How To Refill A Zippo Lighter Repair Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

10

Time Required

                          10 - 15 minutes            

Sections

1

• How to refill a Zippo Lighter
• 10 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              How to refill a Zippo Lighter               

• Purchase lighter fluid – any type but do not use lighter fluid intended for barbecuing.

Purchase lighter fluid – any type but do not use lighter fluid intended for barbecuing.

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Step 2

• Open the lid of the Zippo and extract the insert – firmly grip either side of the flint wheel with 2 fingers. Hold the bottom of the Zippo lighter with your other hand and pull up on the metal to free the insert of the lighter from its case.

Open the lid of the Zippo and extract the insert – firmly grip either side of the flint wheel with 2 fingers. Hold the bottom of the Zippo lighter with your other hand and pull up on the metal to free the insert of the lighter from its case.

Step 3

• Set aside the metal casing.

Set aside the metal casing.

Step 4

• Turn the insert upside down – there should be a felt bottom that reads “Lift to fuel.”

Turn the insert upside down – there should be a felt bottom that reads “Lift to fuel.”

Step 5

• Unravel the paperclip. Lodge one end of the paper clip into the tiny hole and lift up the felt backing.

Unravel the paperclip. Lodge one end of the paper clip into the tiny hole and lift up the felt backing.

Step 6

• Squeeze the lighter fluid can once into the loose cotton.
• If your lighter fluid canister is large, you may want to transfer the fluid to a smaller bottle to prevent spillage.

Squeeze the lighter fluid can once into the loose cotton.

If your lighter fluid canister is large, you may want to transfer the fluid to a smaller bottle to prevent spillage.

Step 7

• Wait 5 seconds, then squeeze the canister twice more into the cotton.

Wait 5 seconds, then squeeze the canister twice more into the cotton.

Step 8

• Close the felt protector.

Close the felt protector.

Step 9

• Place the metal box back into the case.

Place the metal box back into the case.

Step 10

• Let the Zippo sit and absorb the fluid for 1-2 minutes.
• While waiting, wash your hands.
• Done! Light the Zippo.

Let the Zippo sit and absorb the fluid for 1-2 minutes.

While waiting, wash your hands.

Done! Light the Zippo.

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                                                                                      23 other people completed this guide.                                             

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                    Danielle Tran                     

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Trinity Bullock - Dec 12, 2020

Reply

I do have money to buy fluid could i put fluid from another lighter in it

Bird - Jan 4, 2021

Howdy Trinity - it’s possible, but unlikely, that would work.

Zippo uses a white gas/naphtha type fuel. BIC, and most other encased plastic lighters, use butane type fuel.

Butane has to stay in a tightly sealed container or it will evaporate within a few minutes. Zippo lighters do not have this tight of a seal (even when upgraded with rubber or silicone gaskets).

If you have another Zippo lighter with the correct fluid in it I would recommend transferring the insert. This is easier than attempting to transfer the fluid itself as that is a complicated process resulting in losing a lot of the fluid anyway.

It’s possible to use non-branded forms of white gas/naphtha fluid in a lighter but I can’t recommend using anything other than “lighter fluid”. Other naphtha type fuels have application specific additives and may be extremely toxic.

PLEASE NOTE: some fluids marked as “white gas” are actually additive-free gasoline. This is highly explosive and therefore extremely dangerous to use as a lighter fluid.

Richard Morgan - Jan 6, 2021

Reply

I always check the flint is still striking a spark before refilling as this is much less messy when the lighter is empty rather than full.

If there is no spark when triggered then the flint probably needs renewing, if there is spark and no ignition then refill,