Sodastream

54and56 wrote: »

No, not yet. Just sent my cylinder off to be refilled at Argos for the 3rd/4th time. I have the refill adapter but haven't gotten round to getting the CO2 cylinder yet.

It's on the to-do list but hasn't risen to the top yet

Well hurry up. I need you to be the guinea pig. :D

robbe wrote: »

Seconded! Would help if you got the cheaper adaptor as the co2 cylinders seem to be readily available and similar in price (AJ Edge in Bray came up a few times in previous threads)......

Ah here, now i feel under pressure!!

Will have some spare time in the run up to Xmas so will aim to get it done before the new refill needs to be refilled.

Hi,

Just about to spend another €18 on an exchange cylinder in Argos and this got me thinking (again) about trying to go down the DIY route. There are websites with the adaptor available but it's around €50 which seems overkill given it's really just a modified valve. Saw this on aliexpress which at €20 is more acceptable but not sure if anyone has successfully refilled containers themselves. I know the gas can be got relatively easily but this aspect has put me off - has anyone taken the plunge and done the refills themselves?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32804108857.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.77362303a2dpX8#feedback

robbe wrote: »

Hi,

Just about to spend another €18 on an exchange cylinder in Argos and this got me thinking (again) about trying to go down the DIY route. There are websites with the adaptor available but it's around €50 which seems overkill given it's really just a modified valve. Saw this on aliexpress which at €20 is more acceptable but not sure if anyone has successfully refilled containers themselves. I know the gas can be got relatively easily but this aspect has put me off - has anyone taken the plunge and done the refills themselves?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32804108857.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.77362303a2dpX8#feedback

I got this one from Amazon.co.uk for about €20 delivered - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jeffergarden-Filling-Cylinder-Connector-SodaStream/dp/B07QSVKXCG/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=jeffergarden+sodastream&qid=1574675376&sr=8-16

Looks well made but yet to be used in anger as I haven't gotten a CO2 cylinder

I also purchased 2 X sodastream compatible cylinders from https://www.co2-adapter.com/co2-cylinder as the one supplied with my new Sodastream has the new "non-return" valve which makes refilling more of a challenge. Apparently the old cylinders without the non-return type valve are much easier to re-fill and are compatible with all SodaStream machines so having a couple of those should keep things simple and allow an empty cylinder to be replaced with a full one by the kids giving me plenty of time to re-fill the empty one.

If when I eventually get round to sourcing a CO2 cylinder the adapter I got from Amazon doesn't work or is too fiddly I'll probably buy one of these https://www.co2-adapter.com/adapter but it's important to get the EU version as the US and Australia have different standards.

Some good info on the different valve types you can have on the sodastream cylinders here https://www.co2-adapter.com/adapter/cylinder and on the two types of CO2 cylinders that are generally available here https://www.co2-adapter.com/adapter/gas-bottle.

I don't like the idea of having to turn the CO2 cylinder upside down each time I want to do a refill so my preference is to find a CO2 cylinder and re-fill source with a Dip tube Valve design.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Just checking for any updates on your refilling? Would love to find alternatives to the Argos refill.

Still haven't done it. Was out in Bray yesterday but forgot to call into A J Edge Fire Safety Limited. Will be going back out soon and will definitely do it then and report back.

On a positive note I'm delighted to confirm that my Sodastream investment hasn't proved to be a fad. I and the the rest of the family use it all the time and have found some good low or no sugar syrups we use for flavoured water:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GE2RS7A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007EPVJYK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XDPDV6S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

thawk69 wrote: »

So I read this thread, dived in and bought the adapter from co2-adapter.com/adapter, bought the 6.25kg c02 food grade cylinder from IEdepot and just did my first refill. It worked, I don’t know is it 100% full but I don’t mind. I had a problem that I have a soda cylinder with value #5. That type as I found out has some type slow release value so I had to very slowly open/increase the pressure during refill for it to work (after a bit of head scratching to start with why it wouldn’t fill).

For a first attempt, success! I’ll report back if anything going wrong on later fills.

Tom

Sounds excellent. Well done. Any idea how many refills are in the cylinder? How much did it cost you?

