I have a small, refillable butane torch for soldering. Haven’t used it for a year and now hardly any gas comes out, even after refilling.
Does butane (or other types of gas) clog up the fittings? Is there a way to clear out the clog, or do I need a new torch?
Since the fittings can’t be removed from this type of torch, should the torch be emptied when it won’t be used for a few months?
Janet
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Replies
If you can get to the orifice, a very small wire, like one of the wires pulled from a wire brush, might be poked thru the orifice to unplug it.
Butane itself is "clean" and
Butane itself is "clean" and shouldn't clog. But oil or other lubes (or just dirt) in the unit may clog it.
The unit is based off of cigarette lighter designs, and not designed to last a long time.
What gases are clean?
Dan,
Since butane torches are short-lived, I may switch to a low-end jeweler's torch.
Jewelers use all kinds of torches, and mine would get only sporadic use. Which gases are considered clean or less corrosive?
Janet
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Please ignore this question. I just found a jewelry magazine with an article on "big-kid" torches.
J.
Janet
I have a cooking torch that might be bigger than that one. However, it has besides the on/off & the safety trigger reset button .........it has also a volume of flame slide adjuster. Could yours have that and it's been slipped to "low". There appears to be something on the snout that moves and also a dial just above the handle (in the red area).
Give that a shot.
My propane torch, too!
Calvin,
I did check positions of the oxygen and gas adjusters, but that didn't help.
Out of curiosity, I just tested my propane torch and fittings. That, too, has a very weak flame, but I don't know if that is due to deterioration in the fittings, or the amount of gas in the cylinder.
I may have stored them improperly. My husband did not want propane inside the house, so I kept the cylinder in the garage. At the time, it made sense to store the fittings in the same place so I could find them again, but that was probably a mistake. Things tend to get rusty and dirty in a garage, even stashed away in a box, and I suppose brass is subject to some kind of oxidation.
Janet
So janet
How cold was the gas in the torch when you tried to light it?
Cold makes for poor propane transmission, especially in such a small item as that torch I would think. I get poor burn from a garage quick heater (propane) unless the tank is warmer.
Maybe?
The propane was cold, so I tried again after a few days. The fittings were definitely clogged. They were BernzOmatic, which I have never had much luck with.
I bought a new butane torch for the kitchen. Works fine, although I wish it didn't have a child-safety device.
Janet
(I keep my propane torch in the garage and only use it maybe every three years. Generally I have to work the adjustments open/closed a couple of times to get it going well, but that's about it.