Transferred, slowly and carefully
With tech stuff, the first time is the hardest. So many questions, all based on the possibility of failure. The only real question is will something get broken, when the switch is thrown for that first time.
I’ve had it on my list of things I want to do, for the better part of a year now. Refilling my SodaStream canister in a more personal manner than presenting myself at the checkout counter and paying outrageous fees. Yes, $22 for a few ounces of CO2 is outrageous. Now, YouTube presented a couple of strategies: one, involving a hammer and a block of dry ice; the other, involving a large pressure cylinder and a special hose. I opted for the more technical version, obviously.
I was warned: grave bodily harm is among the side effects of uncontrolled gas flow. I figured out my shield (a large metal cabinet). I then watched far too many videos, trying to synthesize the knowledge of others, who all reported success. My take away was that I would have to go slow.
And so, today, I’m reporting mitigated success. I did leave the canister in the freezer overnight. I did compare two canisters (one full, one empty) to get some numbers before the fact. I found the various washers that I believed I had lost. I tightened my connections. I flipped the gas cylinder over (it has to do with the properties of liquefied CO2. And I cranked my various valves, ever so slowly.
Hardly hair raising. After less than a minute, things went quiet. I disconnected everything (again with great care) and weighed my newly recharged canister. At a first guess, I managed about 90% of capacity, although that estimate is now revised to 95% (allowing things to warm up to room temperature also, very slightly, increased my canister weight; no idea why). All in all, I am going to file this project as successful.
After another two or three refills, my initial investment will be covered!
