What solvent to clean orfice on propane hand torch?

I swear those hand held propane torche orfices clog even when they are not being used. Whenever I need a torch, no gas comes out. I'm tired of buying a new torch everytime I need one. Bernzomatic used to sell replacemnt orfices but it appears they no longer do. I guess they want to sell more disposible torches to us almost every year.

There is nothing that I have found, such as wire that will fit into that extremely tiny hole. But I'm thinking there must be some sort of solvent that will dissolve whatever builds up in them. (which has to come in the gas itself).

Anyone know of any solvent for this?

Reply to
No-Email
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Don't know if this works on all torch models, but on my very old torch, the original instructions were to remove the head and turn the orifice upside down. Replace head and blow gas through it. Don't light it, just let the gas pressure reverse clean the orifice. Then return is back to the proper way. That has always worked for me.

Reply to
Art Todesco

You can go to the welding store and get a tip cleaner. Some are different size wires and my favorite is tiny drill bits you choose the one you want, put it in the holder and rotate.

Reply to
Frozen South

It's unlikely this will work. Solvent probably won't work either. One thing that can work is to put the orifice in backwards and turn on the gas. Do it outside, cause the joint will leak.

Reply to
mike

If this is all it will take, why not just blow compressed air thru it backwards. More pressure and less odor.

Reply to
No-Email

This is true and I'd probably do that now, but some don't have compressors and when you are on a ladder, using the propane's pressure works pretty well. BTW, I think that the propane today is 'cleaner' than it was some 40 or 50 years ago. I used to have many more clogs back then.

Reply to
Art Todesco

Would work just fine with compressed air. All you'd need do is build a fixture to seal it up so that the pressure actually gets to where it's needed. Or you could just reverse it temporarily and be done with it.

Reply to
mike

Propane torches don't clog. Your brain, however, does.

Reply to
Colonel Edmund J. Burke

replying to No-Email, Ken wrote: My Bernzomatic torch clogged too, but it wasn't the gas orifice. My torch had a clog in a tiny valve mechanism in the 3/16" dia. pin that fits into the gas cylinder. I'm not sure what it was for and non of my other propane appliances have it (gas grill, heater, camping stove, etc...). All those just have a straight-through hole, so I used a 1/16" drill and bored through the pin to clear the clog and it is working fine now!

Reply to
Ken

replying to No-Email, small time buckboy wrote: Aerosol carb cleaner works best. Though I also used my husband's pipe cleaner which is fits into the gas valve and it worked. Carb cleaner goes into crevices, melt gum and residue like it does to my riding mower carb.

Reply to
small time buckboy

Muriatic acid. BEST

Reply to
Hjjgtg

How does it get dirty?

BTW, I did some more propane testing today, looking for vacuum leaks, and I did smell the propane some.

It turns out that one's sense of smell may weaken with age. It's been 3 years since I fiddled with the unlit propane, so maybe it's my age. I never had a strong sense of smell, but that's irrelevant because I could surely smell propane.

And the can is 3 years older, so IF the smell can weaken in 3 years, that could be it too.

"Propane smells like rotten eggs, a skunk's spray, or a dead animal. [I don't think so. I know what all of those smell like and propane doesn't smell like any of them.] Some people may have difficulty smelling propane due to their age (older people may have a less sensitive sense of smell); a medical condition; or the effects of medication, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. On rare occasions, propane can lose its odor."

Reply to
micky

The torch orifice on some torches restricts the gas flow too much to use it for testing properly. Does the torch still light? If so don't screw with it. If not buy another one. Cleaning the "orifice" is pretty mich a fools errand. To convert the torch (one that won't light) for vac leak testing you need to drill a really tiny hole in the plugged torch and NEVER use it as a torch again.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

On Sun, 18 Apr 2021 00:14:13 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest...

Fire in the hole!

Reply to
Tekkie©

try carbon tetrachloride. I never have tried, but will if I can get some now that you have prompted my thoughts on this subject.

Reply to
Alf1

Good luck on finding any unless you know someone in a labatory or such. Has not been on the shelf for the average person in a number of years.

Very bad stuff if you drink alcohol.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

They were replaceable on the Bernzomatics I had and I would just buy a new one. They do make drills just for that but you need a special pin vice to use them. They are in fractions of a MM

Reply to
gfretwell

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