Supreme Volcano plus insert

I noticed thay have a good selection of liners, too.

http://www.supremem.com/prod_Liners.html

BeGreen said:

Never seen one, but I like the name.

Click to expand...

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one that liked the name. I can see the advertising now . . . "Stay warm this winter . . . put a volcano in your living room."

On the serious side . . . looks sharp.

Dear Firestarter,
I am very interested in your experience with the Volcano Plus.
Having recently (Aug '08) had the same model installed in my home
I have quite a lot of questions and my own experiences to ask/share.
It's been a helluva journey, and the jury's still out on it. Right now I have a like/hate
relationship with the Volcano.
Would like to discuss with you, if you feel so inclined.
Thanks.

Well, where to start? I don't notice much in the way of pings when it's heating up. If there are any, I imagine they aren't loud, or at least are so normal sounding that I don't notice.
My saga with this stove is long and troubled. After a few months of dealing with a horrible, unprofessional dealer/installer, and many phone calls to the manufacturer in Canada, I think I have this thing working as well as it could. I am unimpressed with it's heat output, and it does indeed have a relatively short burn time (update that to finding these compressed-wood logs which seem to burn longer).
What I have learned, which hopefully won't be problems you have to experience:
1) The flue MUST be sealed completely around the chimney liner. What I have learned, the hard way, is that most inserts are a box within a box, and the space between them is where the heat is contained and then sent out via vents and fans. The Volcano, for some reason, is just the one steel box, so the fireplace itself then becomes the heat chamber, therefore must be sealed COMPLETELY so the heat does not escape anywhere but back into your room. That said, I am still very unhappy with the amount of heat that moves into the room vs. how much is being generated by the stove. With the fire burning vigorously, and the fans on high, the heat output right in front of the stove is quite disappointing. The installers did a horrible job of sealing the flue, never put in the SUPPLIED thick steel sealing plate, and even when they came back, did a crap job using flimsy aluminum flashing and left substantial gaps still. I took it all apart and did a better job, though the stove still disappoints.
2) Every connection in piping coming out of the top of the stove must be COMPLETELY sealed. The guys that installed mine left huge gaps in all the bends and elbows. This, the manufacturer told me, was why the draw was awful. I sealed these gaps myself, and the draw improved.
3) For some reason the manufacturer urges that firestarter sticks are used to start the fire, and no kindling, etc....I have followed this every time so far, but I may experiment. In my house, at least, the fire frequently is a groan to start.
4) The stove itself is fairly well built, but after taking it apart the times I had to, I found that the screws holding the face on are crap (and a groan to re-align properly), the fan knob is a piece of crap (no big deal though, but I'm sure I'll be living without the know soon enough, and the adjustable legs could be sturdier.
5) When the fan is not on, or simply not on maximum, the amount of heat that this thing puts out into the room, and I'm just talking a couple of feet in front, is lame. I will never be able to even heat the area just around it in the event of a blackout (somewhat frequent in the winter aorund my parts), let alone just wanting it to add some gentle heat without having to listen to the rather loud, while rather wimpy fans.
6) Am I sounding pissed yet?
7) I'm not an idiot. I am pretty handy myself. I don't think my expectations are too high, which is what the irresponsible jerk who owns the stove store I bought it from said to me.
8) My house is about 1500 sq/ft and the stove is rated for 2000, I think. BULL!
Okay, this is quite a rant, but I've been so upset about this whole ordeal, I would hate to see someone else have the same problems I've been having.
9) On the positive side: you may have a reputatable, honest dealer/ installer (I did not) who knows the specific requirements for this particular stove. Alos, you may have a better set-up in your home as far as some of the dynamics/ physics, etc....that could be contributors to my particular problem ( though I have good insulation, an open plan, etc...)
10) I have been placing door-jam fans throughout the house to move the warmed air around. I also luckily already had a ceiling fan just over and in front of the fireplace. I must have it on at medium speed, with it turning so the air move upward, not downward.
11) I will also put a new thermostat in which has a fan timer on it so I can use my forced-air furnace system's "fan only" to move the air around, and not have to run the furnace itself.
12) Okay, I'm pooped. I'm pissed. I'm learning to live with this thing.
13) I will stop bending your ear now. As you can see, I've been through the ringer. In the end, you may have a far better experience than I did. Who knows...maybe I do expect too much from this. BUT, I was told this would heat my downstairs just fine,
and that, when running at full-bore, I would need to open windows. I don't think so.
I hope this helps some. Jeez, that was quite a rant.

I seem to be getting a pretty good draw now. I'm sure I'll have to periodically re-seal the gaps in the pipe sections (Just above the stove- no huge deal), because the stove cement tends to crumble over time.
I have been playing with the auto draft control. it seems ot workpretty well. Though I set it pretty low last night before bed (midnight) and woke at 6:30 to nothing but a few barely glowing embers. Unless conditions are perfect, do not expect a long burn time on a load of wood. So far, I've just gotten maybe 3-4 hours of decent heat from a big load on medium draft setting.
I am gonna buy some of these compressed wood logs. My one experience the other night seemed preety good, and they were still going a little the next morning.
And, yes the installer/retailer was a thief, but the people at Supreme were pretty good. They knnow thier product and seemed genuinely concerned that i was happy. they said, if it came to it, that they would not aloow me to have to "live with" the stove. I guess they meant they would credit me or something, if the dealer wouldn't. I still may need to do that, because it isn't even winter yet.
Bottom line- I shelled-out nearly $5K for this, and it wasn't just meant to seal up the fireplace. I was told it would supply good, generous heat.

