BernzOmatic TS4000 trigger start torch

[notbob]

I got one. It stopped igniting. I can no longer hear the
pezioelectric spark thingy clicking. I just read the wiki page and
they have this to say:

"Lighters with piezo-electric ignition typically do not work or have
great difficulty at high altitude, if the striking mechanism is
improperly aligned. They are unsuitable for mountaineering or other
high altitude applications. The higher the altitude, the less likely a
lighter with piezo-electric ignition is to work. Above 8000 feet
lighters with piezo-electric ignition are no longer reliable."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezo_ignition

Swell! I happen to live at about 7800 ft in the CO Rockies. OTOH, it
worked OK when I first moved here, about 3 yrs ago and even worked 3
wks ago, though it was becoming iffy. Now, zip, zero, nada. Are
these things adjustable/repairable or should I forget it and keep my
welding striker handy? The BernzOmatic website appears to be working
about as well as my trigger start torch.

nb

[willshak]

notbob wrote the following:

Buy a flint igniter like we had to use years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/industrial/13400581

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

[Pete C.]

If it aint' clicking, the problem isn't altitude. The clicking is the
impact mechanism hammering the piezo rock. Sounds like you need repair
or replacement. I love my TS4000 and use it regularly, but I'm at around
600'

[notbob]

On 2011-07-16, Pete C. <aux3....@snet.net> wrote:

> If it aint' clicking, the problem isn't altitude. The clicking is the
> impact mechanism hammering the piezo rock. Sounds like you need repair
> or replacement. I love my TS4000 and use it regularly, but I'm at around
> 600'

I think it's adjustment, too. We have 2-3 Bic BBQ igniters to light
our propane kitchen range. They work fine. It's been my experience
that most piezoelectric igniters eventually fail. I think it's merely
cheap design/execution. I bought an auto ignition module for our
range, but it's electronic.

nb

[hr(bob) hofmann@att.net]

> 600'- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Pete C is right on!!!

[John Gilmer]

>
> If it aint' clicking, the problem isn't altitude. The clicking is the
> impact mechanism hammering the piezo rock. Sounds like you need repair
> or replacement. I love my TS4000 and use it regularly, but I'm at around
> 600'

Maybe so; maybe no.

Usually/often the "clink" occurs when the charge created by gradually
bending the crystal discharges (via the spark gap.)

If the gap is shorted, in many/most designs there just will not be a
"click."

At higher altitudes a spark will cross a gap at a much lower voltage.
But a low voltage spark just doesn't have the energy of a higher voltage
spark and may not ignite the fuel.

In any case, where you operate at extremes of moisture, air pressure,
and temperature, I believe you are better off with a flint type
lighter/igniter.