Getting ready for a weekend away having bought a brand new Coleman Coastline 4 for me and the OH (having had last years new purchase stolen in a burglary 2 weeks ago) .
One piece of kit that we got from the in laws is a gas lamp. Ive already tested it and it works beautifully.
Is anyone able to help with how to replace the cartridge? Will need to run the old one down but may well need to change it while Im away. Is it fairly easy?
Make sure the old one is empty first, as the cartridges don't reseal themselves.
Unscrew the lamp from the base - the bit that the valve is attached to will separate from the blue base below.
Turn it upside down, and you'll see a blue securing ring. Turn that counter-clockwise and it'll undo.
Remove the old cartridge.
Insert a new cartridge and replace the securing ring.
Make sure the valve's closed and then screw the lamp back into the base. A needle in the top half will pierce the cartridge as you screw it back in.
You may hear a slight hissing, but this is normal. Just make sure you do it fairly swiftly.
Job done.
Thats brilliant Rockford, thanks ever so much. Just wanted to hear what the right way of doing it was before I started messing about with it. Doesnt sound too scary.
Ooo I cant wait for the weekend now. Already been shouted at for testing in the house!
Could I just add one point to Rockford's instructions?
When you've taken the spent cartridge out, check that the securing ring will move freely and "seat" properly in the base, cleaning off any rust and lubricating lightly if needed.
It has been known, on an older lamp or stove of this type, for the securing ring not to fall back into place when turned clockwise, resulting in the cartridge being pierced by the spike before the valve/burner unit has been screwed far enough into the base for its seal to be effective.
Having checked the above, as Rockford rightly says, do it fairly swiftly (and of course outdoors and away from ignition sources!).
I suppose this is an appropriate time for me to apologise to whoever was at the bottom of the cliff I once had to throw a leaking cartridge over!
Thanks for the extra tip Hacksaw. The base and ring itself is rusty in places so I will clean it up and lubricate before and test it out a bit before I put a new cartridge in.
Great to read these posts, as I haven't changed the cylinder in ages. It must be getting low, as it's started 'phutting' every 20 seconds or so. I imagine that's a sign it's running out. We intend to use it again in June, when we plan to camp in a big family group, and will need all our lamps and then some! (I'm not keen on LED - our LED lantern gives off a cold light, creating a real 'Blair Witch' kind of atmosphere... )
I have no idea where the instructions are (although they have to be somewhere. I never throw camping details away! ) I'll print out your instructions and put them in the camping folder for when I need to change the cartridge.
Thanks again for the help, and thanks to growvirgin for posting the thread!
(So sorry you were burgled. What rats some people are! )
In case anyone finds himself with the problem of the new can emptying when trying to replace it, here's the problem: the needle is proud of the seal. It also sais in the manual that you should check whether this is the case, but it doesn't tell you how to fix it. The problem is that the seal sits on some kind of piston, which presses the seal against the can. In my case, this piston got stuck and a bit of WD40 and turning it sideways and up and down with a tweezer fixed my lamp.