Sodastream or Drinkmate: Save BIG $ by Using A 20lb CGA320 CO2 Tank!
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Get the 20lb CO2 tank from Amazon! amzn.to/3V7W7cg or your local gas supplier.
Get the CO2 tank to soda maker adapter kit: amzn.to/3Tn03qq And you are good to go!
If you don't have a soda maker yet, we use Drinkmate: amzn.to/3BRlK7K
1+ year update: The setup held up fine with daily opening and closure of the tank value and there are still CO2 inside the 20lb tank that we got more than a year ago. This is again a significant saving compared to buying the overpriced 1LB co2 cartridge.
In this video, I show you how to save tons (yes, literally!) of money on your CO2 cartridge exchange cost by using a readily available 20lb CGA320 CO2 tank. You can easily exchange or refill this tank at your local welding gas supplier.
You should get a 20lb co2 tank as soon as you buy your soda maker for your home. This way, you start saving BIG MONEY on CO2 refills from the very beginning.
We wasted over $200 on just 8 exchanges of 1lb CO2 cartridges before we realized how horrible the cost was.
Alternatively, you can also save a significant amount of money by going with a smaller 10lb CO2 tank amzn.to/3zoXSGN if your spacing is limited.
Tips: Depending on your local gas supplier, you might need to turn in your existing tank to get an "exchange"; or they might do a "refill". You may get a bigger saving initially if your local gas supplier does exchange because you can just buy a cheaper reconditioned tank to turn in (instead of a brand new one). If your gas supplier does refill, then it's better to buy a good quality new tank so you can keep it for a long time. 
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I've seen many videos like this using the SodaStream model, and I see a lot of people talk about the quality of the gas used. So just a message about my view on it. I worked at a restaurant for several years as a bartender. I am not an expert on CO2 tanks or the different gases in the atmosphere. However, while working in the USA, I have dealt with FSIS inspections as well as local food and beverage sanitary health inspectors. In the USA, satisfactory conditions vary by state and sometimes county, so what's considered okay in Texas, might be seen as a war crime in California, but I can say from working in both those states in places that serve food and purchase tanks of CO2, that if we got them from a local Welding shop or an industrial gas supplier, we would be fined, shut down, and possibly sued, although not necessarily in that order. I do not believe it has anything to do with the quality of the gas, like I think CO2 is CO2 (i honestly don't know), but it's the container it's in, the tank. We only get gas tanks, kegs, and hoses from places that provide products that are intended for "direct human consumption." And every vendor we used is licensed (OSAH compliant) suppliers, which means they meet state, local, and federal (FDA code) requirements of quality, allowing us to use their products to serve food and drinks to the public. So as stated, I know nothing about the gas or the tanks, but I know we need to buy and refill tanks that are specifically meant to used in food and beverage prep to meet safety standard laws, therefore, you should research to make sure the tank you are using is made to hold gas that is meant to be served in beverages. Going out on a limb but maybe certain tanks are produced and or cleaned in a way that makes them a food grade level rather than a tank that is used to makes gas to fire projectiles.
That said, I highly recommend buying a large tank for these things because it saves mad money just like the video says. The 20lb is a little much for me personally, I use a 10lb tank, that I get from local shop that sells beer kegs and brewing equipment. Everything they sell is up to "FDA code 2017" and meant to be used in making beverages, whether it be soda or beer, or seltzer water. However, places might be hard to find, I have to drive 45 minutes to the one near me, so consider doing some research for a place near you. I know that Walmart sells the adapter piece for the SodaStream set, and they also sell and exchange CO2 tanks at certain stores, so maybe ask someone that works in that department. But I would never in a million years drink fluid that had gas from the tank pictured in this video in it. I mean, it's probably safer than breathing the air in LA, but still. But the poster of this video is right, this saves tons of money, the small containers the machine come with do not last long and are a total rip off, just like he says.
Thanks for your very informative comment. One other thing that people should take into account is that CO2 tanks usually have a 5 year lifespan. The tank is stamped with the expiration date on them. Then they require hydrostatic testing and recertification. I don't know what goes into the recertification process and if the tank is kept at a beverage grade level by the recertifcation.
@@Johnny-bm7ry most of the time you dont keep your original tank. you exchange it for another one. thats what many places do around my area. no need to worry about expiration dates. the exchange place usually does hydrostatic testing.
Thank you for explaining this. I mean I knew all this to be true, I just needed to hear it from the expert.
One point... in California according to my distributer ALL CO2 sold in California is "Food Grade"!
