Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Hawklore on November 17, 2005, 10:39:03 AM

Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Hawklore on November 17, 2005, 10:39:03 AM
How could you do this?

How much would it run?!

Just a simple 2 or 3 flavour fountain thingy..

I want one at home so I can go to work with some without having to take a detour by Publix.

:furious

I NEED MY CAFFEINE DAMNIT I NEED IT NOW!!!!!

AGGHH!!!

:cry
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Sandman on November 17, 2005, 10:41:42 AM
(http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/coffee-maker-ch.jpg)
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Nefarious on November 17, 2005, 10:55:30 AM
Find a local business who is getting rid of one, or selling thier fountain equipment. Then contact your favorite soda company and ask for a catalog so you can order the syrups, remember you also have to purchase CO2, I say start investing in 2 liters. :D
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: nuchpatrick on November 17, 2005, 11:49:58 AM
List for a soda drink dispenser runs about $3500.00 new..  Try e-bay.. but the syrups and CO2 costs are not worth owning one at home.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Golfer on November 17, 2005, 11:57:21 AM
Since you're living at home anyway...have the folks install a bar downstairs.  Get yourself a nice pool table, dart board, televisions and a jukebox and you're set.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: RightF00T on November 17, 2005, 12:26:38 PM
Take it old school and just order Dr. Pepper.

Seriously, CO2 canisters(atleast big enough to mix soda) are out of this world expensive.  I imagine buying the bags of soda(yes they come in bags...bags enclosed in dispenser-like boxes) might not be as hard and expensive.  But all of the equipment required to make what we know as soda/pop/coke isn't practical for personal non-retail use.  Trust me you don't wanna just drink the bags of syrup.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: USHilDvl on November 17, 2005, 12:45:22 PM
I'm under the impression that this is very doable...

You're looking for a 'kegging' system (NOT a 'Kegerator', which has a refrigeration mechanism), often used by homebrewers to carbonate beer, wine or mead...rather than the more tricky and time-consuming process of in-bottle carbonation.  (Can anyone say 'glass grenades'?)

Check websites and local retailers that sell supplies to homebrewers..IIRC, they run in the $300 range for the basics (valves, regulators and gauges), plus soda kegs and CO2.  I don't know what soda kegs with syrup would cost, but call your local beverage distributor.  Or, buy a couple used soda kegs, find a recipe for something you like (you'd be surprised) and put up your own...run through the kegging system it'll be a fizzy as store-bought.

You can run the tab up quick, however, if you start spending on fancy-schmancy taps, multi-line systems, etc...so be careful.

If you get that far, and also want chilled beverage, let me know.  There is a cheaper way than a kegerator...;)

Good Luck!
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: rabbidrabbit on November 17, 2005, 12:45:39 PM
how about this one?

http://www.sodaclubusa.com/prodinfo.htm#machine
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Mickey1992 on November 17, 2005, 01:17:24 PM
Nearly all pop dispensers that you see in fast food places/restaurants/gas stations are owned by the cola distributors.  They are responsible for cleaning, calibrating and maintaning the units.  All the on-site staff has to do is swap out the syrup boxes and maybe change a CO2 tank.

You don't want a dispenser at home.  They have to be cleaned constantly and are a pain.  You would need to pour 20 oz of pop down the drain every morning in order to clear out the stuff that was in the pipes all night.

Stick with $.99 2-liter bottles.  Way cheaper and less mess.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: vorticon on November 17, 2005, 01:27:57 PM
find a bulk store nearby, take a friends half ton, and load er up with flats...

you could probably pickup enough pop for a few months on what you would spend for the dispenser dealy alone...
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: JCLerch on November 17, 2005, 01:53:33 PM
Been there, Done that :D

Got the carbonator pump, syrup pumps, fountain head, and regulators off Ebay for ~300

Purchased a CO2 cylinder for ~100, with $24 refills every 6 months or so.

Purchase the Syrup from the local corner store @ $55 for a 5 gallon box, which makes 35 gallons of soda.

