this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

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Rechargeable electric arc lighters kinda suck for the average person, and will typically end up as e-waste. (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 hours ago by over_clox@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
45 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I've had this one for a little over 2 years, but I suspect it wouldn't last the average person 2 months before it outright fails and they just throw it away.

Why? Well, electronics don't exactly like smoke of any form, whether it be nicotine, weed, wood, paper, etc. But that's exactly what these lighters do, literally light things on fire, which of course generates smoke and dirties the electrodes, up until the point they start shorting out, if not other issues first.

I happen to be an electronics technician that knows how to safely disassemble, service and clean this thing occasionally, but its highly suggested that nobody ever try to service them, as they generate thousands of volts for the electric arc, which absolutely will burn the piss out of your fingers, if not worse.

I'm actually glad to have it, it was a cheap late Christmas gift from my mom back in January 2024, but I figure basically 99% of average consumers would end up having issues with it and throwing it away within ~2 months or less.

Sigh, e-waste...

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[–] Ziglin@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

I tried one and I could not deal with it because it created a high pitched buzz which only me and cats seemed to be able to hear. Glad to know I am not the only one to dislike them.

[–] socsa@piefed.social 6 points 1 hour ago

I've been using my cheap $5 electric candle lighter for like 5 years now. It's saved probably 10 butane candle lighters from the trash.

[–] aeiou@piefed.social 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

But that’s exactly what these lighters do, literally light things on fire, which of course generates smoke and dirties the electrodes, up until the point they start shorting out, if not other issues first.

Do people not clean them? My cheapo Chinese one has lasted 5 years and all I've done is wipe with with a paper towel every now and then.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

The instructions for these things literally say to not ever clean them. Well, I'm not exactly one to follow all instructions.

I end up fully disassembling mine every couple or few weeks, to thoroughly clean the ceramic insulator and electrodes with rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, and even a toothbrush.

Note: Remove the ceramic insulator from the device before attempting to clean it this way, as practically everyone should know already, rubbing alcohol is flammable..

Better yet, just have an experienced electronics tech do it for you if you're not 100% sure how to fully clean it yourself.

[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 44 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

This isn't a shower thought. You're clearly in your car!

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 31 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

LMFAO!

I left the car window open through the car wash, does that count?

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 1 points 7 minutes ago

Wash the car and have a bath all at once haha

[–] Logh@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Besides the problems outlined, the sound these things make drive me nuts. Although, I was wondering if it was possible to somehow modulate the frequency so when sou light a cig it plays a tune.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Yes, actually this has been done before, modulating the frequency to play music and such.

My internet absolutely sucks when I'm on road trips, but I'll see if I can find you a link later after I get home and settled down.

I think the video clip from YouTube I saw was from TheActionLab...

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

My mom got a 4-pack of some of these that look kinda like long kitchen lighters. She gave me one, and I've used it a few times for lighting my bowls when I smoke, but you can't beat an actual flame. The arc on those things isn't big enough so you have to put it right on there. We still have them, but we use them for candles.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

That's cool.

According to some other comments here, others tell me those sort of long electric arc lighters tend to last a lot longer, when used for lighting candles or gas stoves or such.

But using arc lighters for cigarettes or weed, it'll likely start acting up within a couple months or less..

At least I know how to service mine, but that's not for the inexperienced or the faint of heart.

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I just kinda wipe off the prongs if it's gross. I'm sure that's probably making something worse though.

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Kapton tape is a good high Voltage insulator that is also cheap and available.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

And I have 3 rolls of the stuff, 1cm wide, partly used to fix it. Honestly I've used more heatshrink (ThermalFit) and solder than Kapton tape, but yeah...

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 15 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (5 children)

I've had one of these for years and it hasn't failed. But it also isn't exactly useful for lighting anything but a cigarette due to how the electrodes actually are placed and function. It doesn't work very well trying to smoke weed from a pipe/bong and I am skeptical how I might use it to start a campfire even though it's supposed to be a camping tool.

[–] Zikeji@programming.dev 11 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

My sister uses a variation of this closer to a traditional lighter with a long neck to light her candles. It's rechargeable, and she's been using the same one for over a decade.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Interesting. I can only guess that candle wax vapor must not conduct electricity as much as other things like nicotine or THC.. 🤷

Well, awesome for her, glad she's getting long life use out of her device 👍

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 7 points 5 hours ago

Meh, aside from cigarettes and such, they can also be useful survival equipment tools, if you got a pack of toothpicks or even just some thin dry twigs available. Easy rechargeable fire starter ya know..

But yeah, I've had nothing but a pain in the ass with this thing, I've had to disassemble it to clean it every couple weeks or so, and have also had to replace 2 electrodes and resolder the lid safety switch twice and the charger port once.

I've probably serviced this thing like ~40 times since I got it. You'll know you got a problem when the lid safety switch gets too much crud in it and gets stuck in the ON position, and the damn thing starts lighting up on its own in your pocket.. 💀

I modified mine to where if that should ever happen again, I can literally snatch it apart and snatch the battery out in less than 2 seconds without tools.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

I am skeptical how I might use it to start a campfire even though it’s supposed to be a camping tool.

