A lighter is one of the most sought-after items in our world. She is constantly in sight. Probably, there is no such person who has never held a gas lighter in his hands at least once in his life. However, not everyone knows how its mechanism works.
Types of gas lighters
Gas lighters are divided into flint and piezo lighters by design.
In flint lighters made of plastic, gas is supplied when the lever under the wheel is pressed, and in metal lighters when the lid is opened.
Piezo lighters, in turn, are subdivided into regular and turbo lighters. In conventional piezo lighters, a fire is ignited using an electric charge. The difference between turbo lighters and ordinary ones is that the gas is supplied to them under pressure - and the fire does not go out from the wind.
What gas is in the lighter?
Most often, lighters contain highly purified liquefied butane, a mixture of liquefied butane and propane, which is much cheaper, or isobutane.
Pure propane was only used in older lighters. It was abandoned because this gas is explosive. The boiling point of propane occurs at -20 degrees Celsius, which can lead to an explosion. The boiling point of butane is +10. Butane lighters can only explode if exposed to direct sunlight.
It should be noted that lighters produced in the CIS are designed for a mixture of propane and butane. They can work even with a mixture of low purity. Imported lighters can only work on butane or triple purification isobutane. Basically, these are expensive and popular models of lighters, which low-quality gas can simply ruin. Some branded lighters only work on liquefied isobutane.
The propane-butane mixture has a higher pressure than pure butane and a lower degree of purification. This mixture is not suitable for piezo lighters either.
Until recently, lighters were produced in cheap disposable versions. Now these types of lighters are very rare. Mainly produced are silicon or piezo type refillable lighters.
How to refuel a lighter?
Refueling a lighter is only relevant if it is an expensive model. The cost of a gas cartridge is much higher than the cost of a regular refillable lighter.
To refuel a lighter, you need to purchase a can of liquefied butane or triple-purified isobutane.
How to refuel a lighter correctly?
1. Turn the lighter with the fill valve up. Most models have it at the bottom.
2. Insert the stem of the cartridge into the valve, push and hold for 10 seconds. In this case, the can should be with the stem down. When properly filled, the gas should not come out.
3. After refueling, wait a few seconds.
4. To get rid of excess air, you need to set the combustion level valve to minimum. This valve on most lighters is located next to the refueling valve. In this case, the lighter may not ignite, since the air accumulated in it will first come out.
5. Adjust the combustion level. At this stage, a large flame is possible, which will burn out the accumulated dirt.
A can of gas is usually enough for up to 30 refills, but this depends on the volume of the can itself and the volume of the lighter.
