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I'm currently on a very high place, about 3,500 meters above sea level.

I'm trying to fill up a torch ligher with a butan refill canister, but the torch doesn't filled up.

When at ~sea level altitude, I used to release some pressure from the torch, and then filled it up very easy, in less than 2 seconds, and almost untill the top. I tried that, and still the torch doesn't filled and all the gas is just evaporate to the atmosphere.

I guesd it happens because of the high altitude I'm in, so there's not enough pressure inside the refill canister, and both the torch and the refill canister are equal in terms of pressure (is that make sense)?

Is that a good idea to heat up the gas refill canister, in order to create more pressure than in the torch and then try to fill up the torch?

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    $\begingroup$ PV=nRT, so the theory works. But you might need to heat it a lot, and it seems this is butane... It might not be a good idea. I say get a refill canister with much more pressure and avoid all the problems. $\endgroup$
    – Fernando Garcia - Nandostyle
    Commented Jun 11, 2023 at 15:34
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    $\begingroup$ What could possibly go wrong??? $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Jun 11, 2023 at 16:23
  • $\begingroup$ @JonCuster my instictive response to heating a lot something flameable is the same a Nandostyle's . How would you heat something at 3,500 meters if not with another flame? $\endgroup$
    – anna v
    Commented Jun 11, 2023 at 17:17
  • $\begingroup$ @annav - indeed, that was the intent of the comment. It is really not a good idea to be messing around with. Sarcasm does not come over well in txt. My fault. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Jun 11, 2023 at 17:22

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It is probably not to do with the pressure at an altitude of 3500 m but rather it might well be to do with the ambient temperature as butane boils at -2 $^\circ$C that is why propane, boiling point -42 $^\circ$C is used in low temperature environments.
Thus at low temperature the liquid butane does not boil with the result that not enough gas pressure is generated to refill your torch.
Also note that as butane evaporates/boils the liquid left behind will cool so even if the temperature of the butane starts above its boiling point the cooling effect might lower the temperature of the liquid below the boiling point.

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