My girlfriend just bought me one of these thermacell devices and i was wondering if they could be refilled and was watching reviews and stumbled upon this video and im glad i did, awesome vid thank you for putting great stuff that helps save money out there
Saying to put a "notch" in the tip doesn't help much. A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, a video, in frame. Thanks for the tip on London butane though, it's classed as near zero impurities, which is what you want. Don't use low-grade butane to save a few bucks, the impurities can damage the heater.
Very good video. As you said, it combines the best points of those previously done. Was unable to see how you modified the tips to get them to work better, however. Will watch again and listen more closely to your explanation.
I modified the tip of the butane nozzle by taking a small triangular file and cutting a small groove across the tip. This keeps the tip from completely sealing witht he valve in the cartridge and gives the gas somewhere to go (sideways). Before I cut the groove in the tip, it would seat too well with the valve in the cartridge and no gas was getting to the cartridge at all. Before I id that I was wiggling the butane can from side to side, and that snapped off a few tips and took a long time to fill a cartridge.
Your most important tip of the day was the need to cut "a little notch" to the #5 tip....then your video concealed how that notch was cut and what it looks like. Holding up a little drawing of the tip before and after the notching would have been helpful. No idea where the tip needs the notch.
A narrow strip of electrical tape wrapped atound the end of the butane nozzle works better than the plastic tips. Cut a 3 inch long piece of electrical tape down to 3/4 of an inch and wrap it neatly on the very front of the nozzle tip. As you fill the thermocel cylinder the tape will slip back enough to allow the nozzle tip to activate the valve stem while sealing off the nozzle.
Take a 3in piece of electrical tape and cut it down to 3/4 of an inch???? Lol. Why not just cut off 3/4 of an inch of electrical tape off the roll in the first place? The good stuff is to expensive to waste!
@@skypallman6169 because you need approx 3 inches of tape that is 3/4 inches wide. Hardly any waste. You actually dont have to cut it down if the stem is long enough. And BTW i dont know where you buy your tape but Harbor Freight sells it dirt cheap. But if you dont like wasting tape, keep buuing the therma cell refills.
Yes. I took a small triangular file and just gave the top of the tip a few strokes. The notch doesn't need to be very deep - just enough for the gas to leak out the sides past the valve on the cartridge.
Theoretically, yes. But it would not be easy. The very small butane burner heats a metal plate, which vaporizes the insecticide on the pad. And from the looks of it, a candle would actually be too hot. Marginally possible but I would not take the risk. It's actually a lot safer just to refill the cartridges, and you'd only need a few of them to keep the unit running for a long time. And once a cartridge is modified, refilling it again takes a minute or less.
I'm notching the tip of the tip adapter on the butane can. This allows a tiny gap on the sides of the adapter so the gas can come oout. Without doing this, sometimes the pressure against the safety valve compresses the adapter enough so no gas goes into the cartridge.
Actually they all look similar. So look on the tip itself or on the cap where the tip was and it may have a tiny "5" on it. You will need a magnifier, because it is very tiny. Alternately, you can do what I did with different butane cans (cheap ones mostly) and just keep trying tips till one fits.
That particular step is the most troublesome. I had to use a small triangular file about 3 times on one particular tip to get the groove deep enough. Unless the valve stem itself is damaged, filing a deeper groove and pressing down a bit harder ought to solve it.
Yeah, they're not so bad either but I don't like Phillips-head screws. The screws I found worked best are actually particle-board screws, which have the same coarse threads of a drywall screw, but with thicker shanks and a square-drive head. Either will do - chalk it up to habit and my having snapped too many drywall screws on other DIY projects.
Look for the replacement pads for the Thermacell Backpacker unit. They're the same thing but they're sold by themselves. If you're daring you could try the aftermarket pads on Amazon but they're quite small and they smell pretty bad.
Hi Dean, thanks for sharing. I'm having trouble refilling the thermacell. I lost more than twice as much as went in the thermacell. The "Ronson" tip doesn't fit properly. I bought Grill Master from Home Depot and "Woods" from Canadian Tire and those tips don't fit either. What can are you using and how do I get it? Or, do you know where I can buy adapter tips? I live in BC. Thanks,
Glad you asked! I found a brand called "London" that works great. It has 8 tips, including the #5 tip a lot of others say works best. There's another brand with a bright yello can and cap, but I forgot the name, but it looked OK too. But the London brand works swimmingly.
