Let the Tiki Torches Guide light your way | Tiki Torches Won’t Light

A reader from out west (we’ll call him Rick) emailed me the question - why won’t my tiki torches light? Well, Rick, though your email was short on info, you might be surprised to know that you aren’t the first person to have asked me this.

The key elements in lighting a tiki torch are the fuel, the wick, air and the source of flame. I’m going to assume you already know this is an instance where you need fire to make fire and that you aren’t trying to light your torch in an oxygen-free environment. With that in mind we’re left with the wick, fuel or both to concern us.

If you’ve just filled a tiki torch with fuel and inserted the wick, it may not light because it hasn’t soaked up fuel yet. Give it a little bit of time to do so and try again. Also ensure the wick is long enough to take and hold a flame and make sure you’re using fuel designed for a tiki torch and not an alternative which may not absorb well into the wick.

Finally, and this is often the surprise reason for why a tiki torch won’t light - If you previously used one brand of fuel in your tiki torch and have since switched to a different fuel type or brand, your wick may clog (for lack of a better word) and not feed the fuel (and, hence, won’t light). Be sure, whenever you change fuels or fuel brands, also insert a new wick.

Hope that helps you with your tiki torch woes, Rick.