# Defiance Volcano II --  How's it work?



## timo14 (Jan 13, 2010)

Hi,
New to the forum... hoping someone can help me out.

I just purchased a home with a Volcano II wood-burning stove pictured here...








I have had multiple wood stoves (& pellet stoves) in the past, but none like this one.  I have been using it for about a week, but i would really feel alot more comfortable if i know how it acutally worked.  I'm sure it would also help me run it more efficiently.

Currently it's piped into my central heat return duct.  So far, I've been able to heat the whole house to 74 degrees with it (2,800 ft-2), and it's been cooooold here recently.

Can anyone tell me how it works, or maybe have a link to an owners manual.  I'm especially curious to see how the damper ( I think that's what it is anyway) actually works... and what the port is on the front that is covered by the hinged Volcano II logo.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Tim


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## raybonz (Jan 13, 2010)

http://www.patents.com/Space-heater/US4265215/en-US/


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## brokeburner (Jan 14, 2010)

anyone have a diagram of the inner workings of this stove sounds very interesting


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## raybonz (Jan 14, 2010)

brokeburner said:
			
		

> anyone have a diagram of the inner workings of this stove sounds very interesting



Go to the link I posted and create a free acct. and you can download the pdf which includes drawings etc...

Ray


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## zknowlto (Jan 14, 2010)

Here's the patent info off Google Patents:

Patent US4265215


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## webbie (Jan 14, 2010)

Some info here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Defiance_Company/

damper is a basic bimetal thermostat...like VC uses, etc.

Port at top is for opening and looking at the volcano flame (secondary burn) when it occurs.

How's that for trivia?


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## timo14 (Jan 14, 2010)

Gentlemen,
Thank you for the info.  I downloaded the pdf... however the stoves pictured dont quite match what i have.  The patent diagram shows a stove with double doors, it's kinda squatty, and it doesn't have the outlet to attach to the household ductwork.  I followed one of the links to the sell-sheet, it shows another stove that is a solid box (no legs).  It looks more like what I have... but still not an exact match.








I guess what I'd really like to know is how to operate the damper on my stove.  It's got quite a bit of adjustment, which I'm sure is something I'd need to experiment with... but I'd like to know how it's supposed to work and maybe some general guidelines.

Regarding the "volcano flame port,"  should I leave it open during normal operation, or is it normally closed and just there as a vision port?  Do I need to have it open to let air in for the secondary combustion?

Thanks again,
Tim


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## webbie (Jan 14, 2010)

You don't have to keep that visual port open at all.......
Yes, the jacket, etc. is different on the image from the catalog, but the insides are basically the same. As I remember, the secondary air was adjusted by steel rods - one on each side, that stuck out the front of the unit....the bottom front? Do you see anything like this? Air channels are built into the sides of the firebox - visible on the inside left and right, which channel the secondary air to the rear of the fire.

As I remember, the primary air had a bimetal damper - do you see this clearly on the rear? Or is it hidden? Maybe you can get a pic to jog my memory.

Another bit of trivia - there are probably a lot of these in MD as the east coast distributor was Mace Supply, originally in Rising Sun. I used to drive down there often and pick these up from the Maces. Mace moved to Hagertown and unfortunately the new company has no information about these products.

If anyone has a manual...maybe they could let me scan it and post.


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## timo14 (Jan 14, 2010)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> You don't have to keep that visual port open at all.......
> Yes, the jacket, etc. is different on the image from the catalog, but the insides are basically the same. As I remember, the secondary air was adjusted by steel rods - one on each side, that stuck out the front of the unit....the bottom front? Do you see anything like this? Air channels are built into the sides of the firebox - visible on the inside left and right, which channel the secondary air to the rear of the fire.
> 
> As I remember, the primary air had a bimetal damper - do you see this clearly on the rear? Or is it hidden? Maybe you can get a pic to jog my memory.
> ...



I don't recall seeing the metal rods.  On the front there is just the main door to the fire-box, the ash door, and the inspection port.  On the rear is the damper.  It's a coiled steel spring similar to what you'd find on an analog thermostat.  I assume that is the bi-metal damper you mentioned.  I don't think there's anything at all on the sides.

