To fill a butane lighter is incredibly simple and is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Most of the time filling your torch is really quick once you get the hang of it. Learning how to refill a butane lighter also only takes a little bit of time.
Getting started you’re going to need a can of refined butane, a lighter key or mini flat screwdriver, and maybe a rag. If you don’t have a mini screwdriver you can still get the job done. I’ve used a set of tweezers to fill a butane lighter, but I don’t recommend it.
One last thing before we get going learn how to refill a lighter with butane. SAFETY!
Always think and practice safety while you fill any lighter with butane. Wear safety glasses to keep your eyes safe. Never smoke or have an open flame when you fill a butane lighter. Avoid all skin contact with butane. Never fill a butane lighter in an enclosed space and make sure there is plenty of ventilation.
Ok, now that all is out of the way let’s get going!
Fill A Lighter Step 1 – Cool Down Your Lighter
Before you purge or try to fill a butane lighter you need to make sure it is cooled off. You don’t need to put it in the freezer or anything, but wait five minutes or so after using your torch.
In case you don’t know butane is highly flammable and can be dangerous around sparks and heat. That’s why you need to make sure your lighter is cooled.
Fill A Butane Lighter Step 2 – Fuel Flow Adjustment
Turn the flame adjustment all the way down.
99% of all butane refillable torch lighters come with some kind of flame/ fuel flow adjustment. Usually, they are on the bottom of the lighter. For many torches, this is where you’re going to need a mini screwdriver or lighter key. Other lighters may have a flame adjustment wheel that makes it easier to adjust the flame height/fuel flow.
Most lighters have arrows pointing to + / – for flame height. If your lighter doesn’t have these arrows, turn the adjustment clockwise.
Take your time here. The adjustment should be smooth, but if it’s not it still shouldn’t require lots of force. Use caution here because it’s not hard to break or bend the flame adjuster.
Step 3 – Purge the lighter.
Not that your flame adjuster is all the way down. Let’s purge all the air from the lighter.
Many people make the mistake of trying to fill a butane lighter with purging. Purging means nothing more than getting all the air and any leftover propellant from your torch lighter.
By not purging your lighter the air and propellant that is still in your lighter will cause your lighter to spit and sputter. Also, leftover air in the lighter is going to prevent new butane from filling the tank.
When purging, ALWAYS keep the fill/purge valve away from your face!
Flip your lighter so the fill/purge valve is facing up. Again, the valve is usually bottom.
Press the purge/fill stem with your screwdriver or lighter key. The air and propellant mix is going to blast out of the valve stem. Again, always keep the valve away from your face.
Depending on how much air is in your lighter this can take a few seconds. You may have to press down on the valve a few times. Wait a few seconds in between each time you depress the valve.
You’ll know your lighter is completely empty when you can depress the valve without hearing any more air come out.
Step 4 – Fill your lighter with butane
Grab your butane and give your can a quick shake.
The reason for shaking the can is to mix the propellant and butane together.
Flip your butane can so the stem is pointing down.
Make sure your lighters fill valve is pointing up.
To avoid any confusion here your lighter and butane can are both upside down.
Firmly push the butane nozzle down over the fill valve of your lighter and press down for 5 to 10 seconds. Typically you’ll hear some hissing coming from the can as it fills.
Be careful not to push down too hard on the butane can because this can stop butane from filling up your lighter.
Most of the time you’ll need to repeat the filling process 2 or 3 times.
Again, and I can’t stress this enough…ALWAYS keep butane and lighter away from your face when you fill a butane lighter.
Step 5 – Before You Fire Up Your Torch Lighter
Butane when it’s mixed with propellant and canned up comes out cold, just like a can of compressed air. You may feel your lighter get cold as the tank fills up. Even if you don’t feel the lighter cool down it’s best to wait till your lighter is at room temperature.
So just wait for 3 to 5 minutes before lighting up your torch after you fill a butane lighter.
After your torch is back to room temp, fire it up. You may have to make some adjustments to the fuel flow/flame adjuster to get the flame the size you want.
You’re done, that’s all of it. That was pretty easy, wasn’t it? I have to tell you, that after doing it a few times it gets easier and easier.
It is always best to use highly refined butane for filling torch lighters. We recommend using quality brands like XIkar Purofane or Colibri Butane. We also put together a post on how to find the best butane for torch lighters that also has our top 5 brands. If you’re not sure or simply want to know we also put together a post that covers why butane quality matters as well as how to find the type that works best for you