How to DIY Refill SodaStream CO2 Bottles with Dry Ice and CO2 Bottles. Which is cheaper?
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2020
- In this episode of Lock your Hubs 4WDing we check out how to DIY Refill SodaStream CO2 Bottles
with Dry Ice and CO2 Bottles.
Link to the cost analysis excel calculator:
bit.ly/3oIAI9f
Dry Ice Filling 01:10:00
CO2 Gas Bottle Filling 07:47:00
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What's you choice, paying the piper (retail changeovers), dry ice or bottled CO2 gas for refills?
My choice is dry ice. But I am very interested in a larger co2 tank.
directly hooked from CO2 to sodastream 🤷🏼♂
My choice is AU$20 from Coles with the $15 return for the empty.
I just don't rip through carbonated water beverages at a pace requiring a commercial refill solution.
Can I suggest that there should be a refill taste test using a standard flavour. I have always used Cottees fruit cup or coola that contain sugar as the taste test since the 1980s Sodastream with the glass half pint bottles.
Again, nice work mate.
Bottled CO2. Even though I find dry ice is better for fully re-filling my canisters to maximum capacity. The convenience of coupling two bottles together vs. dismantling my bottle and finicking with the dry ice outweighs the inconvenience of only getting a partial fill.
Dry ice is colder. After abou5 100 cycles, you're playing with a pipe bomb. The metal fatigues with dry ice not so much with co2.
You Sir, are a scholar! Wonderful easy to understand explanations paired with excellent images. I watched several videos on this
topic before I arrived here. I only learned bits and pieces. NOW I am well schooled on this subject. Thanks for the tutorial!
Thankyou squire!
Horrible suggestion to use non-food grade CO2 that will contain harmful impurities. Made a YT signalement. Hopefully, this dangerous crap will be deleted.
excellent presentation vs many others. thanks for your hard work producing this info...
No worries, glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent, thanks for the education, Sir! The newer Sodastream bottles have different valves. One may need the different adapter if that exists.
I must check it out, my bottles are a little old.
Loved this . Thank you
You're welcome!
thanks mate very helpful advice :)
No problem 👍
One of the best explanations I have seen so far. Not too fond of hanging a 1 kg tank on a brass adapter. Depending on where you live, you can get an adapter hose (country-specific CO2 standard => Sodastream) with a gauge and needle valve that lets you regulate the pressure flow (Amazon, Alibaba). Procedure is the same as yours (invert tank and let the flow start very slowly so as not to trigger the newer Sodastream check valve). Ultimately, you can get an adapter hose (don't settle for rubber, go with stainless steel braided) that will connect your 10 lb + bottle directly to the Sodastream machine.
$$$ it's hard to justify Sodastream in countries where soft drinks are always on sale. The real advantage is not having to deal with all those empties if your household is a big soft drink consumer.
I haven't seen the stainless adaptor hoses, I'll have to have a google!
While I agree brass isn't the strongest of metals, I've never heard of the sodastream CO2 bottles hanging off the end of the valve causing an issue. Though you would waste the entire contents of the line after you finished filling and turned the tank's valve off, you would have no option but to vent the pressure to atmosphere right?
Horrible suggestion to use non-food grade CO2 that will contain harmful impurities. Made a YT signalement. Hopefully, this dangerous crap will be deleted.
The scholarly level you take this to sets your video apart
Thanks mate, that's what I strive for.
My process:
1. Buy the 20lb CO2 tank
2. Buy a CO2 fill manifold (with pressure gauges and two handles)
3. Hang and weigh while you fill so you know exactly how much you've put in and when to stop.
The CO2 tank refill will be less expensive over time. Especially if you do not consider the amount of time you spend picking up dry ice, filling it same hour, and having to do all that process with a vise. A 20lb co2 tank lasts my sodastream about 6 months, and a fill last time was $36.78, nowhere near your estimated costs!!!