I know nothing about this insert but I take exception to the statement by the manufactured. "She told me that basically no stove will provide all your heat given that we live in northern states or Canada". Well thats untrue and many of us northerners heat solely with wood. Maybe you should think about this more. If this is just a supplemental heat source then its not critical but if you want to heat your whole home then perhaps you had better rethink and research more options. Its easy to fall in love with something that looks good and seams to be what you need but in this case I think you should look farther.

The real question that should be answered is what do you expect from this heater. My other thought is we all see benefits from heaters that hold the heat for a while. Whether its a soapstone, cast, or steel stove they all hold the heat better than this thing. Also if your chimney is on an outside wall then expect to loose lots of heat compared to an inside chimney as this thing seems to be designed to heat the existing chimney. Best of luck.

Well, certainly a wood stove insert that claims to be appropriate for a 2000 sq.ft. home, should be capable of doing a decent job of providing good heat in a 1500 sq.ft home, regardless of the fact that I am in the Northeast. I should think I live in the exact area for optimal expectations of such a stove. Outside chimney, or not.
And, yes, perhaps I should have researched better, and also demanded that someone who actually knows what they are doing come and look at this entire installation. Too little communication between the manufacturers, distributors and retailer/installers. Apparently, this thing is not working as well as it should, from everything I've heard from the voices I trust (the manufacturers seem honest). I guess that proper installation will make a difference. I need to pursue this further myself.
Supreme seems not to be the problem.
In the end, however, I probably should have installed a free-standing stove.

With a good installer, and the info you have, this should be a successful stove for you and the needs you have.
Good luck.
ps- I'm really liking these Envi-blocks, in case you ever run out of wood.

Volc,
Did you have a liner installed in your chimney? or is the flue pipe extending only a few feet up your chimney?

I had a SS flex liner installed the full length.

Some comments.....

We have had discussions here before about the relative lack of efficiency of fireplace inserts compared to freestanding stoves. This is due to a number of factors, most importantly the heat transfer. If the masonry fireplace is completely inside the house and all sides exposed to rooms - then a certain amount of heat would be reclaimed. But, if the fireplace is exterior, then a lot of the radiant heat may end up in the great outdoors.

Assuming this is a single wall unit....then the importance of a super-tight block off plate cannot be overstated. Without it most of the heat - plus room air from the house, will end up escaping up the chimney.

Any efficiencies given are usually in tests which do not consider all these factors. Many inserts are tested inside a lab - no exterior walls - and efficiency is often calculated rather than measured.

It would seem as the key here is to properly install the unit and keep in mind the losses by having a unit way back in the fireplace- especially with an exterior masonry structure.

I am surprised with the trouble you are having with your Volcano.
I bought one 1 month ago,it took about 3 hours to install with a 25 ft. stainless flue liner and was burning that evening.
I had a small problem with the door not latching,Supreme had a tech on the phone and I was able to fix it in 5 min.
It's installed in a huge double sided stone fireplace with only glass doors sealing off the back side.
My living room is about 1,000 ft/2 and I have never had to turn the fan up past 1/2.
I don't light it with a firestarter,because I'm too cheap, just a little kindling and 3 pieces on newspaper and it's off for the night.
I have found it burns less wood (seasond oak) than my Jotul in the back room.
I expect when it gets down to 0" I may have to seal up behind the unit but now it gets my living room up to 84 on a medium burn with a good bit of heat spilling into the rest of the house.
I have not tried to bank the coals overnight but there are always hot embers in the morning. It does leave quite a bit of charcoal unburned but that seems to be a small price to pay for the even heat this unit puts out.
When I bought it I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is,I just wanted to replace the open burning fireplace. The large glass door was the selling feature for me, it's just like sitting in front of an open fire,except your back doesn't get cold.
Good luck with yours I hope you can resolve the problems and enjoy it as much as I have.

Well, I am happy for you. That story makes me feel like there is hope for my Volcano.
As it stands, however, my unit is performing far worse than your seems to be.
Full load, full flame, full on fan, supplemental fans all on= 72 degrees, at best, on my thermostat
located about 8 feet away. And, it ain't a faulty thermostat.
I sure have no idea why your would work so much better than mine.
I'm no engineer, or wood stove installer.....just a sucker, I guess.

I wish I lived closer,I'd come and take a look.
I suppose you have called Supreme. They seemed to be very helpful to me.
It is colder where you come from, we haven't reached below 30 yet, maybe in the dead of winter I'll feel like you.
Good luck

okay, one more comment.
The people at Supreme in Montreal are responsive and care about their product.
There's only so much they have been able to do for me.
The installers, I believe, are the main problem.
Ultimately, I may need Supreme to step up and do the right thing, whatever that turns out to be.
They explicitley told me, "We will not make you live with the stove if you don't like it".
It's not winter yet, so time will tell.

I was just out getting parts for another wood stove I'm installing and I was thinking why yours was not putting out more heat.
The only thing I could think of was that there is a 6" round clean out plug in the top back of the firebox.
If your installer took that out ,which I almost did it would let the flue gasses go straight up the pipe instead of circulating in the stove body. I'm sorry if this is something you have already checked,but if it's gone it could solve your problem.