I’ve been trying to refill various butane lighters for years now with zero success. I think I’m missing something. Something basic. The lighter gets just a smidgen of butane (probably 1/50th of what it had originally when new) and I can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong.
I take a butane can (tried different brands, different nozzles) and shove it into the refill port on the lighter’s bottom. Now I know how both valves work, you apply pressure and they open. If I apply not enough pressure there’s butane spewing from in-between. If I apply a little more spewing stops and there’s nothing. No sound. I tried upside down and right side up. I tried waiting for something to happen like this and nothing did. Hmm, ok, well after this, regardless of how long I held it like this (although I didn’t try longer than say 15-20 seconds) the butane canister still feels pretty full and the lighter will light but not stay lit for more than 20 seconds or so.
I’ve tried this with at least a dozen lighters made in two different countries and three different cans of butane. What the hell am I doing wrong? Should I just keep it on there longer? How long should it take?
The butane bottle and the lighter are both under pressure. You’ll only get flow from the higher pressure container to the lower pressure container. Once the pressures equalize, there’s no more flow.
If you hold the butane bottle upright and depress the valve, it’ll shoot out gas. If you hold the butane bottle upside down and depress the valve, it’ll shoot out liquid.
Either gas or liquid will pressurize your lighter. Liquid will fill your lighter, while gas will just pressurize it for a few lights.
Start filling with the butane container upside down, so your lighter fills with liquid.
It helps if you hold the butane container upside down, and give it a squirt before attaching it to the lighter. That precools the nozzle, so when you connect it to the lighter only liquid comes out.
I’ve experienced some of the same frustrations with refilling. I have observed, however, that when it works, it only takes a few seconds. I agree that the butane bottle and lighter should be upside down.
I’m glad someone’s asked this question - I struggle with those things too, sometimes only getting enough of a refill for a handful of cigarette-lighting uses. Thanks, all - ignorance was been fought at least twice!
There are also different nozzle configurations on the cans and not all of them fit all lighters. Some butane cans come with a variety of nozzles that can be changed out. That’s something work checking.
Agreed about the different nozzles thing - the lighters I have (Clipper brand) actually don’t need any convertors, but some do. It seems to me that this is fairly standard these days.
