There was a time I would get so frustrated with my torch lighter when it wouldn’t fire up or wasn’t working properly. I would get so upset watching my lighter hiss and sputter or not even light at all. Most of the time I would either throw them away or put them in a desk drawer. Many of them were never to be used again. Over the years I have learned a few things and nowadays I can troubleshoot most problems quickly. Fixing them only takes a couple of minutes now. The reason for this post is so you can fix these little problems too. All it takes is a just little bit of learning.
First, I want to go over the most common things you’ll run into with a lighter that’s not working properly.
The most common reasons why torch lighters stop working are:
- No Gas or Very Low Gas Level
- Gas Adjustment Is Too High Or Too Low
- No Spark
- Clogged Burners
- Air Trapped In Fuel Lines
None of these common issues are difficult to fix. So if you have a torch lighter that isn’t working and want to fix it quickly, keep reading.
First off, do you have the instruction manual that comes with most torch lighters? If so, check it out and see what troubleshooting steps your particular lighter has.
If you’re saying “of course, I don’t have that worthless instruction manual anymore!” It’s all good. Most torch and cigar lighters are basically the same when it comes to troubleshooting and fixing basic problems.
Step 1 DOES YOUR TORCH LIGHTER HAVE FUEL?
The thing I do know when it comes to helping someone who has a lighter problem is to ask, “Is there fuel in it?”
When you have a non-working torch cigar lighter, this is probably the most common issue.
Ninety percent of the time I get a frustrated look and a sharp “of course there is!” About ten percent of the time I get a confused look and hear “um…I’m not sure.”
Ok so…Does your torch lighter have fuel in it right now?
If you are screaming “YES!! It’s got fuel! But my torch lighter still isn’t working.” Move on to step 2.
If you don’t have fuel in your lighter, purge your lighter, and then add some butane and see what happens.
Don’t know how to purge and fill a lighter? Scroll down to the HOW TO FILL A BUTANE LIGHTER
Not sure if you have fuel in it? keep reading… We’ll be getting to more on that later.
Step 2 DOES YOUR LIGHTER HISS, OR DO NOTHING WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE TRIGGER
A torch lighter that is hissing when you depress the trigger means the fuel is going in the right direction.
If your torch hisses when you aren’t depressing the trigger you probably have an internal leak or busted seal.
That would be outside my ability to help so get with the manufacturer. Because there are so many different lighter companies and torch lighter models out there it would be impossible to help you in this post.
Back to the hiss and flash or just hissing when you hit the trigger.
When you hit the trigger and get nothing but a hiss you might have the flame setting too high. Try lowering the flame setting and see what happens. This is another common torch lighter not working issue.
Conversely, if you hit the trigger and hear a low hiss or nothing at all try turning up the flame adjuster and see what happens.
If you adjust the fuel setting up higher and still hear no hissing when you push the trigger it is most likely one of two things. Either you have a clog in the fuel lines or you have no fuel in your torch lighter.
Step 3 ARE YOU GETTING A SPARK ON YOUR TORCH LIGHTER?
If after adjusting your flame setting up or down are you still just getting a hiss or are you getting a flash of fire and a hiss?
Continuing to get a hiss when you depress the trigger might suggest either you aren’t getting a spark or you might need to continue working on the flame adjustment.
When you don’t have a spark it could be a couple of things. First off, the worst-case scenario would be that the igniter is dead. More commonly though, the igniter end might just be dirty.
I use a can of compressed air to blow over and clean the end of the igniter when I have a torch lighter not working properly. You can also use some alcohol and a cotton swab to clean off the igniter tip.
Check to see if you have a spark. Be careful when checking for a spark. DON’T put your face close to the lighter or you could be burned if it fires up. If you have a good spark and hear a hiss or have a flash and hiss you’re moving in the right direction.
Step 4 DOES YOU LIGHTER FLASH OR QUICKLY FLAME OUT?
When you have a torch lighter not working correctly and hit the trigger, do you get a quick flash or does it ignite only to burn out quickly?
If you get a quick flash and continue to hear hissing and/or have a weak-looking flame grab a can of compressed air. Use the compressed air to clean out the burner or burners of your non-working torch.
Impurities from cheap butane as well as pocket lint as well as other things can clog up your burners causing problems for your lighter. Always use high-quality butane for your lighter.
Click the following link for a few butane brands we suggest that are really high quality.
Step 5 IS YOUR TORCH LIGHTER PURGED?
Lastly, have you purged your lighter to get rid of all the air in the system?
If didn’t purge your lighter before filling it with butane can cause your cigar lighter to flash and hiss. Not purging lighters is probably the second common issue that I see a torch lighter not working correctly.
Before purging your lighter make sure there is no lit flame or any kind of fire around you. Also, extinguish anything like cigars or cigarettes because butane is incredibly flammable.
First, make sure your eyes are protected. Use safety glasses or goggles. Next, lay out a rag on a desk or table. Hold the lighter vertically and use a purging tool or small screwdriver to depress the fill stem at the bottom of your lighter.
Use caution here! When you depress the fill stem there will be a blast of propellant and butane that comes out quickly from the bottom of the lighter. You might have to do this several times until no more air, butane, or propellant comes out.
HOW TO REFILL A BUTANE LIGHTER – Torch Lighter Not Working Part 2
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 about five minutes.
Fuel Flow Adjustment
Before you refill your lighter, turn the flame adjustment all the way down.
Most lighters have arrows pointing to + / – for flame height. If your lighter doesn’t have these arrows, turn the adjustment clockwise.
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. As I mentioned above, purging means nothing more than getting all the air and any leftover propellant from your lighter.
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 is going to blast out of the valve stem. Again, always keep the valve away from your face.
You’ll know your lighter is completely empty when you can depress the valve without hearing any more air come out.
Fill your lighter with butane
Flip your butane can so the stem is pointing down.
Make sure your lighters fill valve is pointing up.
Firmly push the butane nozzle down over the fill valve of your lighter. You only need to press down for 5 to 10 seconds. Typically you’ll hear some hissing coming from the can as it fills.
Before You Fire Up Your Torch Lighter
Wait for 3 to 5 minutes before lighting up your torch after you fill a butane lighter.
You may have to make some adjustments to the fuel flow/flame adjuster to get the flame the size you want.
The Conclusion to a Torch Lighter Not Working Correctly
After cleaning out your burners and igniter with compressed air and purging your lighter you should be good to go. If you’re still having problems with your torch lighter not working correctly, you may need to contact the seller or manufacturer for help.
Every time I fill any of my torch lighters I make sure they are completely purged before filling with butane. As a general rule for maintenance, I also used canned air to clean out burners and the igniter when I fill lighters.
To make sure you avoid a torch lighter not working correctly just follow these simple maintenance steps.
One Last Thing
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.
I genuinely hope this quick troubleshooting guide helps if you have a torch lighter not working perfectly for you.
As always if you have comments or questions click here to use the contact page to get a hold of us or drop a comment down below.