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One of the most important items you should have in your prepping kit tucked away somewhere is lighter for survival. So you should probably learn how to refill a bic lighter to level up your survival skills, and we will be using the easiest method to refill the lighter.
In this guide, we are going to go over one of the most popular methods used to refill a lighter. You will learn how to refill a bic lighter from the top instead of the bottom, however, this will be more than significant for what we need to do.
By the manufacturer’s recommendation, you are not supposed to refill your Bic lighter, yet it can be done and in this article, we will show you how to top up your fluid in a supposedly one-time-use lighter.
Of course, there are a few methods of doing this, but in this guide, we will show the most practical with 14 simple, easy-to-follow steps that are manageable to follow, and by the end of this article, you will be able to refill your bic lighter.
How Refilling a Bic Lighter is Done The Safe Way
Below is a way you can refill at the bottom, using a tack, once refilled, the tack is in the bottom of your lighter, which is kind of an ugly way of doing it. We will show a better way, and you can use it on any lighter.
Stay Cautious
I have seen in some countries where it is actually very common for people to refill lighters, and for very cheap! Mostly, you will see these services being offered in third-world countries, but here in the US, refilling lighters for the sake of improving your survival skills is just starting to become more popular.
Now, I have also heard of some horror stories of people trying this and having the refilled BIC lighter explode on them, and a normal, untouched bic lighter can even do so in some situations, like extremely hot temperatures. For example, never leave your lighter in a hot car.
Company Warning
The company has stated that it will never try refilling a lighter and even says it’s impossible. But, in actuality, it can be done, and a lot of people have been doing it for years.
In this guide, we will teach you how to refill a bic lighter by doing it the right way with the right method for fast and easy results.
Brief Steps Explained
It’s simple. All you should need is a tack to shove into the ball bearing, and after that, just press the nozzle on the butane that’s in the hole.
When you have properly refilled the lighter, just cover the hole with the tack to ensure there are no spills.
The thing you should consider is that removing the bearing at the bottom will destroy its seal, which holds the fluid in the lighter.
For that reason, it’s recommended to always fill your Bic lighter at the top.
What’s The Point To Refill a Bic Lighter and Why Do It?
Well, if you are like me and use a lighter very often instead of going to the store and buying a pack of Bic lighters, which have recently gone up in price, you are getting a better deal to purchase a refillable lighter or fluid to refill your bic lighter.
To be honest, there are other brands that are better than Bic.
You don’t have to just stick with that lighter, it’s just what we have tested with and learned from the YouTube video provided.
Here are some of the best lighters for survival.
The Materials Necessary For Refilling
In order to refill your Bic lighter, you must get the following materials:
- Empty Bic lighter
- Butane
- Butter knife or small flat screwdriver
- Tack, wire, or paperclip
How to Refill a Bic Lighter Step By Step Below:
This is the easiest method and most practical way to refill a bic lighter from the top.
You must first begin by making sure your Bic lighter is completely empty, and just check by flicking the spark wheel. If it lights up, you know it still has butane left in it.
Carrying out this procedure really isn’t rocket science or some type of major breakthrough, people have been doing this for years now. The purpose of this guide is to help people like you who want to learn how to do it safely with the 14 steps laid out so that you can actually follow it step by step at your own pace.
1. Keep Flicking
Begin by flicking until there is no flame at all coming from your lighter, or hold the button down for an extended period until you can’t hear any gas.
2. Using a Flat Tool For Prying
Okay, you can use something that is flat, such as a screwdriver or even a butter knife to pry the metal from the sides off, the hood should be able to come right off then.
3. Point Top Of Lighter Away From You
A little safety tip here, make sure to point the top of the lighter away from you, and then you should pry the guard loose.
Sometimes this may pop right off with a bit of force, so you should be wary of getting hit in the face. Just take your time; it should come right off.
4. Removing Spark Wheel
Be very careful when you remove the spark wheel, you don’t want to damage the part where it attaches to the lighter.
If you don’t know what a spark wheel is, that’s okay. It’s the wheel that generates the spark when you flick your lighter to ignite a flame.
5. Removing Flint And Spring
Now remove the flint & spring.
6. Adjust Flame
Turning the flame adjuster counterclockwise about ten times.
7. Pressing The Tack Under Fork
Press the wire or tack under the fork to keep this open. This is where the gas is released from the valve. You can also use a paperclip if you don’t have any wire around.
8. Attaching Nozzle From Butane Onto Open Fork And Press
Now you have to attach the nozzle from the butane onto the open fork and just press it to refill the lighter with your butane.
9. Once Refilled
Once it’s filled, pull the wire out of the fork to close the open valve.
10. Set Flame Adjuster To Original State
Next, you need to turn the flame adjuster back; this time you must turn it clockwise and make about ten full turns.
11. Remembering How To Assemble
Here’s the tricky part, you need to remember how you removed the spring and flint.
Put those back on, and NOTE: Since the flint delivers the spark in the lighter, it is bound to wear out, so you may want to change that out before putting it back together.
12. Putting The Spark Wheel Back In
Now you can start to assemble the spark wheel, and you will want to make sure it’s back in place correctly. You can put the child’s safety on or off; that’s optional, of course.
I normally remove them, but it is a matter of preference.
13. Attaching Metal
Attach the metal hood back to the lighter. Sometimes, when removing this metal piece, you accidentally bend it, but it will bend back into place. Just hook it where it is supposed to be with a little wiggling and force.
14. Test Your Lighter
Give your lighter a flick and boom! Your Bic lighter that you thought was dead is now alive and ready to start many more fires!
If you followed this easy how-to-refill a Bic lighter guide then it would take less than 5-10 minutes to complete to have a refilled Bic lighter once again.
Now that you have read this, and hopefully found it useful, give it a try and see if you are able to do it!
Bottom Line
In some cases, it may even be easier to buy a brand new one, and most people would tell you that, but if you already have the materials, then I recommend doing this as the total cost will be much cheaper than buying a brand new disposable lighter.
As mentioned, you can also go with another brand, even, though Bic is not the end-all-be-all, king of lighters.
Another key thing is adding these materials to your bug-out bag, and it would also be nice to add fire starters or waterproof matches too. The more gear you have, the better you are prepared.
Recap of The Steps on How to Refill a Bic Lighter
- Remove the top cap of the lighter.
- Unscrew the bottom cap.
- Pull out the metal piece at the base of the lighter.
- Slide the metal piece back into place.
- Screw the bottom cap back onto the lighter.
- Replace the top cap.
Follow this guide with your own precautions, as there are always risks with trying anything like this at home, but if you follow these steps, this can be very safe, and you can learn how to refill a bic lighter without any trouble.
We would love to hear from you if you were able to get this to work. Comment below to share how you made out with refilling your Bic lighter with these 14 steps. Or check out some other types of lighters.
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