Leaking Rothenberger superfire 2

[simonharper1971]

My Superfire 2 is now leaking gas from the pressure relief hole ( just below the trigger).
It is 14 months old and looks like new. The previous one did exactly the same but i think I got about 3 years out of it.
I spoke to Rothenberger . They tell me they wont warranty their torches if you use a third party gas canister and dont remove the canister after daily use.
My understanding is that it has something to do with effect of the gas long term on the O ring seals inside.
Plugging the hole is not only dangerous , it doesnt work and just leaks elsewhere (i know .i tried) . Apparently there are a number of seals inside the body that are for the regulator and they degrade. They are none user serviceable and the gun is manufactured in such a way that the regulator in the main body cannot be dismantled
I have also had a couple of Bernzomatics which have done the same . The general consensus is that Rothenbergers are Bernzomatics (rebranded)
They certainly look the same.
Looking through my graveyard tub of torches in the garage , I have Rothenbergers in there with not a single speck of black paint on them. I used to get 5 years from a torch and i have always used them heavily.

I would like to know if many others have had this problem and more interestingly i'm wondering if there is a relationship between starting to use mapp gas about 10 years ago and shortened torch life ( maybe acetylene degrades O rings more rapidly)

Thanks All

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Had mine for 6 plus years nothing but they do sell rebuild kits for them

 

[simonharper1971]

Had mine for 6 plus years nothing but they do sell rebuild kits for them

 

[simonharper1971]

unfortunately the service kit is just for the 'bolt-on' bits .my problem keeps being the regulator and as far as i can tell its non serviceable. Do you use mapp gas? and if so is it always genuine rothenberger?
cheers

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yes and what ever my local has think it’s Roth

 

[Chuck]

There's a rather excellent guide to the various modes of o-ring failures here:

Why do O-rings fail - Precision Polymer Engineering

A brief overview of the most common reasons O-rings fail with suggestions on how to diagnose issues, what might be causing them, and how PPE can help you solve them.

www.prepol.com

If you do a post mortem on your failed torch and carefully remove the o-rings you'll probably be able to spot the cause. There's a link that allows you to check the compatibility of various o-ring materials with loads of chemicals.

I don't know what material Rothenberger uses for their o-rings but I've seen something like this in the past when some bright spark decided to substitute the designer-specified Viton (TM) o-rings with cheaper nitrile ones.

If you want to become an o-ring geek, here's another useful overview:

Everything You Need To Know About O-Rings And Seals | RS

In our comprehensive guide we look at what o-rings and seals are, what they’re used for, as well as the different types that are available on the market.

uk.rs-online.com