Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Your Volcano Vaporizer
Cleaning your Volcano vaporizer regularly prolongs the device’s longevity. It also enhances your vaping experience by letting you inhale smooth vapor and rich flavors.
The good news is that the Volcano is relatively easy to care for. But if you’re interacting with this high-end vaporizer by Storz & Bickel for the first time, you may face some challenges implementing a proper cleaning and maintenance plan.
Fortunately for you, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to cleaning the Volcano vaporizer. Read on for invaluable insights on how to care for these innovative vape devices.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Things You’ll Need
- Warm-to-hot water
- Isopropyl alcohol (optional)
- Cotton buds or a cleaning brush
- A soft piece of cloth
- A non-abrasive cleaner
- A pair of tweezers
- Small pliers
The most effective way to clean the Volcano weed vaporizer machine is to handle each component separately.
The specific supplies you require will depend on the part you’re working on.
How to Clean Different Volcano Components
1. The Base Unit
The Volcano base unit is considerably stain- and corrosion-resistant. Therefore, this component seldom requires cleaning.
If the base unit develops stain or rust, simply wipe the stainless outer surface using a damp piece of cloth.
Dampen the cloth with water rather than an alcoholic solution. Besides, use a soft fabric to avoid scraping away the glossy surface.
More importantly, only clean the exterior surface of the Volcano’s base unit. Do not disassemble the vaporizer to clean its internal components, as that will void the warranty.
The only time you can access the base unit’s interior is while changing the replacement sponges. To do that, you’ll need to gently twist the air filter cap anticlockwise and pull the sponges out.
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2. The Solid Valve
The Volcano vaporizer comes in Easy Valve and Solid Valve designs.
The easy valve set is disposable. Hence, it requires no maintenance. Such components would simply need replacing after a few weeks.
However, the solid valve requires regular cleaning. And while the Volcano’s base unit should never be dismantled, it’s impossible to clean the vaporizer’s solid valve set without taking the distinct components apart.
Here’s how to dismantle the solid valve set;
Mouthpiece
- Pull the black tip from the metallic cylinder.
- Apply considerable force to pull the cylinder from its housing.
Balloon Valve
- Unfasten the large slip ring on the balloon valve.
- Carefully twist the balloon fixation ring out of the valve housing, and from the bag.
- Set the two O-rings aside and discard the bag.
- Using your finger, gently push the valve cylinder upwards to provide enough room for unscrewing the valve cap.
- Remove the valve cap and the blue valve ring, then set the valve cylinder and spring aside.
NOTE: You can partially detach or completely remove all attachments from the balloon valve. In the case of complete removal, note where each component goes.
Herb Chamber
- Detach the filling chamber insert.
- Unscrew the hex nut located underneath the insert.
- Gently take the component apart and set aside tiny pieces like the washer and hex nut.
- Use your finger to push out the bottom screen from the herb chamber.
- Pull off the blue O-ring from the filling chamber’s plastic housing using a pair of tweezers.
- Finally, detach the metallic cylinder from the housing.
All three parts are typically made from plastic, making them dishwasher-safe. The combination of warm, soapy water and a soft cloth would do.
As mentioned, set aside the smaller components of the balloon valve – screens, washers, and rubber O-rings – to avoid losing them during the cleaning process. These are best cleaned by hand.
After cleaning the solid valve set, carefully reassemble the components back.
NOTE: While cleaning the solid valve set, pay particular attention to the balloon valve and herb chamber. These components are susceptible to gunking if they go longer between cleaning. The sticky resin might make it difficult to detach the parts from the Volcano, let alone clean them.
Soak a sticky valve or chamber in hot water or isopropyl alcohol to loosen the gunk before tossing it in the dishwasher. Then, rinse both components thoroughly in warm water to remove any residual soap or alcohol from their surface.
Any stubborn stains can be scraped off using a cleaning brush. You can then let the parts dry completely before reassembling them back.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
3. Balloon Bags
Like the easy valve sets, the Volcano’s balloon bags are meant to be disposable. The focus should be on how to replace the bag;
- Detach the old bag by sliding off the large plastic slip ring, followed by the black rubber O-ring.
- Set the two rings apart and dispose of the old bag.
- Cut a suitable length of a new bag material, preferably 50 – 60 centimeters long, and tie it off at one end.
- Attach the balloon bag’s open end by gathering the bag, such that you’re able to slip the fixation ring on it.
- Slide the ring about three centimeters down from the edge of the balloon bag.
- Carefully attach the flexible ring to the balloon valve.
- Let the balloon straighten up and then attach the slip ring.
- Carefully trim off any loose edges.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Final Word
Following the above steps can make a significant difference in terms of improving your Volcano’s efficiency and durability. Remember to adopt a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule to keep your vaporizer in peak performance. Storz and Bickel recommend cleaning the Volcano weed vape every fortnight or once a month, depending on the frequency of use.