When your Clipper jet lighter is not working, it’s a buzzkill. Clipper jet lighters, known for their affordability and eco-friendly design, can fail due to common issues like clogs or low fuel, leaving your Churchill or Robusto unlit. In this 2025 guide, we’ll troubleshoot seven reasons your Clipper jet lighter isn’t working and provide cigar-specific fixes to restore its windproof flame. With Amazon product recommendations and maintenance tips, you’ll keep your Clipper firing for every smoke. Let’s get your lighter back in action!
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Why Your Clipper Jet Lighter Isn’t Working
Clipper jet lighters are popular for cigar smokers due to their refillable butane tanks and sleek, windproof jet flames. However, they can fail due to:
- Low Fuel Level or Empty Tank
- Clogged or Dirty Jet Nozzles
- Air Pockets in the Fuel Tank
- Faulty Piezo Ignition
- Incorrect Flame Adjustment
- Using Low-Quality Butane
- Internal Component Wear
These issues can disrupt toasting, especially for outdoor cigar smoking. Our fixes below, tailored for cigars, will get your Clipper back to lighting 42-60 ring gauge cigars flawlessly. For fuel tips, check our best butane fuel for torch lighters guide.
Question 1. Does your Clipper have fuel in it?
First off, Clipper jet lighters don’t have a fuel level window. That can make it difficult to tell how much butane you’ve got left in the tank.
If the answer is yes, go ahead and move on to question 2. If you don’t have fuel or aren’t sure that’s ok.
Step1. Add some butane to your jet lighter after bleeding it
First, turn the flame adjuster all the way down to the lowest setting.
Before you add fuel make sure you get all the air out of the system by bleeding the system. You can purge your Clipper jet by using a small screwdriver or the tip of a pen to purge air from the valve at the bottom of the lighter.
Hold the lighter straight up and down and press on the valve. Air and any butane/ propellant are going to come out of the bottom really fast. It’s best to do this at a table over a rag. Press on the valve for 3 to 5 seconds and let go. You may have to do this a few times before all the air is out of your Clipper jet.
Once all the air is out of your Clipper Jet, flip it over so that the valve is facing up. Grab your butane and gently press it into the valve for about 5 seconds.
Wait a couple of minutes for it all to settle, and then try to light up your Clipper Jet.
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Check out our guide so you can
Find the best butane fuel for torch lighters
Question 2. When you try to fire it up is there a hissing sound?
If this answer is yes, move on to question 3. If you can’t hear a hissing sound try the following.
Step 2. Try turning up the flame adjuster at the bottom of the lighter.
If you have to turn it all the way up to the highest setting to hear a hissing sound at the top, you are probably running low on butane. Go back to step one and add some fuel after you purge it.
You can also try using a can of compressed air to clean off the burner as there could be a small clog. If you know your Clipper has butane and you still don’t hear a hiss out of the top of the lighter it may be clogged so badly that the lighter is as good as trash.
Hearing a hissing sound out of the bottom lighter also means it’s as good as dead. That means an internal seal has blown out.
If you’ve got fuel and hear a hissing sound at the top keep reading.
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See Our Favorite Single Flame Torches Here
Question 3. Do you have a spark in your lighter?
At the end of the igniter is where you’ll see the spark when you hit the trigger. If the spark is really weak and small or you don’t have a spark try cleaning the igniter tip.
Step 3. Clean the igniter tip
Use a can of compressed air or put a little alcohol on a cotton swab to clean off the igniter tip.
If that helps, GREAT, go ahead and move on.
If it doesn’t help, most likely you’ve got a bad piezo ignition and there’s not much else you can do…at least from this short post.
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Question 4. Does The Lighter Flash, Pop, Or Have A Flame That Is Weak/Goes Out Quickly?
Assuming you have purged all the air from the clipper jet lighter that’s not working, which we talked about in Step 1, chances are the burner is dirty.
Burners get all kinds of stuff in them, all the time. From dust, pocket lint, impurities from cheap butane, and other stuff, too. Keeping the burner clean with regular maintenance will keep this problem from happening…as much.
Step 4. Cleaning the burner
Again, grab a can of compressed air and blow out the top of the burner.
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Regular Maintenance
Almost all torch flame lighters need regular upkeep to keep them burning strongly. Probably the most common problem that people run into is having air trapped in the lighter causing problems. That is why purging the lighter is so important. Adjusting the flame height as the fuel level goes down is another issue I see when it comes to Clipper jet lighters as well as other torch lighters. Keeping the burner and igniter tip is something many people overlook because soft flame clippers almost never have this problem.
FAQs
Why is my Clipper jet lighter not working after refilling?
Air pockets or low-quality butane cause sputtering. Bleed the tank and use 5x+ refined butane.
How often should I clean my Clipper jet lighter?
Clean monthly with compressed air to prevent clogs. Check our why does my torch lighter sputter guide.
Can low fuel cause my Clipper jet lighter to fail?
Yes, an empty tank prevents ignition. Refill with high-purity butane (see Fix 1, best butane fuel guide).
Is a Clipper jet lighter good for cigars?
Yes, its windproof flame suits 42-60 ring gauge cigars.
Should I replace my Clipper jet lighter if it keeps failing?
If internal parts fail (Fix 7), consider a new model. Explore our most reliable torch lighters guide.
Lastly, On The Subject Of The Clipper Jet Lighter Not Working
The quality of butane that you put in your Clipper jet is super important. Impurities and low-quality propellant in cheap butane can cause simple problems in the short term and completely ruin a Clipper jet lighter in the long run. We’ve got a post on why butane quality matters and a post on the top 5 butane brands that I recommend you check out if your Clipper jet lighter is working at its best.
I’d love to hear your comments, thoughts, or questions about Clipper jet lighters. You can drop a comment down below or shoot us a message on the contact page.