Torch lighter refueling?

[drawfour]

I bought a couple Mercury Double Flame Torch Lighter from BargainHumidors.com. The link is here: http://www.bargainhumidors.com/bh/Pr...tid=ACC-NSU25N.

They arrived today, I played around with them a bit. Didn't take too long for the butane to run out. OK, I ran down to the local Cigar Land and picked up a can of gaseous butane. Says it has a universal tip for filling it.

Anyway, no matter how much I think I'm putting into this lighter, I just cannot get it to keep a flame. It's like almost no butane is getting in. I doubt it's a problem with the lighter itself, because both lighters are acting like this.

Does anyone have any hints or tips? I read through the instructions. I turn the flame size way down, shake the can of butane, hold it vertically, put the tip into the lighter, and press down. Sometimes if I'm not holding it right, the butane will spray out, but most of the time there is no spray, which means I'm holding it right.

But I'm thinking that somehow the butane is hardly (if at all) getting into the lighter. Any ideas?

[NCRadioMan]

Did you bleed the lighter before trying to refil? BTW, you don't have to shake butane and while filling, it should be pointing upside-down.

[j6ppc]

also triple refined butane (at least) will make a huge difference in performance.

[drawfour]

Originally Posted by NCRadioMan

Did you bleed the lighter before trying to refil? BTW, you don't have to shake butane and while filling, it should be pointing upside-down.

My bad, I meant I hold it vertically upside down. Other than that, I can't seem to be able to bleed it. I hold the switch down slightly and might hear a small burst of butane, but I cannot hold it in that position in order to get anything out for an extended period of time. That was one of my first thoughts.

I didn't expect I needed to shake it either, but the instructions on the lighter for refueling said to. So I figured it shouldn't hurt.

[NCRadioMan]

To bleed the lighter, you need to depress the small nozzel the butane goes into with a small screwdriver or even a pen will work. Let all the air out, then try refilling.

[Anthony]

Yup, bleed the lighter completely, the refill upside down.

If it still doesn't work, get a can of compressed air (they type used to clean out computer keyboards, etc) and blow out the jets and the nozzle - After bleeding the lighter again. Then refill and try again.

[PuffDaddy]

All of the above is good advice. I want to add that the factory fills the lighters with high pressure butane canisters. When it runs out (when the lighter need its first filling) the pressure in a standard can may not be enough. TxMatt did a GREAT write-up on how to adjust the maximum flame height on a lighter (these instructions work on most all lighters).

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthr...hlight=lighter

This will take care of most problems (I was told to do the same thing directly from a Colibri repair tech). Do this after you bleed the tank and you should be good to go

Best of luck

[drawfour]

Thanks everyone for the replies. As usual, the BOTLs come through.

After bleeding not just once, but twice, and filling it back up, I finally realized a major problem. I either wasn't turning the flame size back up (the instructions say to turn it to the lowest setting in order to refill), or when I would turn it up, it wasn't enough.

It seems these lighters want the setting to be almost all the way up. Much less than that and they get a very uneven burn. Next time, I'll get the triple-refined butane, so maybe that will help with the lighting issues at a lower flame setting.

Thanks again, everyone!

[floydpink]

I have the pocket blazer and although I haven't figured out how to bleed it, it has worked great.

Am I correct in assuming from the replies here, that filling it upside down bleeds it? Learn something very day.

[RGD]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I have the pocket blazer and although I haven't figured out how to bleed it, it has worked great.

Am I correct in assuming from the replies here, that filling it upside down bleeds it? Learn something very day.

Hold the lighter upside down and using a small screwdriver that's just a tad wider than the nozzle (where you fill it) - depress the nozzle until you don't hear any hissing.

Then fill her back up. I normally press and release several times while filling.


Ron

[hova45]

Buy th best butane possible and try to adjust the flame so you don't burn all your gas in one shot.

[drawfour]

Originally Posted by RGD

Hold the lighter upside down and using a small screwdriver that's just a tad wider than the nozzle (where you fill it) - depress the nozzle until you don't hear any hissing.

Then fill her back up. I normally press and release several times while filling.


Ron

It seems that everytime I try to bleed while refilling, I end up squirting my hand with really cold liquid butane. Of course, it evaporates quickly. So I guess I'm probably bleeding too much.

Oh well, I'll pick up some triple refined butane sometime soon and try that out.

[wharfrathoss]

don't bleed while in the process of refilling, bleed b4-the purpose is to empty the lighter tank so no fuel or air is left in it