True, I purchased the 20lb tank from a buddy for $30, and the fill manifold was $50, but after that, basically about $70/year for likely about 2-3 liters of carbonated water a day. Check your numbers on the CO2 cylinder refills! After the initial purchase, you can just get it refilled for WAY less than $248.
Buy a 20 pound co2 bottle. And hose with adapter. Skip the refill process.
@@tjp5820 I don't have a convenient place to put the 20 pound tank in my current kitchen. I considered it, and we do have kind of a dead corner now that I think about it... I'd have to drill a hole in our soapstone counters and I don't really want to do that. I suppose I could put it through the drywall.
Horrible suggestion to use non-food grade CO2 that will contain harmful impurities. Made a YT signalement. Hopefully, this dangerous crap will be deleted.
@@Dimprecator safety sally .. Offering information is great but campaigning for takedowns is a dick move.
I was having a hard time removing the valve... kinda brilliant to hold the valve in the vice!
I'm all for the easiest way of getting the job done!
Thanks for posting , helpful thumbs up ./
Cheers!
Nice video. I'm 100% with you on not paying crazy prices for CO2 but your process could be safer with a few adjustments. I used to refill paintball tanks when I played paintball in the US and I did this all the time. Just like you stated, tare weight is very important when refilling these tanks because it helps you calculate the actual amount to fill, but you have to include the tare weight calculations with the liquid CO2 refill, also, not just the dry stuff. I didn't see you mention that in the video so forgive me if I missed it. Also, I suggest taking a look at some of the old CO2 paintball refill tutorials. They use flexible braided tube to transfer the CO2 and a hanging fish scale so you can get a proper fill. The kits are pretty inexpensive, or at least they used to be, and you can even make one yourself if you wanted. Also, I'm not sure about your location but in the US you can get a dip tube installed for about 20 bucks.
Thanks for the video!
No dip tube tanks avaliable here unfortunately in Oz.
Good vid. We just got Drink Mate w 3 cylinders.
Will have to research cheapest way in Charleston, SC, USA.
Publix grocery here sell dry ice in any amt, and can swing by on the way home from work.
It may well be worth while for you then. The grocery stores here in Oz unfortunately don't sell dry ice.
Are you able to use either of these options on the quick connect canosto?
one thing to consider when comparing dry ice to liquid CO2 - the liquid tank remains available anytime you need it. The dry ice (which I have to buy in "minimum quantities" makes filling 5 or 6 bottles quite expensive ) has to be purchased each time you want to refill.
Definitely a factor.
good job!!
Thanks!
Both options seems to complicated for me in a small appartment, but I was still curious to see the dry ice procedure. I would probably do that one if I've had a house 👌
That's best done outdoors in good ventilation.
Buy a 5 pound or 20 pound CO2 cylinder, and the hose and direct adapter. No futzing with the small cylinders. Disadvantage is your sodastream is tethered to the cylinder.
Simon, not sure if it might be a good idea for a clip but I would love some tips on picking the right downed logs for a fire whilst camping.
In regards to which logs are now home to critters and should be left alone?
Best video I have watched! Please figure out how to refill the Terra ones!
Terra?
Bit of warm water over donor helps get a better fill but easy to overfill.
It would, I've used that trick in 9kg LPG bottles when filling up the small 1lb Coleman bottles.
Hey mate, I have followed your excellent advice on this video and used bottles CO2 has, and used 2 different gas bottles with the small and bigger valve- but I cannot get any gas in the bottles- turned upside down, when I release the valve at top after trying to fill- always has gas come out so it’s trying to get in there. I have frozen the cylinders as well and Nona, nothing?
Ideas ?
The valves (newer ones anyway) you have to very slowly turn on the cylinder valve or they'll shut automatically. Some are worse than others....
I've occasionally come across some where it doesn't matter how carefully you turn the cylinder the thing automatically shuts as soon as it sees pressure.
You can replace these standard valves with aftermarket ones that don't have the issue.