@@rioosodog Yes since posting this, I spoke to an employee at a company called AirGas, and there is definitely a difference between CO2 gas. It is based on purity percentage. Some claim it does not really matter, but food grade CO2 has to be a higher purity than industrial grade CO2. In Cali, the state that is considered the King of regulations, I would not doubt you at all. They probably only use the best gas due to state laws. Of course there is always the chance you meet some shady dealer that bends those laws, but I'm sure if you go to a respected vendor you should be good.
Let me try to put some of clarity on this discussion. First, the adaptor. It has 3 parts. The part that twist on your tank, the hose, and the part that twist on the Soda Machine. The part that twist on the Soda Machine has a valve on it, it is the same valve that the original cylinder has. You can see it as a pin in most models. That valve remains closed (so there’s NO PRESURE on the Soda Machine), unless you press the trigger on the Soda Machine. When you do that, a lever push that pin inside the adaptor (in the same way it pushes the pin inside the cylinder) so now the gas can flow to your bottle.
So, what pressure you have on your Machine Soda while the trigger is not pushed (nevertheless if the tank valve is open or not)? ZERO. The pressure is contained inside the 3 pieces I mentioned early. So, what happens if you open and close for every use the tank valve? The hose inflates and deflates on every use (until its elastics limits, of course), and what it causes on the hose and its connections? FATIGUE. It is the same that happens when you take a piece of metal and bend it over several times, you crack it, why? By FATIGUE. So, if you have checked you have no leaks on your installation, there’s no reason to close the tank valve on every use, and if the maker were confident on its materials, they wouldn’t recommend to do that. Think on every industrial automation system. You will need to depressurize it on every shift or when you are not using it. You never do that unless you need to perform a system maintenance.
The gas. It is CO2. On a recharged cylinder or tank, what you have is mostly liquid (liquid CO2), with a portion of gas CO2. Let’s say the temperature remains constant at 20 degrees centigrade. At that temperature the pressure inside the cylinder or the tank will be 57.2 bar or 830 LBf/in2. No less no more. When you use the gas that is at the top, the pressure inside the tank drops, and part of the liquid becomes gas, until the pressure reaches again 57.2 bar. That circle remains the same way, until there’s no liquid inside the tank, so the further uses of the gas just will drop the pressure until the atmospheric pressure is reached, when no more gas will come out of the tank or cylinder. So, there’s no need of any kind of pressure regulator, because a big tank or the 60 lts canister will have THE SAME PRESSURE if they are at the same temperature. If you use a regulator what you will do is that the pressure relief valve, that is located inside the Soda Machine (is the one that make a noise and a vibration when you are making soda), will work a lot less and you will save some gas. The only argument to use a regulator valve is to make the pressure relief valve to work very little or not to work at all if the pressure is setting just below the open point of the pressure relief valve.
I’m so glad I found you! I was searching for drink mate refills that would ship to Alaska, absolutely no luck until I found you, my alternate method. Thank you so so much!! I appreciate you!!
Excellent video! Very informative and easy to follow. Thanks 🙏
This was very informative, thank you for posting. I've also seen videos where you can buy a hose with adapter to refill your small tank, from a larger tank. That way you just use the machine like normal from the refilled small tank.
You should go to restaurant supply store or brewing store to get the new tank refilled with food grade CO2. Welding tanks make have oil or other industrial residue you don’t want to mix with food, and they usually exchange the tank and give you an old one instead of refilling the brand new tank you just bought.
It's interesting that you mentioned about the quality of CO2, I was afraid of it too, but there is no special "Food grade CO2" as I asked one local gas supplier that supply to both food industry/resturants and welding/construction industry.
All CO2 gas are exactly the same, there is no "oil or other residue" in the tank, they are just that... CO2 gas under high pressure... It could be a myth that some suppliers uses to jackup the price of their CO2 because they are "food grade".
Agree on the exchange part, if there is a supplier that does refill on your own newer tank that's great! If not, this may be your only option.
Cheers!
dude from reddit said according to his old man who own an air company for 50 years, there's no difference between co2 that goes into food, beverage or paintball gun.
@@crumpz anyone that says their co2 is food grade is adding a "marketing premium" or shall we say "智商税" to their cartridge :D
@@TheGizmoGarage haha agreed
@@TheGizmoGarage Here’s the thing, when I first started making sparkling water at home, I just got a regular co2 tank from a wielding shop. The tank was old and I noticed the first bottle of water would always taste funny if I haven’t used the tank for couple of days. The CO2 may be the same, but you are still getting a rusty, old, possibly contaminated tank from a wielding/hydroponic shop. I would rather pay more to have my own tank filled. Since I only use one tank a year, I’m more than happy to pay the “premium.”