Could probably light some tinder with it, like thin twigs or dry grass...

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

Yes, and confirmed, it'll easily ignite toothpicks or dry twigs with a flame.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

You can use it to light kindling for a campfire

For bongs, may i recommend hemp wick

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

Lol, the idea what a battery powered device is a camping to for starting fires is just funny to me. Of all the ways we have to start fires one that requires a battery is the last thing I'm wasting weight and space on when camping.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 4 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (2 children)

Makes it a helluva lot easier to "refuel" it when you have a car and can just plug it in as opposed to a disposable BIC or a zippo. It also keeps a charge for a very long time. And it's faster than rubbing sticks together.

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 4 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Flint and steel. No battery required.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

Those are also comsumable and need to be replaced when you run out of matches or wear away all the flint, which costs more money than charging a battery.

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

My concern isn't money, it's the reliability. If you store those things correctly they will always light. If you store a batter powered device correctly, no matter what it must be recharged even if it hasn't been used. I don't want to have to think about whether I charged my firestarter. The checklist is long enough when you are going camping. It's just one more thing to forget.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

You know what else isn't consumable? A credit card sized Freznel Lens magnifier, I keep one in my wallet, and they're stupid cheap by the dozen..

Yeah, if there's a need to start a fire, I'll find a way... 🔥

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I got a flint and magnesium fire starter as well for emergency backup, and fully know how to use it. Well, except for lighting a bong.. 😂

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 points 4 hours ago

Probably easier to use a magnifying glass to light the bong than one of those things. Hell, a friend of mine had bought a pipe with a magnifying glass attached to it that was intended to be a "solar lighter." It worked surprisingly well, but only on a clear sunny day.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

You light about a thousand fires with a bic lighter and then pull out the second one you got for 89 cents. How many times do you have to do that before you wish you brought an arc lighter instead?

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

89 cents for a Bic? Shit, the cheapest Bic lighters I can find around my area are more like $2. Where you at home, we could use some cheap Bic lighters around here..

I dunno, but even if I didn't have electricity access, I still have an almost pocket sized solar panel that'll charge my lighter from empty to full in around 5 hours of good sunlight, which gives me anywhere from ~20 to 30 uses before needing another recharge.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 points 3 hours ago

When you smoke as much as Bill Hicks.

"What do you smoke? 2 packs a day? Pussy. I go through two lighters a day!"

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

Bleh, I got a modded almost pocket sized solar panel that'll recharge it from empty to full within about 5 hours. And that gives me anywhere from ~20 to 30 uses or so before it needs recharge.

Sure I usually just use a wall wart USB charger, but its nice to have the backup solar panel as well.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Somewhat random..

You can also use a 9V battery and steel wool to start a fire. Hell, the way steel wool burns, you might actually find that easier to help start a campfire than many other solutions..

[–] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 4 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

Very useful in a bind. They're waterproof and provide a source of fire. I'll have mine forever.

The ones I've seen are sold as camping or survival gear rather than for general use.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Yours is waterproof? Damn homie, what model you got?

Also, notice that on mine at least, the plastic cover over the ceramic electrode insulator is chrome plated, which looks nice and pretty when new. But after a while, smoke particles buildup around the electrodes, plus the chrome plated beauty cover, starts causing the electrodes to short out.

Also, at one point mine had an issue where the lid safety switch apparently got too contaminated with nicotine and got stuck in the ON position, requiring emergency maintenance service as the damn thing wouldn't even turn off.. 💀

[–] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

1000017855

This one. It's vulcanised rubber and has a lock on the side. Got as a gift a few years back. Never used to light a joint. I have a mini blowtorch for that.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

Nice 👍

And indeed that looks much better designed and built than mine. But hey, you can't really complain much either way when it was a gift..

Mine was a gift as well, but I'm not complaining, moreso just sharing my observations and situations over the past 2 years.

[–] Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

Assuming you have access to a power outlet but not a 7-11?

I'm just as likely to notice an electric lighter is out of juice as a Bic.

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago

But, and here me out, it's also wicked cool.

Ours is more stick-shaped though, and really only good for candle wicks. If we smoked, you might be able to get a cigarette into the arc. It'd probably also work well if your grill's or gas stove's spark iginter was broken.

[–] ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Pretty close, had one for a brief while, mostly used for incense till something got screwy and apparently connected the electrode to the casing to zap the hell out of me.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

EXACTLY!

Some folks have better, longer lasting luck out of these things, others don't, but yeah you totally get that these things can (and often will) eventually short out, one way or another.

I happen to have enough electronics knowledge and experience to keep mine properly cleaned and maintained, but I don't think that 99% of people would even be able to do that, at least not safely..

[–] BenderRodriguez@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Zippo

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

What do you use it for?

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Mostly cigarettes, around a pack a day. Sometimes a weed joint.

Yes, bad habits, I know..