Z-Plus Lighter Insert Question

[Scott Free]

I just bought a Z-Plus insert for a Zippo lighter. I tried it out for the first time today. It lights once for about every ten tries. Once it finally lights, the smallest puff of breath puts out the flame. Is this how these things are supposed to work? Is there a fix to this problem?

Scott

 

[Planterz]

With a small screwdriver (flathead), you can bend the electrode from side to side. I found that it lights much more reliably when it's slightly off-center. You may also need to adjust the fuel mixture (there's a screw at the bottom).

 

[Grim/Don]

After I'd used mine for a while, it stoped working (actually worked 1-in-10 like Scott mentioned). I still had the receipt so I took it back to the store. As I was walking in, I was telling the guy behind the counter what was going on. Before I even got to the counter he was bending over and getting some tools out. He told me that sometimes, when you fill, gas enters with the liquid. The gas doesn't burn, but just takes up space. He drained the gas (by holding down the fill nozle with a small screwdriver), then refilled it and it worked like new.

Scott, try to drain and refill. That may be the issue.

 

[Andrew Taylor]

After I'd used mine for a while, it stoped working (actually worked 1-in-10 like Scott mentioned). I still had the receipt so I took it back to the store. As I was walking in, I was telling the guy behind the counter what was going on. Before I even got to the counter he was bending over and getting some tools out. He told me that sometimes, when you fill, gas enters with the liquid. The gas doesn't burn, but just takes up space. He drained the gas (by holding down the fill nozle with a small screwdriver), then refilled it and it worked like new.

Scott, try to drain and refill. That may be the issue.

Thanks. What a great tip. I filled my wife's lighter for its first refill and wondered why I could hear butane when I shook it. Perhaps it's gas locked?

I just mentioned your post to her and she said she was going to mention, it only worked twice after I 'filled' it.

 

[Scott Free]

Yep...that did it. It's working much better now. It's still not 100%, and I still think it's too eassy to blow out the flame, but for $13, I'm happy.

I used to have a brass adapter that would allow you to refill empty propane bottles from a bulk tank. To use it, you would put the empty bottle in the freezer for a while. The bulk tank (at normal temp) was turned upside down, the frozen empty bottle was then attatched to the bulk tank using the adapter. When the valve was opened, the liquid propane would flow into the frozen empty bottle. I'm wondering if something like this would work with the Z-Plus? When I first filled the Z-plus, both the lighter and butane were at about 50 degrees (F.)