It seems every "expert" is neglecting the BIGGEST thing; When you go to a gas refiller (Airgas, Matheson, etc) just tell them what you're using the co2 for, don't be an idiot and act shady, they know what to provide and yes, it WILL be food safe.
Act like an adult and you get adult solutions.
Just got my drinkmate. Thanks for the video, dude.
Any time!
great video thank you, I just got a Drinkmate as a gift and love it and do drink about a 1.5 liters a day. Can't stop using it and for sure will adapt your method.
It'll save you tons of money in the long run, especially if you drink 1.5 gal/day!
@@TheGizmoGarage so sorry 1.5 liters a day, dang auto spell
Thank you. Very informative and well presented.
Just bought that, what a nice life hack. I was annoyed by always changing the little bottles. I always drink sparkling water! Plus it is less expensive!
incredibly helpful! thank you!
I was looking for another alternative, but where there's a will there's a way. Thanks for sharing.
I have the same setup..20 pound tank..going on 6months havnt exchange it.i was going threw the smaller $17 co2 in a week or 2.this setup saves me so much money.and I leave mines open never had a problem
There are now two types of Sodastream co2 bottles. The older type screws in and the new type clamps into position. Both types of adapter hoses are available. Co2 tanks and food-grade co2 refills are available from homebrew beer stores.
Finally made the jump to buy a 5lb tank of c02 after almost a year of watching this. Had to come back and get the instructions!
Haha, yey! Our giant tank is still going strong without exchange after almost 2 years of daily use...
thank you for this information!
No worries!
great stuff thanks!
I worked for a CO2 gas filling company for 8 years. Although the idea of switching to a bigger tank is great, I would 100% recommend using a regulator to make sure you are 1) using the right pressure and give your device a longer life and 2) to make sure you stay safe. When it comes to the quality of the gas, the company he got the gas from, has different color coded tanks for food grade CO2 and Industrial grade CO2. This ensures your tank is treated as food grade when getting filled. Is the same gas but the tanks are different. How do I know? I recognize the labels.
from what i've read, the actual pressure regulating is in the metal hose adapter end, not in the soda machine. after all, it's all plastic. also, there should be no worries if you get your refills from a brew supplies store for obvious reasons.
+1 on the regulator. Safer for you, longer life for your appliances and associated kit.
thanks! eh, could any of yall recommend, 1) an appropriate regulator. 2) how does one discern a 'right' pressure range?
@@thebestiarybell I use a dual-gauge model by "Taprite", which I'm very happy with. Dual gauge is not necessary, but it helps when it's a good quality brand. Your pressure range is more about the container and less about the liquid. In Canada, I re-use carbonated water bottles from the grocery store and set my output pressure to 32-35. Attach, open the gas and shake the bottle every once in awhile to let the water absorb the gas. If you can, try to keep the bottle below the level of the tank to avoid water getting into your line. Once there are next to no bubbles coming out anymore, turn off the gas, disconnect and there you go! You can consume right away, but I get better results by keeping the bottle closed in the fridge for at least 20 minutes; your carbonation will last longer. Homebrew websites will have extensive info on what ideal pressures are. Enjoy!
I've read that you always should open the c02 thank all the way and not just partially, is this true? In the video he opens is just a bit. I think that's another mistake.
Hei Li, thnk you for the idea. Would you mention the adpater regulator. Cause many regulator in eccomerce 😁. My mine is drinkmate like yours
Mine is similar to this one: amzn.to/3nA8MZZ
I would love to get a link for that adapter 😊
That c02 canister looks like for commercial use not food grade is that safe? Like i mean the cleanliness because of the canister itself.
Will this work for the Sodastream Art?
Amazing video, just a quick question, do you use liquid o gas CO2? Thank you in advance, happy holidays
The CO2 gas is always in high-pressure liquid form, so yes, it supposed to be liquid.
Has this been worth the money well saved?
Do you need a regulator on that adapter? I'm planning on getting a 5lb tank but worry the tank pressure would blow out my Drinkmate or the O-rings and such. How's yours holding up today?
Regulator would help with pressure gauge. But we used it without, and the 20lb is almost emptied after over a year of daily use.
is it worthwhile to get this setup you have? meaning, how long will that valve on your tank last if you open and close it several times a day for months? wouldnt it not be a better idea to get the adapters to refill the small canisters instead? i'm trying to figure out which is the better way.
Installed lat Sep, the valve gets open and closed at least twice daily, still fine, and still have gas inside the 20lb tank. Hope it helps.
Amazing shirt
What about the same idea but refilling the small tanks?
Absolutely, even with a 5lb or 10lb can, it will last 5-10x longer than the small 1lb cans!