Cost wise it’s a bit of a outlay up front. The cylinder is 140€ (100 is a deposit you can get back). The adapter was €55. In terms of refills I guess I’ll find out but I estimate (maybe badly) between 12 and 15 refills. I go through one soda stream in a bit over two months so I should get about two years of refills.

Yes, that is the link to the IEdepot cylinder I got, I was passing by so just popped in a picked one up. He did say something about a rent fee on the cylinder after keeping it for two years but I didn’t pay attention it and don’t see it anywhere else.

It’s a bit of a hassle/fumble having to turn the cylinder upside down to fill, it’s heavy and a bit unstable, access with my hand was hard to turn the value. However, for the first time I just rested it upside down partly on a chair, and tilted it a bit to turn the value.

Tom

I can see a Sodastream refilling masterclass taking place over the coming weeks

54and56 wrote: »

Shamed by your action but more so by my own inaction I popped down to A J Edge Fire Safety Limited in Bray and they made me up and filled a 5KG cylinder with food grade CO2 for a once off €45 with refills costing €10 as I need them going forward.



Now all I have to do it figure out how to use the Jeffergarden SodaStream CO2 Filler Refill Adapter Kit I ordered online for €15.

looking forward to seeing the obligatory video!

Then looking forward to your masterclass .

54and56 wrote: »

Shamed by your action but more so by my own inaction I popped down to A J Edge Fire Safety Limited in Bray and they made me up and filled a 5KG cylinder with food grade CO2 for a once off €45 with refills costing €10 as I need them going forward.



Now all I have to do it figure out how to use the Jeffergarden SodaStream CO2 Filler Refill Adapter Kit I ordered online for €15.

Nice! If your refill works out well I’ll may switch (in two years).

Tom

Raoul wrote: »

looking forward to seeing the obligatory video!

Then looking forward to your masterclass .

Mmmm, that'll be a week or two away at least. The convertor I purchased, which is no longer available on Amazon.co.uk, fits the Sodastream bottle fine but doesn't screw onto the cylinder valve at all as it has a male fitting the same size as the male fitting on the 5KG CO2 cylinder. It looks like I'd need an adapter to make it work but nothing jumps out when I google 21.8 adapters so I might just contact https://www.co2-adapter.com, send them some photo's of the valve on my cylinder and get them to recommend which of their adapters I should purchase.

54and56 wrote: »

So now we are all more or less housebound with no sport to watch I'm finally getting round to a few of the things on my to-do list.

I got this adapter and set it up for my non standpipe (dip tube), non RPV 5KG CO2 cylinder.

All went well (following this video to set it up but disappointingly it only filled each sodastream cylinder with about 60 grams of CO2 rather than the 500 grams a full fill would take.

I've been on to the adapter people (VERY responsive) and they are walking me through some trouble shooting so I'll update as I go.

FYI there's nothing wrong with the 5KG CO2 cylinder other than it doesn't come with a standpipe/dip tube which means it has to be filled upside down but that's not much of a big deal really.

Hopefully I'll figure out how to get a decent fill and all will be good.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Hire did you guys get around this?

Currys. In the shop, before all the madness started.

54and56 wrote: »

So now we are all more or less housebound with no sport to watch I'm finally getting round to a few of the things on my to-do list.

I got this adapter and set it up for my non standpipe (dip tube), non RPV 5KG CO2 cylinder.

All went well (following this video to set it up but disappointingly it only filled each sodastream cylinder with about 60 grams of CO2 rather than the 500 grams a full fill would take.

I've been on to the adapter people (VERY responsive) and they are walking me through some trouble shooting so I'll update as I go.

FYI there's nothing wrong with the 5KG CO2 cylinder other than it doesn't come with a standpipe/dip tube which means it has to be filled upside down but that's not much of a big deal really.

Hopefully I'll figure out how to get a decent fill and all will be good.

Happy to report two things:-

1. These guys have a very robust product and are amazing to deal with. I've been emailing them 2-3 times and they've been responding with pointers and suggestions.