If you're in OZ www.kegland.com.au/products/kegland-sodastream-compatible-cylinder-replacement-valve?_pos=7&_sid=9892ad08a&_ss=r
I saw another video showing that the larger CO2 tanks can be filled with dry ice as well.
Yep, can't see any reason why not.
Great vid mate, can you help me out with a link to the fitting for the CO2 to Soda bottle.
Thanks,
Sure! www.kegland.com.au/sodastream-cylinder-filling-adapter-filling-station-with-bleed-valve.html
personally, I found it almost impossible to 'crack' the valve on the CO2 tank such that the anti-back flow valve isn't activated. With the ball valves on an adapter, it's relatively simple to fill but I'm still going to try and kill of the anti-back flow system on my tanks. (just as a point of interest, if you only have gas in the refilled tank, there would be very little CO2 present. What you're actually filling with is liquid CO2 :) - Great Video! thanks)
I agree, the anti-backflow valve can be a little finniky.
i just made a hose from the E size bottle to the soda stream and got 6 months out of it. a lot less faffing around filling little bottles.
Agreed, though if you're better half allows an E size bottle in the kitchen, you're obviously more convincing than me!
Why you remove rpv valve? Thanks
How does the dry ice refill weight vary by tank volume? Is it linear? For example (ignoring losses during filling) if a 60L tank uses 438gm of dry ice, does one fill a 120L tank with 876gm?
And/Or, does some safety issue come into play to make it a non-linear function?
The calculation will be linear.
is there a difference in co2 gasbottle fillings or can i use any kind of co2 filler bottle depending connector
You should be able to use any bottle, as aling as the adaptor screws on.
Use an electronic scale with a zero Tare button and one doesn't have to deal with weighing the tank and dealing with the math. Just zero when the tank is on the platform and add dry ice until the scale display shows the amount of dry ice you want to add (like ~440gm for the 60L tank)
That's one way around it. The bigger issue is the weight of the ice on the outside of the cylinder leaving you with a lighter load than what you measured on the scale.
Also, only use food grade co2 and tank. Apparently, the industrial co2 contains up to 1% other gasses that can be dangerous to consume. There's probably differences in tanks too, such as glass lined. I wouldn't buy a used tank since it can contain impurities on the inner lining from industrial co2.
Good point, always use food grade gasses
When you're talking about contamination in gasses you're talking about fractions of atmospheric air there's not really anything in it that could hurt you. The gases in question typically have a much higher vapor pressure than CO2 so they would always be in gaseous state and would be forced out of the cylinder first. They also have very low solubility in water compared to CO2 so they'd probably not even be in the final product.
Great explanation with lots of details. Thank you!
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it!
Steel or Aluminum?
IF any Sodastream tanks are steel, then I would think using the dry ice method could cause them to corrode more quickly over time, and if we do all the filling, then the tank is not regularly inspected or tested for possible failure as they normally are during Sodastream's tank swap-out process. Even aluminum tanks need evaluation because of possible damage and the stress of pressure cycling. I'm pretty sure I also remember reading there's also a tank expiration date.
As you fill a tank up with dry ice, depending how long you take to do it, and the relative humidity, it's possible quite a bit of water will condense inside the tank. Water will remain in the tank until you do something to remove it. And, since most people probably store their Sodastream vertically, it will concentrate at the bottom of the tank. Result=rusted and weakened tank. Rust in a pressurized tank is a bad thing and there are regular certified inspection requirements for SCUBA air tanks to make sure remain in pressure safety limits.
Just tested one with a magnet, I assume they're aluminium.
Does this include cost of the gas in the large bottle and how many fills would you get per large cylinder? is the cost of the dry ice also included and how easy is to purchase dry ice?
The cost of the gas bottle include the initially purchase price full and enough subsequent fills to to fill the sodastream bottle 60 times.
The cost of the dry ice is included in the analysis allowing 4 fills per 2kg of dry ice (allowing for the inevitable losses)
Would it be possible to fill the big bottle with dry ice as well?