20lb tank is overkill. There are also counter-friendly 5lb tanks and also 10lbs. Both are cheaper upfront and more space-friendly while not requiring frequent trips for refills. I'm just not sure about not using a gauge regulator with the hose.
What we do is simply turn the valve off after each fill... 20lb is perfect for us as we can just hide it in a dead corner. let's see if we can make it through a year+ without refill. With a smaller tank have to leave it on the countertop, not ideal setup for us.
Be sure to use "Food grade" CO2, medical grade is an overkill but the regular industrial grade, you could end getting dust in your soda.
Can i unconnect the easy connect attached to the soda stream after it has been attached? Or is locked in
For safety purpose you need to make sure your co2 tank valve is properly closed (turned clockwise all the way). Then you need to make sure all pressure in the hose line is fully released (you can release all the gas by making a drink with co2 tank valve closed and pump all remaining gas out of tube until you don’t hear the hissing sound anymore) before attempting to disconnect the line from soda stream machine
@@TheGizmoGarage
Thank you for reply
CO2 tanks as far as I know, are not designed to operate their valves at any other position (while under pressure) aside from full open or full closed. You'll end up with a leaky tank. If the pressure is too much for your device, you'll need a regulator, and you should probably have one anyways. I just use a regulator and carbonation caps on 1 or 2 liter PET bottles that I re-use over and over; no need for some appliance on my counter. Please use food-grade gases!!
@@TheGizmoGarage I think you replied to the wrong thread, bud!
@@Metoobie I did... sorry! In reply to your comment, yes the valve is either open or close. Have had the tank for a year, making two drinks a day daily and still have a lot of gas left inside, I'll try to find a food supply place for CO2 exchange when this bottle runs out.
@@TheGizmoGarage No apologies necessary! Where I live, there is a decently large community of people that make their own beer/wine/cider/etc, and a lot of those stores fill up even small tanks. Since you have a much larger cylinder, some of the professional/industrial companies might be willing to do it for you too!
Thank you! I cant afford my drinkmate so its just sitting on my counter. Which Amazon adapter did you get? The link isn't loading? Are they sold out 😢
Try this one with pressure gauge ☺️ amzn.to/3tnv58J
That link isn't working either
@@meeezyfbaby amzn.to/3Tn03qq This is the one we use.
Is the CO2 from the wielding store, food grade?
There is no difference in CO2, they are CO2, some company will claim food grade to sell for a bit more when refilled. So if you have doubt, you can look for a commercial food supplier for CO2 cartridge exchanges.
I bought this adapter kit and using 20lbs tank and using SodaStream Fizzi model but CO2 keeps leaking for some reason.
I tried with 2 sodastream machines but same leaky CO2.
Have you had this issue?
I tried with 1lbs tank and then it doesn't leak...
What can I do?
any tips?
Where is it leaking? On the Sodastream connector?
Is it leaking when you press the button to make a stream? or leaking constantly without pressing any buttons?
@@TheGizmoGarage It's leaking from the tip of where CO2 is coming out. It's continuously leaking without pressing the button so I have to shut off the tank valve everytime. 😭😭😭
@@shininagaki If it's the tip where co2 shots into the bottle on the Sodastream, I really don't know what's going on, as the CO2 kit doesn't really alter anything on the machine and the pressure in larger tank is exactly the same as the 1lb tank... I only have experience with my Sodasense machine and the only time it leaked some co2 is between the hose connector and the machine connection area, which was fixed by simply tightening the nut
@@TheGizmoGarage I ended up having the connector piece to the machine a bit loose. then it stopped leaking. When I tighten the piece, it was touching and pressing down the button(?) to release CO2.
Will they refill my new co2 tank without exchange for their old tank?
Some places do, some only exchange, you can call and ask if they would refill, or exchange.
Does this hose/connector work with an Aarke machine as well?
Yes, it should work with Aarke, as all home soda makers uses the same connection type.
@@TheGizmoGarage but isn't the connector of the Aarke pretty far up in the body of the machine? How can you attach the hose then?
@@kieferngruen You are correct, while the connector is the same, the way Aarke mounts their tiny cartridge makes it impossible to modify... In that case, maybe just a cheap sodastream or drinkmate carbonator would work better.
@@TheGizmoGarage I believe it is doable, but will essentially be a custom project. Now, I'm not planning to do this with mine at the moment, even if the installation process was to be simple/easy. But basically, you need to create a makeshift tool that allows you to reach into the gas canister cavity, and fasten the connector(and be able to disengage/engage the tool from the connector when needed). The second part, would be creating a base to elevate the base of the machine, and allow clearance for the tank hose (that is if you don't want to drill a whole through your counter top). Again, doable, but is a project that not every one is able/keen to attempt (based on skill, tools, know-how, and budget).