@@vio95 I used these while first researching this technique. They're good, but be careful to not apply too much pressure and to let the tip warm up between refills. Otherwise, they snap off. But if you do that, those cans work great.
Have you tried this with the Soto Fill Adapter (MEC) and an IsoButane can. Don’t know if that combo would work, but might be worthwhile. I picked up a Thermacell Backpacker this summer just to use up my questionable Isobutane cans. Great for the backyard. And Welcome Back. Hope the Renovations are going well.
Now that is a great idea for a new video, and I've been wanting to pick up that adapter anyway. Maybe it'll help me with some of my own canisters - although there's another Thermacell product that does pretty well at that and which I'll be reviewing in the future. I have a heated indoor mini-workshop I'll be recording in soon, so hopefully I'll get something together in the next few weeks.
I have MEC’s older version of the adapter, it is a PRIMUS. Not sure if I have any empties for my Thermacell. Now you’ve got me wanting to give this a try. What could go wrong 😂🔥
That looks almost as easy as refilling the metal gas canisters 4 camp stoves I'm not sure what you use those fuel bottles for but I imagine it's for pretty much the same thing
It's similar. I'm working on refill techniques for 1 pound propane bottles as well as the isobutane canisters. They each have different processes for filling, but I need to investigate further as they aren't that consistent - just like the earlier Thermacell videos I viewed, in fact. More to come.
I've been refilling bottles with butane from Amazon and pads with Permethrin, and let me tell you....it is absolutely nowhere near as effective as the original thermacell butane and pads, good luck
The refilled canisters don't last the full 12 hours that the retail canistes claim to last (and don't), but for the cost of the DIY refills compared to the high price of retail cartridges, they are still worth it. The generic permethrin pads and DIY pads, on the other hand, don't work very well at all, are less of a bargain, and frankly, they stink too.
I have no issues with refilled bottles. I also use ARS 12 mats from Thailand. I think they actually work better than thermocell. ARS also makes a heater similar to thermocell but electric, so it plugs in and no gas needed. Obviously it’s no good in deer stand but great for my shop. I can get the ARS pads for about $0.09 ea vs $1 for name brand
I buy pemethrian from a lical farm supply. I mix it 60-40. It is very effective on our state bird(skeeter,) here in south carolina. I use it in the deer and bear stand religiously. Our season opens in mid august, so the gnats, skeeters and no seeums are abundant. My thermocell works great.
Just a word of warning, I looked into refilling the 1ib tanks and some of the camping cannisters and found that while it is not illegal to do so, it is illegal to transport them after refilling them. the same may apply to the small cartridges' and if something does happen your insurance company is going to claim your insurance is void because you have done so..
i found dipping the cartridge into warm / almost boiling water (because of thermal expansion properties) made removal of cartridge tips a LOT easier
Great idea! I'll try that on my next batch. Assuming I have to buy any more - I've currently got about 24.
My girlfriend just bought me one of these thermacell devices and i was wondering if they could be refilled and was watching reviews and stumbled upon this video and im glad i did, awesome vid thank you for putting great stuff that helps save money out there
Thanks very much! Glad I could help out.
Wish there was a closeup of where the notch goes or a better description.
Great idea!
Saying to put a "notch" in the tip doesn't help much. A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, a video, in frame. Thanks for the tip on London butane though, it's classed as near zero impurities, which is what you want. Don't use low-grade butane to save a few bucks, the impurities can damage the heater.
VERY GOOD VIDEO AND CLEAR EXPLANATION TY
Thanks. this video is a game changer. The notch!! I almost gave up.
Glad to see you are doing ok and glad to have u back
Thanks! Glad to be back as well. More vids to come now the indoor mini-workshop is completed.
Very good video. As you said, it combines the best points of those previously done. Was unable to see how you modified the tips to get them to work better, however. Will watch again and listen more closely to your explanation.
I modified the tip of the butane nozzle by taking a small triangular file and cutting a small groove across the tip. This keeps the tip from completely sealing witht he valve in the cartridge and gives the gas somewhere to go (sideways). Before I cut the groove in the tip, it would seat too well with the valve in the cartridge and no gas was getting to the cartridge at all. Before I id that I was wiggling the butane can from side to side, and that snapped off a few tips and took a long time to fill a cartridge.