Yes, though the same precausions would apply.
Is it necessary to add dry ice? I understand that it is to pressurize the bottle again.
Refilling with dry ice seems like too much of a pain particularly when they only sell it in blocks around here. It was interesting to watch you do it though. I used dry ice to make ice cream for fun. Video on my channel if anyone is interested.
The gas bottle is a lot more convenient.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Another "cool" experiment is spraying an upside down fire extinguisher into a pillow case to get dry ice. A very expensive way to get dry ice! Thanks for the fun video!
I smack the block of dry ice to smaller pieces with a hammer. I then use a blender to bring the dry ice into a powder before pouring it into the funnel.
@@vermiman Thanks, the blender is a good idea but for another project of mine(let's say I was pressure testing plastic vessels to see their failure mode 😉) I used to break the dry ice up with a hammer. Having done that it seems easier for me to buy a big tank and an adapter to attach it directly to the soda stream. I found a nice place to buy the tank and have it filled for a decent price.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing After some experience with both methods. I see why the dry ice might be better for some. As you refill the soda stream bottles you get diminishing returns. The tank you fill from(donor tank) has less pressure each time and it puts less in the soda stream bottle each time until you refill the donor tank. I knew this going in but was surprised by how extreme it would be with my 10# tank. I now have the adapter to direct connect my big tank.
FYI: We have a restaurant chain in the US that in my opinion could be said to "sublimate" just like dry ice. Taco bell turns directly into gas after you eat it.
I want to ask, those who have tried the Dry ice Methods, have you ever accidentally triggered the burst valves there? And what about storing dry ice you haven't used up yet?
You've pretty much got to use the dry ice straight away, I placed the small esky in a domestic freezer overnight, it probably lost a third of it's volume.
I haven't heard of anybody braking the burst disk.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Mmm. Then if it has to be used up right away, maybe it's better to setup a little Refill party for these, when a bunch of people want to Fill up at the same time and get great value together. Maybe 20 people filling at the same time to get great value off a whole bunch of refills together. That would also make it quite handy with the large tanks too. Just an odd idea off the top of my head.
I've tried it several times with paintball tanks and soda stream tanks. I've never had any issues except for the pressure buildup and extreme cold making it difficult to screw the valve on quickly enough.
how about using Citric Acid + Baking soda?
I think that would be a bit of a slow old process
Isnt it dangerous to turn it upside down? Will you not destroy the regulstor because of it and turning the tank into a projectile?
No, not at all.
Could you fill up the larger tank with dry ice instead?
If you use the right volume, I can't see why not.
Can you refill the 20 pound co2 tank with dry ice?
I can't see why not, as long as you can remove the valve and then reseal it after.
6kg co2 with hose straight into the soda stream. No refilling or dicking around last me about 3 months and only 60 bucks to refill it
If you've got the room, it's definitely the easiest way.
This method (the dry ice one) is twice the expensive then trading it in for a new bottle here in Sweden, sadly.
Here in Sweden a new one cost $20 and refills $2-4 max.
That's really cheap for a refill, versus the $20 here in Aus.
I've seen this in other videos where Europe is much cheaper to get refills and dry ice harder to find and more expensive. Where in Australia or the US the refills are about $20 each time.
A Co2 siphon tank would work even better, the type that’s used for paint ball refills, straight liquid
A phase change (from liquid to gas as needed for the drinks) would probably freeze everything solid! :)
Horrible suggestion to use non-food grade CO2 that will contain harmful impurities. Made a YT signalement. Hopefully, this dangerous crap will be deleted.
i noticed that once you fill the tanks with dry ice it doesn't last that long, has anyone tried adding more ice?
I think if you were to do it multiple times, you would be able to account for the added weight of the frost on the outside and the losses inbetween the time you finish loading it up and screwed the top on. I assume that's why I came up light.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing thanks for your reply, yes Im gonna try again and add a bit more and see if it last longer, great video and explanation
@@edgargarcia209 thanks mate, just try small steps and leave it outside as it comes up to pressure, nobody wants to pop a burst disk!