The top of the Aarke can be removed by removing one single screw, I have one my self and used the same mod in this video. You just slide the braided cable up through the body of the Aarke after removing the top, connect the adapter to the top of the aarke and the hose to the end of the adapter, then put the top of the Aarke back on and replace the screw. I must say it's quite easy to do BUT the 10lb tank might be too much pressure for the aarke. I cant prove this but two of my aarke's have stopped working after about a month of use. It's not the included gasket that is the problem, it's something inside the unit. But my guess is the 10lb tank is too much pressure for the internal gaskets, causing them to fail.
is it dangerous? i need to use it for my aquarium
Not sure about aquarium, but it's pretty safe we've been using it for over a year.
Used 20 lb tanks are 50 and you just exchange them anyway.... I paid $80 for a full 20 lb tank in the end.
Why a 20lb tank vs smaller paintball tank?
So I don't have to run to the gas supplier for well over a year...
I like the comment $30 gets you 20lbs of Solid, Liquid Gas
Correct, it is liquified gas
It looks so scary using that set up. I was going to buy a Soda Stream-thinking this was a great idea because the small bottles are a joke price wise, maybe he made it look more complicated than it really is. I’ll pass on buying a Soda Stream
It's not that scary to be honest. Using big tanks saves a lot of money
Please use a regulator on your CO2 Cylinder and opt for food grade CO2, both can be purchased from your local brewery supply store. If you're lucky enough to find a place that does fill-while-you-wait, you keep your cylinder, but be aware, it needs to be hydrostatic tested every 5 years to enure structural integrity and safety of the cylinder.
Use Food Grade Gas !
Sir, there is no such thing as food-grade. All gases used in either welding/healthcare or food industry are food grade
Don't get a brand new tank, when you do an exchange they're most likely going to give you an old, crappy but functional one in return.
That's exactly what they did, thank you for the tip.
I don't get it. I thought this video was about comparison video between Sodastream and Drinkmate.
I wish you didn't have to open and close the 20lb tank every time. That's really annoying.
I'm sure there are other valves designed to operate easier... But we've been doing it daily multiple times for over two years and it really has become a habit now and doesn't bother at all.
Unfortunately all of these videos are shown from the same perspective: the first day. It's unfortunate because the first day is often VERY different from say the 100th day. I have the same setup as this guy (SodaStream instead of Drinkmate) and when I first hooked it up I thought it was genius. Why doesn't everybody do this? Why? Because within 2-3 months you'll find that the CO2 just flows out around the bottle instead of going into the water. Why? Because these little drink machines aren't built to withstand the higher pressure of a large canister. And they're built that way ON PURPOSE. The CO2 companies all make most of their money selling replacement canisters, not on the machines. They also know about this method. So they make the seals on the machines just strong enough to handle their little canisters, not these big ones. I've already burned through two SodaStream machines and each time the seals blow after about 2 months of use. Now that I have to keep buying the machines I'm starting to feel like this isn't so genius after all. Has anyone found a solution for long term use of the big canisters?
Maybe you had bad luck with the kits, 1 year later our 20lb can is still going strong. Pressure is exactly the same between sodastream small 1lb can and the large 20lb cans, the reason it leaks air is due to bad hookup/connection
I just use a regulator and pressure caps. You can use any PET bottle for this which is just so much more convenient for me than using the company’s bottles.
Yes buy a hose with a regulator and refill your small tank from a big tank, and use your small tank as you normally would.
The service pressure of a Sodastream bottle is higher than that of the 20lb tank here, so anything about "Can't withstand the higher pressure" isn't true.
Get a regulator. You can also just bypass the SodaStream machine altogether and just buy a $5 bottle cap adapter that would allow you to carbonate any soda bottle straight from your homebrewing C02 canister
Haha you already had the answer the gas CO2 is just that it’s CO2 some advertise it to be CO2 human consumption. It’s all the same even from a welding shop. It’s just the ugly tank you’re putting up with that’s it. You will not be in danger from the gas from a welding tank it’s just for others to charge more to be able to put safe for human consumption. It gives other people peace of mind when it’s all the same.
A little bit too much "bla bla" for such a trick according to me.
Just showing the tank, tell where you bought ou lease it, showing the hose, how to install it and that it !
Now for your information, I use exact the same montage, but I open the tank of CO2, I close it right away and push all this hose gas in the sodastream.
It is the exact amount of gas for one bottle, I purge the same way the hose, and avoid any leakage after.
Have a nice day
The "blah blah" is good for newbies. I'd probably have many more questions if I watched one of your videos.