Soda system installation

Purchased soda system from Soda Dispenser Depot. My goal was to install in my kitchen without it being an eyesore. Video is less than 5 minutes long.

[@gary5209]

Haha, you stole my idea of using an ice maker for the cold plate! Beautiful installation!

[@6116phil]

Do you still have this system? I just acquired one from marketplace and the company won’t give me the instructions for it?

[@ABWSKITCHEN]

I installed my carbonator with a mini jockey box which has a SS coil instead of the cold plate, I need to add ice everyday, it is my only problem. I would like to add the ice machine to insert the SS coil in it. How your ice machine has been working so far?

[@lauranortoncpa]

The ice machine - the tray drop mechanism - broke about every four months. It always broke in the same spot - the tray dropper arm. Yes, I would have to pull out that whole unit, out of that cabinet (not easy), repair it and reinstall it in that cabinet, finally I gave up and I too manually drop ice in every day and drain it. If the ice machine would just work this whole system would be a huge upgrade from lugging 2 liter bottles around but even with having to put ice in every day it's an upgrade from what I was doing before. Soda Dispenser has a new product where the carbonator and chiller are one unit. One day I may try that.

[@ABWSKITCHEN]

@@lauranortoncpa thank you for the response, definitely I will keep adding ice to my jockey box. I freeze water in the round Clorox's wipe containers. I have a small electric pump inside the jockey box, I plug the pump, at the same time I take out the ice from the wipe container, unplug the pump, add the ice and that's it until next day, takes me less than 5 minutes and we enjoy our Seltzer water all day. I have 2 CO2 tanks of 10 lbs each, so I always have one on hand. Each tank last 45 days, we pull around 2 gallons of Seltzer per day. To charge each tank is 11 dollars at a welding supply store. Thanks again. Probably I will make a video of the carbonator and add it to my cooking channel.

[@sodaguy1736]

How is your soda dispenser holding up 3 yeas later?

[@lauranortoncpa]

Everything is going fine except the refrigerator/freezer kept breaking so every day in the morning I have to load the cold plate with ice, manually. I think about the effort it took to manage the 2 L bottles in my refrigerator and open them every day to make a pour versus being able to walk up and use the wunderbar gun, so maybe it’s not so bad. One day I would like to solve my Cold plate problem.

[@nightcasino]

@@lauranortoncpa thanks for the video! I just purchased a system cold plate only. I need to figure out a ice bin situation. Did you ever do something different? I like the new chillers they sell but I can’t afford them.

[@lauranortoncpa]

@@nightcasino I'm still dropping ice over my bin every morning. I do hope to get the remote chiller that they sell one day. My system still looks exact same as date I took this video.

[@danjmc35]

When the ice maker is working right Does it make the water cold

[@ericcurry9941]

How much did this system cost in terms of equipment? Do you have a price list?

[@lauranortoncpa]

The parts I ordered from Soda Dispenser were $1,759. That covered the ice machine, carbonator, wunderbar gun and manifold, Brix kit and CO2 regulator. I had to also buy CO2 tank. If you're seriously thinking of getting something like this lucky you - as they have improved the whole process quite a bit since I installed this system. The new setups like this can come with a chilled carbonator, so one unit that takes care of the ice machine and incorporates the carbonator too. Very space saving and less moving parts for keeping the cold plate cold. It's on the website sodadispenserdepot.com probably available at other sites too, but I'm sure they have it.

[@gary5209]

Yea but the new systems with the space saving chiller cost thousands of dollars. Your set up is the cheapest way to go.

[@richarddeleon9284]

How did you pass the bar gun thru the granite/sink

[@lauranortoncpa]

I already had a hole there for a soap dispenser (and was regretful I did) with some filing I was able to tightly fit the grommet into the hole, lots of luck is what I had - because I think once you've cut the hole it's hard to make it a little bit bigger. Back when the soap dispenser hole was made I had a special bit to make the cut, lots of work and water are in my memories of that day

[@ryans.8814]

Which ice maker is that? Most small units I've seen like that don't stay cold after making ice

[@lauranortoncpa]

Soda Dispenser Depot (SDD) didn't include brand of ice machine. Once ice melts below switch the unit makes ice again, keeping the cold plate cold. This ice maker has broken a few times and I've had to send it back to SDD for them to repair. When the warranty expires I will buy something different for sure.

[@ryans.8814]

@@lauranortoncpa interesting. I believe some of the $120 mini ice makers on amazon actually drain the melting ice back into the maker. So it should be the same thing

[@Raditude]

I’m looking to get one of these for my kitchen. Does it all come as a kit, or do I have to buy parts separately? Does it come with instructions to install everything?

[@lauranortoncpa]

It does come as a kit, there are a few things you'll have to buy extra depending on your situation (like do you want to have a gun dispenser or lever push, do you want to install a filter etc). They'll interview you when you buy about how many different flavors you want because they will label the lines for you going into and out of the cold plate. And they labeled the buttons on my wunderbar gun. It comes with instructions, about 70 page book I'd say with pictures but you have to read it online or print out yourself.

[@lauranortoncpa]

Oh the 3 ring binder in the video is the printed-out instruction manual. And that access panel on the back side of the bar.... I found out later I could have purchased something to cover that up, didn't have to build it.

[@Raditude]

Laura Norton thank you very much for the reply. How long does a bag-in-box last for you? Are you able to finish it before it expires?

[@lauranortoncpa]

@@Raditude I started out with 2.5 gallon bib and now I'm on my second 5 gallon bib. Prior to install I was consuming diet soda at rate of ~ 2.3 liters a day. So I do finish before expiry. One thing that's wild is Pepsi and coca cola BIBs are crazy expensive. I get my BIBs from webstaurant.com, free quick delivery, great prices, super taste.

[@meluvalli]

@@lauranortoncpa Wonder how you are getting free delivery from them? I looked into them and they are charging me over $30.00 for shipping standard ground. Also, do you happen to have the link to the online version of the installation manual of the system you got?

[@pwee1750]

I love you!!!###

[@lauranortoncpa]

Guillermo mora jr 😂