2. Their suggestions worked and I have now refilled the two empty sodastream bottles I purchased from them.

The trick, certainly using the 5kg non dip pipe non RPV cylinder I purchased from A J Edge Fire Safety Limited in Bray for €45, is to do three things:-

i) Make sure the 5kg cylinder is at room temperature, the higher the better. I had been keeping it in the shed so was only at 8c or so whereas it needs to be at 20c or more if possible. Overnight beside a radiator or in an airing cupboard will do the trick.

ii) The empty sodastream bottle(s) should be put into a freezer for at least 3 hours before you want to refill or preferably overnight. The bigger the difference in temperature between the 5KG cylinder and the sodastream bottle to be refilled the better.

iii) Fill the sodastream bottles holding the 5kg cylinder upside down. Only open the valve when you've already inverted the 5kg cylinder and keep it open for at least a minute. I found wiggling it about a bit also seemed to encourage more transfer. It's a bit of a contortion so useful to have someone who can either do the holding (it's not very heavy but requires two hands) or the valve turning.

Gloves are also required for handling the frozen Sodastream bottles.

Given this is a hack type solution I'm happy with how it works now I've finally figured it out. I might ask A J Edge Fire Safety Limited if they can either install a dip tube in the cylinder I have or so some sort of trade in for one with a dip tube next time as not having to fill upside down would make the process much easier and definitely a one person job.

Glad I've finally figured this out as the refill I got from Argos 10 days ago must only have been 25% full and is empty already.

If I get myself organised I should always have at least one full spare and two empty ready to be refilled. A full bottle typically lasts about 3 weeks in my house so I reckon I'll end up doing 7-8 refills a year which is way less hassle than traipsing down to Argos to see if they have any in stock and instead of paying Argos €288 for refills each year it'll cost me €10 - €20 a year depending on whether I have to get one or two refills of the 5KG cylinder.

€260 in my pocket and less hassle each year. Happy days.

54and56 wrote: »

Happy to report two things:-

1. These guys have a very robust product and are amazing to deal with. I've been emailing them 2-3 times and they've been responding with pointers and suggestions.

2. Their suggestions worked and I have now refilled the two empty sodastream bottles I purchased from them.

The trick, certainly using the 5kg non dip pipe non RPV cylinder I purchased from A J Edge Fire Safety Limited in Bray for €45, is to do three things:-

i) Make sure the 5kg cylinder is at room temperature, the higher the better. I had been keeping it in the shed so was only at 8c or so whereas it needs to be at 20c or more if possible. Overnight beside a radiator or in an airing cupboard will do the trick.

ii) The empty sodastream bottle(s) should be put into a freezer for at least 3 hours before you want to refill or preferably overnight. The bigger the difference in temperature between the 5KG cylinder and the sodastream bottle to be refilled the better.

iii) Fill the sodastream bottles holding the 5kg cylinder upside down. Only open the valve when you've already inverted the 5kg cylinder and keep it open for at least a minute. I found wiggling it about a bit also seemed to encourage more transfer. It's a bit of a contortion so useful to have someone who can either do the holding (it's not very heavy but requires two hands) or the valve turning.

Gloves are also required for handling the frozen Sodastream bottles.

Given this is a hack type solution I'm happy with how it works now I've finally figured it out. I might ask A J Edge Fire Safety Limited if they can either install a dip tube in the cylinder I have or so some sort of trade in for one with a dip tube next time as not having to fill upside down would make the process much easier and definitely a one person job.

Glad I've finally figured this out as the refill I got from Argos 10 days ago must only have been 25% full and is empty already.

If I get myself organised I should always have at least one full spare and two empty ready to be refilled. A full bottle typically lasts about 3 weeks in my house so I reckon I'll end up doing 7-8 refills a year which is way less hassle than traipsing down to Argos to see if they have any in stock and instead of paying Argos €288 for refills each year it'll cost me €10 - €20 a year depending on whether I have to get one or two refills of the 5KG cylinder.

€260 in my pocket and less hassle each year. Happy days.

Congrats, nice work. If it wasn't for the virus, I'd be suggesting a 'gas party' to refill a bunch of cylinders and share the cost.