Great video. Excellent detail.
You are the man. Thanks brother. I appreciate you. Square #2.
Thanks! Seen a few vids on this but still couldn't get my butane to refill it. Not until your tip about cutting that little notch in the tip.
Glad to help! The cartridge in this video just had refill #11 this week and is still going strong.
Your most important tip of the day was the need to cut "a little notch" to the #5 tip....then your video concealed how that notch was cut and what it looks like. Holding up a little drawing of the tip before and after the notching would have been helpful. No idea where the tip needs the notch.
The tip is about 1mm in diameter. So anywhere will do.
16:23 The irony of it, that mozzie got you right on the finger while working on mozzie deterrent :D
But over 200 others didn't.
Good to see ya again
Will propane do the job as well?
A narrow strip of electrical tape wrapped atound the end of the butane nozzle works better than the plastic tips. Cut a 3 inch long piece of electrical tape down to 3/4 of an inch and wrap it neatly on the very front of the nozzle tip. As you fill the thermocel cylinder the tape will slip back enough to allow the nozzle tip to activate the valve stem while sealing off the nozzle.
Take a 3in piece of electrical tape and cut it down to 3/4 of an inch???? Lol. Why not just cut off 3/4 of an inch of electrical tape off the roll in the first place? The good stuff is to expensive to waste!
@@skypallman6169 because you need approx 3 inches of tape that is 3/4 inches wide. Hardly any waste. You actually dont have to cut it down if the stem is long enough. And BTW i dont know where you buy your tape but Harbor Freight sells it dirt cheap. But if you dont like wasting tape, keep buuing the therma cell refills.
I can't see where you cut the notch. Across the entire tip?
Yes. I took a small triangular file and just gave the top of the tip a few strokes. The notch doesn't need to be very deep - just enough for the gas to leak out the sides past the valve on the cartridge.
Howdy Dean, Great seeing ya back, Thanks for the tip ! Stay Frosty & Merry Christmas Friend ! ATB T God Bless
Cant the pads be used with a candle and eliminate the thermacell?
Theoretically, yes. But it would not be easy. The very small butane burner heats a metal plate, which vaporizes the insecticide on the pad. And from the looks of it, a candle would actually be too hot. Marginally possible but I would not take the risk.
It's actually a lot safer just to refill the cartridges, and you'd only need a few of them to keep the unit running for a long time. And once a cartridge is modified, refilling it again takes a minute or less.
Can you tell me what you are notching?
I'm notching the tip of the tip adapter on the butane can. This allows a tiny gap on the sides of the adapter so the gas can come oout. Without doing this, sometimes the pressure against the safety valve compresses the adapter enough so no gas goes into the cartridge.
That mosquito got balls of steel tho...16:25...took a swipe at ya before you go repelling it (:D).
Hahaha! Yes indeed! Her radar was all messed up.
You never showed the notch in the tip. Both times it was covered lol
Hi thanks for the video. Possible to show a pictures of the mod 5 tip
Actually they all look similar. So look on the tip itself or on the cap where the tip was and it may have a tiny "5" on it. You will need a magnifier, because it is very tiny. Alternately, you can do what I did with different butane cans (cheap ones mostly) and just keep trying tips till one fits.
Welcome back Dean
Thanks! Good to be back even though it's now winter up here.
After using file it still wouldn’t fill. Any suggestions?
That particular step is the most troublesome. I had to use a small triangular file about 3 times on one particular tip to get the groove deep enough. Unless the valve stem itself is damaged, filing a deeper groove and pressing down a bit harder ought to solve it.
Yup, i found the small triangular file to work the best. Then use a fine nail to re-open the hole.
I had better luck with a drywall screw.
Thanks for the video.
Yeah, they're not so bad either but I don't like Phillips-head screws. The screws I found worked best are actually particle-board screws, which have the same coarse threads of a drywall screw, but with thicker shanks and a square-drive head. Either will do - chalk it up to habit and my having snapped too many drywall screws on other DIY projects.
Great to know, what do you use for the replacement pads? I can only seem to find refills that come with pads and butane canisters. Not just pads.
You can make your own pads with pymethrian and water. Add a little food dye to see your coverage on the pad.
Look for the replacement pads for the Thermacell Backpacker unit. They're the same thing but they're sold by themselves. If you're daring you could try the aftermarket pads on Amazon but they're quite small and they smell pretty bad.
