• @Botzo
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    15
    edit-2
    3 days ago

    You can skip the soda stream and use a cheap carbonator cap on standard plastic bottles and a ball lock connector on your gas line if you’re willing to shake the bottle manually.

    I’ve taken this setup a couple levels up over the last 5 years.

    First level: kegerator and switch out the bottle for a keg, bonus points for using a diffusion stone in the keg to speed the absorption of CO2.

    Second level: plumb the water line and use a continuous carbonator lid on the keg. Your gas pressure will need to be 10-15 psi (.7-1 bar) lower than the water pressure. Even a small 2.5gal (9.5L) keg makes for nearly infinite cold fizzy water at reasonable consumption rates.

    Happy to make a parts list if anyone is interested.

      • @Botzo
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        7
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        3 days ago

        The list is going to be mostly USA specific (I’ll come back with links), but many of the fittings are from Kegland (Australia), so we get a blend of “freedom” units and metric

        We’ll start with level 1:

        Tools: Depending on what exactly your goals are, you’ll need

        I’ll be specifying push-in fittings because they’re so much nicer to use.

        Kegerator: obviously not a hard requirement. You can build a “keezer” out of a chest freezer, or bore a hole in your fridge for the faucet, or even use a picnic tap on a keg in the fridge (but you’ll also have to get your gas line in the fridge which means also putting the tank in there, or boring a hole for the line anyway)

        CO2 tank: These come in 5, 10, and 20lb sizes commonly available at welding shops, and are almost universally swapped out instead of refilled (so don’t get attached). Check your prices for a new tank on the internet before you go to the welding shop to buy one. They will likely overcharge you for the first tank (by a hundred dollars), but they’ll like it if you bring them a shiny new one and might give you a discount. My 10lb tank lasts us about 6 months and I have a backup 5lb tank.

        CO2 regulator: If you’re planning on beer taps too, go for a dual regulator right away and save yourself the hassle (serving beer is low pressure vs high pressure for water). Try to find one with a threaded output (“flare”) instead of a barbed output (or bonus points for having a push-in fitting already).

        Keg: I use 2.5 or 5 gallon ball-lock cornelius (corny/soda) kegs

        Gas and beer/water tubing: I use evabarrier only. All the fittings will be 8mm push-in (typically “duotight”) so get a length of 8mm x 4mm for liquid, and 8mm x 5mm for gas. These are the conventions for beer, and I just followed them for water.

        Fittings:


        Level 2: This assumes you have completed level 1 Additional tools: none!

        I’m going to assume you have a standard angle stop (like your toilet) for your water line. And I’m going to assume your plumber was nice enough to attach a 3/8" (9.5mm) push-in fitting.

        Tubing:

        • 9.5mm evabarrier to connect to the output that we’ll step down to our “standard” beer dispensing 8mm. I have about 4 inches of it before reducing

        Fittings:

        • @[email protected]
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          fedilink
          42 days ago

          Thanks for the info, I especially like the cheeky note about the novelty tap handle! I’m going to save this into my second brain for 2025 doings

          • @Botzo
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            32 days ago

            You’re welcome! It’s a fun project and journey. Feel free to message if you have questions.

      • @Botzo
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        23 days ago

        I replied to a different comment with the list!