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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2024 12:26 - Edited by: paulz
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Like most of you I expect, I use a propane torch to start the fire. Sometimes, like this one, the piezo spark doesn't light it, even though I see a spark, and it works fine if lit with match. Is there a preferred gap, location, what's the trick?
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Fanman
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2024 17:41
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Mine works best if the button is pressed slowly so the gas flows for a moment before the sparker clicks.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2024 20:25
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Spider nest?
Quoting: paulz what's the trick?
How about taking it apart and cleaning it?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jan 2024 11:50
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I know it looks like hell, but it lights right up with another flame, and the piezo put as good a spark as others.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jan 2024 11:53
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Quoting: Fanman Mine works best if the button is pressed slowly so the gas flows for a moment before the sparker
The piezo is a separate switch from the gas knob. I’ve tried it with the gas knob in various openings.
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pabear89
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jan 2024 12:02
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I have one just like yours, The only way it lights is turning on the gas at a very slow rate. It lights with a flame the size of a candle. too much gas pressure it just blows out.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 11:35 - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: pabear89 The only way it lights is turning on the gas at a very slow rate. It lights with a flame the size of
Right, that’s how mine lights when it does. I did improve it some by bending the tip up so the spark hits the top of the rim instead of the bottom.
Then I just found this “refillable†cylinder in my junk. First one I’ve seen. Can I refill from a 5gal tank? How? It does have a screw on top of some sort.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 11:59
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I have one propane torch that lights decent if I hold my fingers around the air inlets.
Ive been refilling little bottles for some years, first with a homemade valve set up, now have a commercial one from Harbor Freight that I have yet to try.
I Use a 20# cyl, mostly full. There are lots of vids on doing this online.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 12:23
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Quoting: paulz Can I refill from a 5gal tank? How? It does have a screw on top of some sort.
Yes. They have all kinds of fill kits on Amazon.
That cylinder has a bleeder screw near the top I believe.
When you fill them, you have to turn your #20 tank upside down.
I've been filling the regular ones for years. They also have brass caps for them. I would suggest getting those too.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 12:27
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Lots to choose from.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 13:27
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I used a piezo start nozzle for years without issue and then all of a sudden, the thing up & died... No spark nothing and the gas flow was horrid... Dunno what happened, other than possible corrosion or something but it looks OK... I gave up on it and tried to use another nozzle I had and well.... it did not go well...
Today I went & bought a new piezo head.
HOLY MACARONI ! $32 !
Made by ProTorch and is capable of handling MAPP Gas as well...
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 09:11
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Quoting: gcrank1 rom Harbor Freight
This one? So you can refill the standard non refill bottles too? I have 75 of those..
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 09:40
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Yes
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 09:56
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The bottle with the manual relief valve is the best one to use, the others have sunken valve that is hard to grab with a needle nose pliers. Wear Gloves!
If youve watched the guy refill 20# with the relief valve he waits until it spits to turn it off, then the refill hose. Same deal but smaller.
If you use the std toss bottles you wont get a full fill but will get enough to be useable for a good bit.
Btw, use a mostly full 20#er for best results.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 17:31 - Edited by: paulz
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Thanks G. To add insult to injury, now that I have that piezo working, my other torch went goofy. It’s leaking gas out that small hole, quite a bit. Changing tanks or banging it on the wall hasn’t helped. Don’t see any way to open it up.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2024 08:49
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Guy on YouTube actually went through the trouble of fixing the same leak, evidently somewhat common to these Benzomatic torches.
Am I this anal? We’ll see.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e09hS7juOYI
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2024 10:25
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Ive got a drawer full of 'iffn I get bored and a roundtuit' Ill do these.....
So far that roundtuit hasnt shown up, lol. 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 10:04
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Quoting: gcrank1 The bottle with the manual relief valve is the best one to use,
Hmm, not seeing any of those. My Colemans have what looks like a tire valve, but my tool won't reach down there. So far.
So the idea is turn the 20# tank over and on, crack that valve and wait till LP comes out, right?
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 10:34
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The way Ive done it......iirc, it's been awhile and my memory aint quite what I remember it being since my sudden heart failure on 1-5-24.
That said, pls do watch some u-tubes, etc of this being done.
Attach the bottle to be filled to a 20#
Turn the mostly full 20# upside down (I have to block the 20# collar up higher)
If the fill adapter has a valve open it
Last open the 20# valve slowly to full open
Ive let sit like this for 5min or so then close the 20# valve, result is a partially filled little can.
Note, Ive read or seen on u-tube a guy use a small tip, bent needle-nose pliers to snag that 'tire valve' to hold it open until it spits. Downside is that sometimes the valve doesn't reseat and seal. And you need to do this wearing gloves and glasses, etc.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 12:06
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Thanks. Still waiting for the adapter. But the HF one holds the bottle perpendicular instead of upright, like this. Guess I can tilt them some. I have one of these refillables, I'll try that first. On the Colemans, does that valve just push down like a tire valve or must it be unscrewed?
I have a bit of a mental problem leftover from my hospitalization last year, so you're not alone there..
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 12:33
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My impression was that the valve pulls UP.
Got to thinking that as a 'stand' for the inverted 20# maybe my turkey fry pot stand might work.
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909
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 12:39
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Bought one of these from Temu to refill small bottles for my mini torch , but by the time it arrived I had already bought another big torch that hooks up to a 20 LB propane tank. So it's just sitting there, along with a bunch of little tanks.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 13:43
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Just read some reviews on HF. Some say the 20# tanks don't work upside down? The OPD valve?
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 14:42
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They must. That's all I have. But like crank said. It works best with a mostly full tank. I think last time I did refills, I easily filled 8 small bottles.
Also, the way I fill them. I bleed everything out if the bottle with a wooden doll rod till it's empty. I weigh the bottle, then start filling. I leave it for a few minutes. Then take it off. Stand it upright, and then do a couple quick purges. Then repeat. Usually I do this a couple times till the bottle weighs out. It is possible to overfill, so if I do, I just purge it till it's between 15 and 16 ozs.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 14:46
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Good tips, Darz 
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 15:01 - Edited by: darz5150
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Dam. I just did a quick count of what I've got.
22 1#
17 20#
6 100#
3 30#
1 250 gallon
And I think there's a couple more on the other end of the property, but that's 15 acres away.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 16:35
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Hard to beat the 20 and 30's for ease of use.
When I had the opportunity to get my 'old valve' tanks filled I did, some stuff is iffy to run on the safety valve tanks.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2024 16:48
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Yep. I have one 40 pounder, but the 20s are easier on us old guys.
I recently had 6 tanks filled again, and again I put a refill on my generator that ran out two days ago. Wouldn't restart. I unhooked it, put the little basket heater on, that wouldn't run. Opened the bleeder screw and let some out, then the heater worked. Put it back on the genny, then that worked. Getting old having to do that. Maybe then are overfilling them at the gas station I go to..
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2024 11:50
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Played around with the bad piezo torch yesterday, not so much that I need it, more that I can’t figure it out. Gets a good spark but still won’t light the torch. I have a second identical torch that lights every time.
What I have tried:
1. Switching bottles with the good torch.
2. Adjusting spark gap and placement.
3. Sanding spark contacts.
4. Lighting torch with the other, lights right up and burns fine.
5. Adjusting propane knob, from nothin to wide open.
6. Holding fingers over holes in torch head.
Stumped..
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2024 16:08
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Got my refilled gizmo. Big tank inside to warm up, small refillable tank in the fridge. Hooked up, big tank upside down. Crack the bleeder on little tank, only gas coming out, no liquid. Hooked up a torch, only small flame. I Do something wrong?
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