems to be coming from inside the machine.

I'm going to send an email to Storz & Bickel today and once I get an answer from them I'll let you know. If they tell me that they never received this sort of complaint then I will have to get a new Volcano, maybe...

Also, this wednesday or thursday I'll visit my friend who owns a classic Volcano that has always worked properly so that I can compare both of the vapors from the same herbs. Maybe I'll also fill a balloon only with air and inhale a bit.

Thanks again guys. I'll let you know. And if someone wants to share more opinions, they are always welcome.

Regards and sweet vapes!

tommy

 

[h3rbalist]

Hey @Tommy you should change or remove your air filter.

Put on a brand new bag and fill it with a clean empty chamber and see if you still have harsh/bad taste.

If you do, then you must have something inside and the unit should go back to S&B.

 

[Tommy]

Cheers h3rbalist!

Thanks for your opinion and advice.

Yes, I changed the air filter recently, here's what I said in one of my 2 previous posts:

Yes, I know about the filter, which I changed for a new one about 3 months ago.

But I'm going to do as you say. I still have 1 new air filter, so I'll change it again. And today I will clean everything and then start by filling a bag with only air and then taste it (it should be tasteless, or almost). Then I'll try with the best and softest weed I have at the moment (I have at least 15 strains available now in my personal stock, hehe, from my own grows and from friends, so I can try with a few to be sure that the problem is not within the weed).

This and then the comparison with the Volcano Classic from a friend of mine will probably help to solve the mistery, I mean, to confirm that it comes from inside the unit. Probably when I transported the unit inside a bag I hit a wall with it and something inside the unit is now broke or out of place...

Kind regards and sweet vapes!

tommy

 

[MinnBobber]

Maybe I'll also fill a balloon only with air and inhale a bit.

........................................
@Tommy , this always seems like a good place to start when tracking down such an issue. It removes one variable---bud quality/contamination.
It lets you focus on heated air coming out of the unit--period. Is there something in the air that shouldn't be.

Are you in US or where?

 

[Tommy]

Cheers MinnBobber!

Thanks! Yes, I already cleaned all the parts fo my solid valve and soon (yet today) I'll fill a couple of balloons only with air.

If the air comes out pure, than it can only be a bad regulation on the temperature (wrong temp in the screen). Lets see...

I'm in Europe and not close to Germany (about 3.000km far), so if I send it to the factory I will probably have to pay around 40 euros for shipping costs.

Sweet vapes!

tommy