I'm going to take some more photo's tonight & I'll post them up tomorrow.

It really is a great stove.  I think that once I get used to it, I'm really going to like it.  I smoked out the house last night... oops.  It is a little harder to get a draft going than my previous stoves.  Could just be because of the stovepipe and a very tall chimney.  Right now, my heating system is a propane furnace for the first floor, and an electric boiler (yes, i did say electric boiler) feeding baseboard on the second floor.  Cant wait to get a good system going with wood to ease the strain on my wallet.

As far as the manual goes... if anyone has one that they could either scan or send me, I'd gladly cover all costs.

Tim


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## raybonz (Jan 15, 2010)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> You don't have to keep that visual port open at all.......
> Yes, the jacket, etc. is different on the image from the catalog, but the insides are basically the same. As I remember, the secondary air was adjusted by steel rods - one on each side, that stuck out the front of the unit....the bottom front? Do you see anything like this? Air channels are built into the sides of the firebox - visible on the inside left and right, which channel the secondary air to the rear of the fire.
> 
> As I remember, the primary air had a bimetal damper - do you see this clearly on the rear? Or is it hidden? Maybe you can get a pic to jog my memory.
> ...



The inventor was from S. Easton, Mass, not far from me... Very interesting heating unit I do wonder how efficient it is... With a secondary burn system he was ahead of his time.. Hoping to see a video of this stove in action...

Ray


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## timo14 (Jan 15, 2010)

Here's some more photo's of my stove.



























I haven't found anything to adjust the secondary air... maybe that's supposed to be done through the vision port on the front?  On the back, all there is is the primary air damper (controlled by the cain & coiled steel), and the thermostat for the blower fan.  

It's supposed to be pretty warm here this weekend, not sure if I'll start a fire or not.  If i do, I'll definately take a little video and post it up.

Any advice on how to use the main damper.  Right now, i have it so that when the fire it blazing hot, the damper is pretty much closed... just a small gap is open.  When the fire is just starting, the damper is wide open.  Is that how it should be?

Thanks again for all the help & interest.
Tim


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## raybonz (Jan 16, 2010)

It's something different and it will be interesting to hear how well it works and how efficient it will run.. Bet it would look great with some fresh stove paint in the spring too... From what I have read it was the right idea at the wrong time.. With the oil so unstable it just may get resurrected sometime in the future.. What surprised me was it utilized secondary burn...

Ray


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## ole3 (Oct 10, 2010)

If you are looking for more info on your stove. I just bought a house with one and I have the manuals. Let me know


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## cittykat0918 (Jan 9, 2011)

ole3-my son, and family, just purchased a home with one of these in it.  he's looking for the manual.  i can't find anything except your post, on-line.  would REALLY like a copy of your manual, if possible?  just to be sure; he has a deifant volcano II.  it looks just like the pictures that tim posted.  there is a serial number on it, (0104502) and then another number (54700).  we thought maybe the model number?  please let me know if you can help.

thanx-cat


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## SmokinPiney (Jan 9, 2011)

Another volcano owner! I picked one up from a friend a couple yrs ago and have been heating my home with it ever since. It's got a huge firebox and can get some pretty decent burn times. 

HiramMaxim posted a manual for me a while back. Here's the post (page 2) https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/12404/P15/

Here's mine. She's a big ugly beast but burns nice and hot!


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## cittykat0918 (Jan 9, 2011)

THANK YOU SOOOO much!!  have a great day.  i'm gonna go print that for my kid.

-cat


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## Ebeth2828 (Dec 16, 2012)

timo14 said:


> Hi,
> New to the forum... hoping someone can help me out.
> 
> I just purchased a home with a Volcano II wood-burning stove pictured here...
> ...


Hi everyone--I just joined this forum. I had a Defiance Volcano II (love the name) woodburner in my old farmhouse that I bought 17 years ago, but never used it.  After paying $2,000 to heat with propane last year (and that was keeping the house at 62 degrees or less), I decided to fire it up.  I love it! It works great, the firebox is big, the house is warm, and the sullen teenagers are actually smiling and thanking me.  I do have some questions about it, though, and was wondering if anyone posted an owner's manual in response to this 2010 inquiry.  
Elizabeth


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