UK Cigar Scene Magazine October Issue 10 | Page 15

Myth # 3 - Setting the flow control to
“maximum” before filling allows more fuel
to enter.

Myth # 4 - You should freeze your
lighters before filling and keep your can
of Butane in the freezer.

The flow control is after the outlet
valve-the one you push down as you
light the lighter. It has nothing to do
with the amount of fuel in the lighter
or the pressure. Think about it...

You might think it would be better to
keep the refill can in the freezer, thus
encouraging more fuel to remain in
liquid form but I would not trust the
integrity of the can’s cheap plastic
valve if frozen.(Visions of a guy with a
lit cigar opening his freezer to find it
filled with Butane gas)
Once liquefied, Butane is kept liquid
by pressure, not by cold.

A Scientifically ‘Appropriate’ Way to Fill Your Butane Lighter:

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Store your refill can with the tip down or on its side. Disturb it as little as possible and never shake it.
Hold your lighter vertically with the refill (inlet valve) up. Use a small tool or the point of a pen to
depress the valve and allow as much pressure (of gas) to escape. Don’t shake it.

Apply the tip of the refill can (pointing down) to the inlet valve of the lighter (pointing up) and press
firmly. The liquid Butane will transfer directly out of the can but since the liquid Butane will fill the
lighter “from the bottom up” you may wiggle the tip of the can a bit to let out any remaining gas that
will be forced up as the lighter fills.

If you are really fussy, you can repeat the bleed/fill/bleed/fill until the lighter is really as full as it can get.
After filling, it takes a minute to get everything back to a temperature where the liquid will again change
readily to gas when you hit the switch, so let the lighter warm before sparking.

Butane Basics after thoughts & additions

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Don’t get your lighters refilled on the street in Havana as the guys often fill them with canisters
which actually contain cheap insect repellent.
Always refill your lighter in an open space. Butane is about twice as heavy as air so it pools on the
floor and can be dangerous in very confined spaces.

Don’t fill your lighter while smoking a cigar. Most people know that they don’t fill their car gas tank
while smoking but I suppose there are folks out there who have not understood Darwin.
Folks traveling to a hotter climes should be careful to not overfill their lighters. The gas will expand
and overpressure at higher temps causing the flame to “blow out”.

I once had a refill in Varadero that refused to light- used my pen to push the valve to let off some
pressure, as it did, with a report like firing a .22. Very instructive!
Now my Cuba lighters are only about 85% full.

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