@@LockyourHubs4WDing will try that, thank you, I'm just gonna try the ice until I can get the adaptor which takes a while because I can only get it from china or the US and I'm in Mexico, will see how it goes
👍
Thanks!
Even easier, connect the tank directly to the dispenser.
Great idea if you have the room.
Not enough room in the kitchen, but yes in the garage. This means carrying 4 bottles with water to be 'bubbled' to the garage.
I've found the frozen cylinders stop refilling well after 1-2 years. My tank is on the side, so I might try placing the tank upside down, but the tank was refilled several months ago.@@LockyourHubs4WDing
I think you're totally insane for doing this, but I loved the video mate. Cheers.
Glad you liked it!
I can't open mine, it's on sooo tight even with a pipe wrench still doesnt work
Is there any pressure left in the bottle?
@@LockyourHubs4WDing I mean when I took off the little bolt on the side of the main one it was hissing but not for very long
@@lightofmylife1616 for stubborn ones, I put the valve in a vice and use my filter wrench tool (2"/50mm wide seat belt material) and use a breaker bar to "convince" it!
@@LockyourHubs4WDing I REPLACED THE CYLINDER AGAIN TODAY, BUT THE BLACK CIRCLE CAME OFF AND THEN I PUT IT BACK ON. IS THAT OK?
@@lightofmylife1616 the rubber seal inside the adaptor?
I will go with the CO2 cylinder because it's cheaper overall because you won't blow up the tank and have to replace it that will cost even more money
If you've got the room, it's a decent solution.
Why.... just get the adapter line and use straight from the bottle....
If you want a soda stream bottle size buy a refillable one with a easy to refill bottle ready to go... no dry ice required
I've been noticing people with them in the back of the 4WDs where unless you have a canopy setup, a larger bottle and the hardware probably isn't going to fit. So a spare bottle or two in the drawers should get you through the longest family trip.
And it gets expensive with the commercial swapovers.
I don't think many would use the dry ice option, unless they had ready access to dry ice.
Where can I get a 20lb co2 tank... myblocal Praxair charges $250!
Mine was purchased though Kegland in Noble Park Victoria.
You forgot to add time and gas money to run out and get the dry ice. I know for me to get dry ice I would have to drive atleast 25-30 minutes to get it. And that’s one way.
It's definitely a consideration, my closest seller is 15 minutes away. But if course their machine was broken and I drove 30 minutes one way to pick up the dry ice. I actually filled 3 bottles last night using the CO2 bottle. Easy and convenient.
To exchange the cylinders or to buy dry ice is about the same distance for me. They cancel themselves out. I do not know where to purchase the larger co2 bottles much less know where to get them refilled.
The downside to dry ice is it starts to vapor right away and has to be done right away.
Why do you need to buy 4 bottles at the start, why not just 1
You don't, though after asking a few owners of the machines how many gas cylinders they owned, most have in a least 3 or 4. I personally had 3 and bought a fourth before shooting the video.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing we have 2 so we always have a full one spare
You're more efficient than me! That's probably how I ended up with three in the first place!
If using the dry ice method though it would be much more convenient to own 3-4 bottles to fill as the minimum dry ice purchase amount is likely to be around 1-2 kg. As you only need 400g to fill one bottle, owning only one bottle would result in waste and added cost.
@@cotteeskid I have ten bottles. When I have around seven empty bottles, I go to purchase a few blocks of dry ice. Although there have been a few times that my supplier was out.
That old white machine is the best one they ever made . The new ones are rubbish .
Agreed!
Thumbs down twice. Good one LOL!!
Thanks!
Horrible suggestion to use non-food grade CO2 that will contain harmful impurities. Made a YT signalement. Hopefully, this dangerous crap will be deleted.
That's harsh, what wasn't food grade?