Volcano Vaporizer Air Filter | An Overlooked Storz & Bickel Part

There are alot of Volcano Vaporizer Parts & Accessories out there. Tips, tricks, hacks to use the Volcano and even 3D printed accessories. When you are undoubtedly the most iconic vaporizer that has been around for the last 20 years peripheral accessories to accompany and enhance such a great work of thermal engineering are going to pop up.  And as the Volcano has evolved from the Classic to Digital and now the Hybrid, this has certainly been the case with a slew of parts & accessories both from Storz & Bickel and 3rd party manufacturers such as Delta 3D studios. 

But why does no one talk about the Volcano Air Filter ?  It was not until recently when we came across a post in the Storz & Bickel Users Facebook group  that we realized people love their Volcano Vaporizers but many are totally oblivious to the fact that the Volcano Vaporizer has an air filter in  the bottom of the unit. 

The removable air filter was introduced on the Volcano in the post 2008 models. Up until then the Classic Volcano had a built-in filter that was not replaceable like on present day models. Back then (circa 2008) the Classic Volcano had an off white ring around the top of the heating element, where today you will find the black ring. The fan on the older model Volcano Vaporizer was a tad slower, the shell a more dull metal than the shiny stainless steel and the Easy Valve was yet to be invented. 

Today the Classic Volcano and Volcano Hybrid both come with spare air filters. However we have noticed when taking in trades of used Volcano Vaporizers,  many Volcano users leave their stock air filter in for the duration of time they are using the Volcano. 

The question we had posed to us was how often the Volcano air filter should be changed and if storing your Volcano in a garage or workshop environment affects the vapor quality of what gets pumped into your bag.

The Volcano operates by taking in surrounding air,  heating it and pumping that hot air through your herb to be captured into a bag where it is inhaled. Truth be told, the Volcano will operate totally fine without an air filter in place. But going back to the posed query, yes the less quality the air environment you use your Volcano in, the less quality air will be pumped into your vapor bag. The air filter provides some filtering of that air to ensure you are getting the healthiest vapor possible. The Volcano isn’t a medical device for no reason.

One thing we have noticed when refurbishing Volcano Vaporizers is when the device has been used in a cigarette smoker’s household the air filter will have much more build up on it than if being used inside a  household with cleaner air. This goes the same for being used in an industrial garage or any other location which may have subpar air quality. This is good news however as it lets you know the Volcano air filter is doing it’s job. 

Just as there is no solid answer for changing your bags out, there is no concise or solid answer for how often you need to change your air filter. A good rule of thumb is when the air filter begins to change color. Every Volcano (including the now discontinued Digital Volcano) comes with a set of 2 air filters. On the Classic & Digital these are circular and on the Hybrid they are square shaped. If you notice your current filter is a tad more dark than the replacements included, that is a good sign to change them out.

On the Classic & Digital, on the bottom of the device you will see a Nickel sized circular air filter cap. A simple counter clockwise  twist undoes the cap and you remove the old and put the new one in. On the Hybrid Volcano there is a small spring door – same intuitive process to replacing the Hybrid air filter.

If you have not changed your air filter ever and have owned the vaporizer for years but have been mainly using it inside your house there is absolutely no cause for concern. It just might be about time and with the air filter costing less than $5.00 it won’t set you back anything for peace of mind.