Wednesday, September 29, 2010

How To Fix A Lighter

By Ryder Sabot

Most lighters can be counted on to fire up with incredible reliability. Occasionally, there are problems. Most of these problems are well-within the ability of the user to remedy. If not, they can always be taken to a service person. Some lighters have a lifetime guarantee and may simply be sent back to the company.

The first part in determining what's causing the failure is taking note of the symptoms. Is the flint wheel resistant to turning? Is the igniter functioning but failing to light up the jet or wick? Most often, there will be one or two things which will be revealed to be the problem.

If there is spark and no flame then one must check to make certain that there is fuel being delivered. On a torch lighter, one can hold the lighter close to their ear, without lighting it, of course, and hit the fuel release. There should be a distinctive sound of escaping fuel. Bleed out any air that may have become trapped in the reservoir by keeping the valve open for a few seconds and try lighting the device again. Most often, this will do the trick. If the jet is obstructed, gently tap the inverted lighter on a hard surface to knock the obstruction free. A toothpick or thin piece of wire may be used for stubborn obstructions.

If the lighter has an electronic igniter, there may be other issues at hand. Make certain that the igniter is producing spark. Don't stick one's face directly over the lighter when doing this, however! Simply cup a hand over the lighter to block out light, hold it away from the face and trip the ignition. It should give off a nice, visible spark. If not, check for obstructions. If there are no obstructions and there still is no spark, the lighter may need servicing.

Lighters which have wicks are generally very forgiving where fuel quality is concerned but, if one's lighter does ignite but not reliably, consider having better fuel added to the reservoir. Fuel of a low quality often has a good deal of impurities in it and may result in inconsistent performance. In a butane lighter, only use impurity-free fuel. Many butane lighters are very high-performance devices and they require good quality fuel to provide reliable service. If one's lighter has a cigar cutter attached or another attachment which fails to open, check for debris clogging the mechanism. Never force anything on a lighter open. If it's that stuck, bring it for servicing.

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