Yeah I don’t think the o-ring could cause it to leak when it’s not connected to thermocell.
inner o ring
Hi Dean, thanks for sharing. I'm having trouble refilling the thermacell. I lost more than twice as much as went in the thermacell. The "Ronson" tip doesn't fit properly. I bought Grill Master from Home Depot and "Woods" from Canadian Tire and those tips don't fit either. What can are you using and how do I get it? Or, do you know where I can buy adapter tips? I live in BC. Thanks,
Glad you asked! I found a brand called "London" that works great. It has 8 tips, including the #5 tip a lot of others say works best. There's another brand with a bright yello can and cap, but I forgot the name, but it looked OK too. But the London brand works swimmingly.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Thanks for your response. London brand not currently available on Amazon. Do you know where else I might get it?
@@smilinsuzi I got mine at Smoke King in Spruce Grove AB, but most smoke shops have it, if they sell lighters. Most do.
The magtorch butane can at canadian tire works great ! And it has the #5 tip
@@vio95 I used these while first researching this technique. They're good, but be careful to not apply too much pressure and to let the tip warm up between refills. Otherwise, they snap off. But if you do that, those cans work great.
The most important change or update is the notch but it was not shown in detail.
Have you tried this with the Soto Fill Adapter (MEC) and an IsoButane can. Don’t know if that combo would work, but might be worthwhile. I picked up a Thermacell Backpacker this summer just to use up my questionable Isobutane cans. Great for the backyard.
And Welcome Back. Hope the Renovations are going well.
Now that is a great idea for a new video, and I've been wanting to pick up that adapter anyway. Maybe it'll help me with some of my own canisters - although there's another Thermacell product that does pretty well at that and which I'll be reviewing in the future. I have a heated indoor mini-workshop I'll be recording in soon, so hopefully I'll get something together in the next few weeks.
I have MEC’s older version of the adapter, it is a PRIMUS. Not sure if I have any empties for my Thermacell. Now you’ve got me wanting to give this a try. What could go wrong 😂🔥
@@alf3553 What could indeed? :D
So you ever use glue whe reinserting valves?
Actually, no. They fit well enough by friction, and I’d be concerned about gluing the valve shut.
Thanks! Sorry typos!!
When’s the next update, Dean?
Hard to say. We just came off a nasty few weeks of -40C so it could be a few weeks yet.
That looks almost as easy as refilling the metal gas canisters 4 camp stoves I'm not sure what you use those fuel bottles for but I imagine it's for pretty much the same thing
It's similar. I'm working on refill techniques for 1 pound propane bottles as well as the isobutane canisters. They each have different processes for filling, but I need to investigate further as they aren't that consistent - just like the earlier Thermacell videos I viewed, in fact. More to come.
Skip to 3:30
I've been refilling bottles with butane from Amazon and pads with Permethrin, and let me tell you....it is absolutely nowhere near as effective as the original thermacell butane and pads, good luck
The refilled canisters don't last the full 12 hours that the retail canistes claim to last (and don't), but for the cost of the DIY refills compared to the high price of retail cartridges, they are still worth it. The generic permethrin pads and DIY pads, on the other hand, don't work very well at all, are less of a bargain, and frankly, they stink too.
I have no issues with refilled bottles. I also use ARS 12 mats from Thailand. I think they actually work better than thermocell. ARS also makes a heater similar to thermocell but electric, so it plugs in and no gas needed. Obviously it’s no good in deer stand but great for my shop. I can get the ARS pads for about $0.09 ea vs $1 for name brand
I buy pemethrian from a lical farm supply. I mix it 60-40. It is very effective on our state bird(skeeter,) here in south carolina. I use it in the deer and bear stand religiously. Our season opens in mid august, so the gnats, skeeters and no seeums are abundant. My thermocell works great.
@@randyhughes3811 60permethrin or water? I read another tutorial that suggested 1:6 permethrin:water.
Just a word of warning, I looked into refilling the 1ib tanks and some of the camping cannisters and found that while it is not illegal to do so, it is illegal to transport them after refilling them. the same may apply to the small cartridges' and if something does happen your insurance company is going to claim your insurance is void because you have done so..
Thanks for the heads-up!
And how exactly is your insurance company going to know?
@@darrelcross5452 They do have very good investigators. as do Fire marshals