Stuffed the whole works into a used refrigerator and absolutly DO NOT REGRET IT!

While it doesn't save alot of money per beverage, it does add up, and the convience is worth every dime.  Between our family and friends, we go thru a box of syrup every 45 days or so.  OH yea, mostly Mt. Dew :D

here's some pictures:
(http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm/Dispence.jpg)

(http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm/Workings.jpg)
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: lasersailor184 on November 17, 2005, 02:35:28 PM
Lerch, you are like Friggin McGuyver!  You built your own friggin telescope!


Though, anything Lerch does should be pretty easy to do, if you have a Master's in physics, Mechanical Engineering...
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: SMIDSY on November 17, 2005, 04:08:46 PM
if i had one, they would both be filled with root beer. OMFG ROOT BEER IS TEH SHIZNIT!!!! GOTZ TEH HAVE IT!! IF IT HAD ALCOHOL IN IT I WOULD DRINK IT EVEN MORE!!!
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: JCLerch on November 17, 2005, 04:46:01 PM
SMIDSY,  Look closely at the bottom cardboard box of syrup....

Hint, it says MUG r...beer :)
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: JCLerch on November 17, 2005, 04:48:26 PM
BTW, here's a link to a current ebay ad :)

Ebay fountain machine (http://cgi.ebay.com/COKE-5-FLVR-SODA-FOUNTAIN-DISPENSER-POST-MIX-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ7563186250QQcategoryZ67115QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: nirvana on November 17, 2005, 05:20:47 PM
No way Smidsy, only drink rootbeer from bottles, and then it's only Henry Weinhards.  Noob.  
Nice set up Lerch.  My aunt and uncle has a full blown bar in their basement when they lived in St. Louis, not sure if they saw any use but it was there.  

Oh and Hawk, check your local restraunt supply store.  They may have catalogs or even something you want to buy.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: AWMac on November 17, 2005, 05:34:43 PM
Ya git ye 'bout 3 good radeeators, bunches of copper tubin...you riten this down boy?

 Next getche a good 'ol used boiler with a werkin gage thingy.

next ya gotta buy a batch of wheat, barley and some ol fermented corn. an a lil terpintine..an a lil kerroseen..

Naw that yer almos ta wer ya wanna be.

 Chop bout a rick o wood and set it sum were's a 'side.

Finda good nuff wash'n tub for the catchin's....Ooooweeeee, we's gonna be deeper in stumphole then a possum in a good sleep.... haaaaaw...

Hol on now...wez talk'n 'bout da same thang?

:huh

Ya'll bee tem Revenuers i hear'n 'bout.....

ain't dun nuth'n heer...just tryin to hep a 'ol poor boy.

Bobby Jean git yer Pop his shotgun....

nuthin ta see heer, now git!!!!


:D

Mac
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: SOB on November 17, 2005, 07:43:20 PM
Quote
Originally posted by nirvana
No way Smidsy, only drink rootbeer from bottles, and then it's only Henry Weinhards.  Noob.  
Nice set up Lerch.  My aunt and uncle has a full blown bar in their basement when they lived in St. Louis, not sure if they saw any use but it was there.

You obviously have never had Henry's root beer on draft.  Not soda fountain - on draft.  Unfortunately, I haven't seen any on draft for at least a few years, so I think that may have gone bye bye when the brewery in Olympia was shut down.
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Hawklore on November 17, 2005, 08:02:13 PM
I'd like to see someone after they chugged a glass of MD syrup..

:cry
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: nirvana on November 17, 2005, 08:04:39 PM
I accept your challenge Hawk:aok
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: Hawklore on November 17, 2005, 08:06:08 PM
Hey if you scroll by the pic fast, it looks like a skinny chick with boobs..

:confused:
Title: Soda Fountains At Home?
Post by: RightF00T on November 17, 2005, 10:05:33 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Hawklore
Hey if you scroll by the pic fast, it looks like a skinny chick with boobs..

:confused:


On that note, I would say you need something far more important than a drinking fountain.;)