Cigar torch lighters are a troublesome bunch. Torch lighter maintenance is one of the most asked questions in any brick and mortar cigar shop. From our experiences with dozens of different brands of torch lighters, here are some tried and true tips on keeping that torch lit.
Use only Quintuple refined butane
This is as important as using higher octane gasoline in your expensive sports cars. Butane of this caliber is free of impurities that can clog the nozzle of your lighter.
A clogged or dirty nozzle can be the death sentence for any torch lighter. Once the flow of butane gets restricted, no amount of blowing or praying will restore your performance and eventually it will fail all together. Even though gas may be heard coming out sometimes, the nozzle will be hopelessly clogged and will not allow proper ignition to occur.
Protect your lighter from the elements
Do not leave your lighter outside, in your hot/cold car, and keep it out of direct sunlight. Unlike cigars, torch lighters do not appreciate moisture. The nozzle needs to be clean and dry to perform. Condensation can drip down into the nozzle and kill ignition for a short while until it dries out.
Butane gas works best at room temperature. Keep your lighter in your pocket while smoking outdoors. Do not leave your torch lighter in a hot car. The extreme temperatures that your car’s interior experiences are disastrous for just about anything, especially your torch lighter. Torch lighters have many small plastic parts that can become deformed in extreme heat.
Bleed your tank
While filling our cigar lighters with fuel, we inadvertently force air into the tank as well. This causes the air fuel mixture and/or pressure inside the tank to be off and will cause misfires and flameouts. Bleed your tank by pressing down on the fill valve with a small jewelers screw driver or comparable tool until the hissing stops.
Allow the lighter to reach room temperature after refueling
Every lighter manufacturer states that a cold lighter whether from refueling or being left out in the cold will not perform well. Refueling causes the lighter to become ice cold.
Do not store your torch lighter with fuel in them
Just like gasoline in a car, over time unused fuel gets stale and will cause poor performance at the very least.
Clean the nozzle
Cigar torch lighters have a tough job, in a dirty environment. Things like lint, ash, and dust can accumulate in the nozzle area and choke out your lighter.
We recommend the use of compressed air, found at any office supply store to blow out debris from your nozzle. 90% of all the lighters that customers bring back simply need this treatment. It is important to follow all the safety rules printed on the can and to be aware that the seemingly harmless air coming out of the can is highly flammable if you accidentally press the igniter of your lighter.
Adjust your torch lighter’s flame height and leave it alone
Cigar lighters have very few moving parts, but the one that you can adjust is best to leave alone if possible. Many torch lighter manufacturers and butane companies recommend that you adjust the flame height all the way down before refueling. This is not a practice that I employ and have found it to be unnecessary, only serving to wear out the lighter first. The reason they all tell you to do this is so you do not injure yourself with a flame thrower if you did something wrong while refueling. Just use some common sense while working with your torch lighter.
Do not flick it like a Bic
Jet Turbo Flameless, Jet Torch, Jet Laser, and Electronic Piezo are not ordinary fluid flint lighters. They all have sensitive ignition mechanisms that require delicate handling of the ignition switch. Do not flick or press ignition switches like a fluid flint lighter at a fast pace. There are two different types of ignition switches; push-down and slide-down ignition switches. For both ignition switches, operate them slowly and gently. The lighter ignition system has a split-second delayed reaction time. Fast ignition usually results in misfiring, whereas slow and gentle ignition method ensures perfect ignition every time.
| PROBLEM | POSSIBLE CAUSE | SOLUTION |
| Lighter will spark, but will not ignite. | Empty fuel tank Low-setting of flame adjuster Air Clogged Mechanical malfunctions | Refill lighter Set flame height adjuster high Bleed Tank Blow out catalyzer with compressed air |
| Lighter will not spark. | No flint left (Flint lighters only) Electronic Piezo malfunction | Replace flint Return for service |
| Flame jumps | Air in fuel tank Catalyzer(nozzle) malfunction | Bleed fuel tank Return for service |
| Lighter makes hissing sound | Fuel tank leaks Flame height is too high | Return for service Set adjuster lower |
| Flame progressively rises | Low Fuel | Refill lighter |
| Flame progressively decreases | Low Fuel Dirty Catalyzer(nozzle) | Refill lighter Blow out catalyzer with compressed air |