You sit down with your drink, your lineup for the evening, and your tools. You slice off the cap of your cigar, brush the excess away and you prep to light it up. But after a couple of clicks, the lighter doesn’t fire up. There’s no flame, just a subtle hissing as the butane seems to drain. What the ever-loving-hell? What is going on?
We’ve all been there. From cheap torch lighters to expensive St Dupont models, you will have an issue here and there. I’ve seen plenty of videos that claim it’s the quality of the butane “so you must buy this expensive brand!” That’s not necessarily the case. It could be the butane, but it’s probably not.
The good news is that, while diagnosing some of the common problems with torch lighters may take a few minutes, it’s easy to do, as long as you know how.
The most common problem: There’s air in the lighter
Whether it’s because the butane tank wasn’t full, someone tossed the lighter around too much, or enough air has built up from multiple refills, the culprit is probably air in the lighter. Every time you slip the nozzle of the butane refill bottle into the port and squeeze some fuel inside, a little air gets in, too. Over time, that air can build up, leaving bubbles or spaces inside the fuel tank. The best way to remedy this problem is to bleed the lighter.
It sounds more difficult than it really is. You simply take a small bleed tool, screwdriver or makeshift pin, and press it into the fuel port to release the air. Do it until you notice any loud hissing is gone. You may also see a bit of butane escape while you’re doing it. The trick is to bleed mostly air and not the fuel.
When you’re sure the air is gone, you can refill the tank with more butane and you should be good to go. Some recommend shaking the lighter before you engage, but I don’t. After a few clicks, the flame should be as reliable as ever.
At the bottom of torch lighters, usually near the fuel port, there is a dial that allows you to adjust the flame height. Essentially, opening the dial — turning it towards the plus sign — allows more fuel through when you activate the lighter, thereby increasing the height and intensity of the flame. Turning the dial towards the negative sign will reduce the amount of fuel released, but it’s also possible to cut off the supply entirely. Sometimes, this can happen accidentally if you haven’t used the lighter in a while or the dial is loose.
So, if you’re clicking the lighter and nothing is happening, and you know the fuel level is good, and the lighter doesn’t need to be bled, it’s probably the dial. Just be cautious with multi-flame lighters. You don’t want to crank them up too much and scorch your cigar while you’re lighting it. Always test out the flame by activating the lighter before you toast your cigar. If it’s too high, turn it down a little and then light up.
It is worth noting, sometimes when it’s cold, the torch needs to warm up before it will fire correctly. You can fix this by holding it between your hands for a few moments to warm it, or by sliding it into your pocket between uses.
The spark component needs readjusting
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Lighters use a spark component to kickstart the fire, similar to a piece of flint. Usually, it’s a ferrocerium wheel or flint, piezoelectric crystal, or a metal hammer. The idea is the butane releases and the spark component provides a burst of fire, lighting the fuel, which creates a flame. Just like BIC-style lighters, you engage the spark component when you pull the trigger.
Sometimes, because it adjusted in your pocket or it warped over time, the spark component is not in the correct position. It might have readjusted to the point where it’s not close enough to ignite the fuel. If you look at the top of the lighter where the flame usually erupts, you’ll see the small piece. If you click the button or trigger, you should even be able to see a small spark — which is what would ignite the flame.
Take a small pin, screwdriver or item and gently but firmly press this spark component into the right position. Don’t jam the tool you’re using in there or you risk breaking the element. Steady pressure is the goal. You want to move it just enough that it’s close to the gas stream when it releases.
Clean out the torch bay
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Over time, whether from the cigars you light, the butane you’re using, or other impurities floating around — like dust or dirt — the bay of the lighter can get gunked up. You can take a paper towel or a Q-tip and clean this out with a swab or two. Again, be gentle.
This sometimes works in tandem with problems with torch lighters and prevents it from firing up. For example, there might be gunk in the bay and the spark element has adjusted too much.
What about the butane?
I’ve read guides, I’m sure you have, too, that say butane quality plays a role. The reality is probably somewhere in between yes and no. Xikar, St Dupont, Zippo, Colibri, many of the big brands have their “premium” butane available. The more expensive variants are “refined” or filtered, which removes impurities. These impurities can clog or gunk up the components of your lighters, or at least that’s the claim.
That has not been my experience. Now, I’m not saying high quality butane doesn’t work. And you’ll hear people on both sides of the argument stating their claims. But I am saying you can fix most of your torch lighter issues using one of the simple steps above.
If you have an expensive lighter, like a St. Dupont, you should use premium-grade butane. The claim is that it helps extend the lifespan of the lighter and if you payed a pretty penny for yours, well, it’s better not to chance it.
Now you know how to fix most problems with torch lighters that you’ll encounter!
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
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