Do you have a broken lighter?

[e-man]

Does this sound familiar? I bought this really cool lighter. It worked every time and was a dream to use. Then a month or two later that lousy piece of crap stopped working.

If you've been in the hobby for more than a couple months then you probably own at least one jet lighter that no longer works. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your lighter, they're pretty much made with the same internal pieces. The real difference between a fine lighter and el cheapo is the shape, materials and craftsmanship of the housing.


The most common problem is the alignment of the electrode. Jet lighters ignite much like a spark plug in a car. Check and make sure the spark is hitting the burner, not the side or top of the the housing. A lot of times, your spark hits the burner, but the gap is too wide to generate enough heat to ignition (gas cools as it expands). Electrodes often bend, burn up or break off. Unless you have a coil of wire that runs across the burner (true wind proof lighters), then you can fix it yourself. First, find a toothpick or other soft pointy item and try to bend the electrode back into a functional position. If you think your electrode is too short, then you can try to lengthen it. When you open your lighter, you will see that the electrode is just a piece of common wire. Usually, there is enough slack to feed the wire forward by one or two millimeters to make your electrode longer. Then just adjust until you get a strong spark on your burner.


Next biggest problem is a dirty burner. Tobacco dust, ash, pocket lint etc. They all end up in your burner eventually. Simply blow out with compressed air from time to time so the gas can disperse properly. If you don't have access to compressed air, then you can try to maintain your burner with a q-tip.


If the entire body of your lighter flares up momentarily, then you have a leak in your gas value or gas line. You can try tightening your valve body, and make sure the gas line is in good shape and properly attached.

Assuming you know how to properly fill a lighter and know how to adjust the flame height, this should cover most of your problems.

I found this cool Instructables link with much more detail and lots of pictures.


Fixing that jet lighter you love

[Codename47]

I f**ked up my lighter when refilling, now when i try to refill it by correct instructions, even after 10 minutes when i open the lighter all gas leak out very quickly

[armod]

I had a windproof that leaked gas out from the bottom of the jet.

so when I went to light it it worked for a second then went into crazy mode spewing yellow flames 6 inches tall and two inches wide.

scared the crap out of people at restaurants I eventually got rid of it because I was bound to burn my hand or have it explode at some point

[gary106334]

Originally Posted by e-man

Does this sound familiar? I bought this really cool lighter. It worked every time and was a dream to use. Then a month or two later that lousy piece of crap stopped working.

If you've been in the hobby for more than a couple months then you probably own at least one jet lighter that no longer works. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your lighter, they're pretty much made with the same internal pieces. The real difference between a fine lighter and el cheapo is the shape, materials and craftsmanship of the housing.


The most common problem is the alignment of the electrode. Jet lighters ignite much like a spark plug in a car. Check and make sure the spark is hitting the burner, not the side or top of the the housing. A lot of times, your spark hits the burner, but the gap is too wide to generate enough heat to ignition (gas cools as it expands). Electrodes often bend, burn up or break off. Unless you have a coil of wire that runs across the burner (true wind proof lighters), then you can fix it yourself. First, find a toothpick or other soft pointy item and try to bend the electrode back into a functional position. If you think your electrode is too short, then you can try to lengthen it. When you open your lighter, you will see that the electrode is just a piece of common wire. Usually, there is enough slack to feed the wire forward by one or two millimeters to make your electrode longer. Then just adjust until you get a strong spark on your burner.


Next biggest problem is a dirty burner. Tobacco dust, ash, pocket lint etc. They all end up in your burner eventually. Simply blow out with compressed air from time to time so the gas can disperse properly. If you don't have access to compressed air, then you can try to maintain your burner with a q-tip.


If the entire body of your lighter flares up momentarily, then you have a leak in your gas value or gas line. You can try tightening your valve body, and make sure the gas line is in good shape and properly attached.

Assuming you know how to properly fill a lighter and know how to adjust the flame height, this should cover most of your problems.

I found this cool Instructables link with much more detail and lots of pictures.


Fixing that jet lighter you love

That's a great link for a lot of things. Thanks.

[cigarlvr]

It seems no mater how much I spend they always end up broken. I have used the best gas and still something goes wrong. I have now buy 2 lighters at a time and not to spend over $30 on each and know if I get a few months then I am good.

[elderboy02]

I have a Colibri that stopped working on me after 2 times. I guess I will never get if fixed b/c the morons couldn't even tell us they were closing.

[e-man]

Originally Posted by elderboy02

I have a Colibri that stopped working on me after 2 times. I guess I will never get if fixed b/c the morons couldn't even tell us they were closing.

Of course they wouldn't tell you they are planning to go out of business. The more product they sell, the less debt they have to settle in bankruptcy court.

That's what prompted me to fix my own lighter. Then I fixed my buddy's Nibo. After taking apart a few broken lighters, I realized that there wasn't any real difference between my $30 lighter and my Ronson. While I had my Ronson open, I cut the spring down and stretched the remaining piece out to the original length. Now it's much easier to push the button.

If it's already broken, then what do you have to loose? Take it apart and try fixing it yourself. Also, a lot of B&M's may service your lighter in house. If this seems too technical for you, then you can just give all your broken lighters to me instead of throwing them away.



Here's another great link from Colibri that tells you how to troubleshoot your lighter. Of course, you're on your own when it says "return for service".

Colibri Lighters Repair Guide | Colibri Lighters Mall

[JerseyDevil65]

There was a time that it seemed I was spending more on lighters than on cigars. I gave up buying expensive lighters now I use Bics and they are way more reliable.

[SixPackSunday]

good post and thanks for the link. i now have it bookmarked.

[hEmInGwAy_88]

Do you find that the cigars taste different when using the Bics?

[jafount]

buy a lotus. 50 bucks and a lifetime of use. Best 50 bucks I've ever spent on a lighter.

[e-man]

Originally Posted by jafount

buy a lotus. 50 bucks and a lifetime of use. Best 50 bucks I've ever spent on a lighter.

Just curious, can you tell me what the electrode looks like on your Lotus? Does it look like a a thin piece of wire, or is it something more substantial? Does the flame touch the electrode, or is it protected from the flame?


It seems like the electrode is the common point of failure for most jet lighters. It would be cool to find a common material that could could be used as a heat resistant electrode. I'm thinking some type of graphite or a similar carbon compound. Even a $6 torch lighter makes enough heat to melt a penny, so the thin copper wire they use seems like the worst choice possible.

I also suspect that a flint system would quickly clog the burner. Have you ever seem the inside of a Bic lighter?

[JerseyDevil65]

Originally Posted by hEmInGwAy_88

Do you find that the cigars taste different when using the Bics?

Not at all.

[Dgar]

ST-Dupont X-tend Problems solved!!!!!

[Architeuthis]

Best cigar lighter Squid® has ever used is the Blazer. Huge fuel tank and indestructible. Not showy, but y'all can get a Lotus or something for them fancy dinner parties!