Zippo Maintenance
Zippo lighters require some care when refueled. The liquid fuel used is slow to evaporate”thus, the lighter’s famous windproof performance”and can damage surfaces in addition to posing a fire hazard. It is also a skin irritant so caution must be exercised immediately after refueling the lighter, particularly by individuals with sensitive skin.
The insert within the lighter’s case contains cotton covered by felt. Though there is a hole in this felt, the lighter is best filled by pulling it back to expose the cotton. This helps prevent over-saturating the cotton with fluid. Hold the lighter upside down, preferably over a sink and definitely not over a finished surface which may be damaged by the fluid. In most cases, some fluid will drip down the wick during refueling so expect there to be a bit of a mess.
Refueling the lighter can be a bit tricky the first few times. Replace the fuel in small amounts and give it time to soak into the cotton. Attempting to fill the cotton with one long spray usually results in overfill which can drip out of the wick area and ooze out of the lighter case when it’s put into one’s pocket. It doesn’t take a great deal of fuel to refill one of these lighters. When the lighter has been fueled, let it stand in the open air for a while”with the lid closed”to allow any excess to dissipate. This will ensure that there is no stray fuel on the case which can irritate the skin and which can, of course, ignite when the lighter is lit creating quite a large flame!
Refill lighters over a sink. This makes sure that there is no fire hazard posed by spilled fluid and also makes sure that the fluid doesn’t damage any surfaces with which it may come into contact. When the lighter is filled and ready, be sure to rinse out the sink and to clean up any surfaces. Of course, never leave lighter-fluid soaked rags laying about. Rinse them out and wash them as soon as possible.
While the butane models are attractive and durable, there is something about the look and feel of liquid-fueled lighters which makes them irresistible to some individuals. If one desires an equally environmentally-friendly and non-disposable alternative, however, considering a butane model is a good idea. They have a style all their own, come in a variety of designs and can provide a service life that is comparable to their liquid-fueled predecessors. As is the case with Zippos, price does translate to quality.
Brian is a buisiness consultant of an online torch lighters store and has expert knowledge of zippo pipe lighters.
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