How do soda machines work?

Question

I'm talking about the kind at fast food resturants that you use to fill up your cup. I've always wondered since I thought there couldn't be possibly enough space back there to store all the soda in soda form; plus I never see anyone refilling them. Do they use some sort of concentrated powder/liquid and mix it with carbonated water when you want the soda? Or is that thinking too much; they simply store the soda in tanks?

Answer 1

Well, the liquid comes in a bag that is in a box.  All of the boxes are they stored on racks of some sort and are not placed on the floor. At the end of the bag (or beginning - depending on the way you look at it!) there is a valve that you can then connect it to the C02 machine which then gives you of course the bubbling liquid in your drink. :)

Answer 2

lol  it works like this water is always running to the pumps you see, like a water fountain...and syrup mix of the soda flaver and co2 are hidden in the back storage room or bottom is mixed together at the pump when you dispense the drink, all run by small pumps for each flavor. and your question where everything is hidden the hoses are run along the wall, roof ect....look next time you go to a place that sells fountain drinks...i work for Coke Cola for 3 yrs and help with the install and maintain of soda fountains..

Answer 3

I believe the soda comes in large plastic bags and is in concentrated form. When it's dispensed, it's mixed with carbonated water which gives it the fizz. The bags are either stored underneath inside the machine, or in another room. The bags can be connected to the machine using a long series of tubes.

Since the soda is "mixed" as soon as it's dispensed, it has a fresher fizz as compared to soda from a can. This is why some people prefer soda fountains to canned soda.

Juice machines work the same way. The concentrated liquid is hooked to the machine which dilutes it with water. The main reason to use concentrate is so you don't have to change out the bags every hour.