Walmart limit one Sodastream cartridge per day

[Maximus]

Went to Walmart today to exchange two empty Sodastream cartridges for two full ones. Customer service said limit is one per day.. No sale or coupons involved. I asked why. No answer.. So I asked what time tomorrow. I do not want to waste a trip into town. She had to ask the person above her.. Anytime tomorrow but still no reason for the one per day..

I am going to do the customer satisfaction survey on the receipt. Perhaps they will give me an answer..

 

[MichaelB]

That’s a silly practice. Is there a shortage of refills?

 

[Maximus]

That’s a silly practice. Is there a shortage of refills?

Don’t know if there is a shortage. If so it would seem they would volunteer that information when I asked why. Just a shoulder shrug and a “I don’t know “

 

[pb4uski]

Have a spouse or friend go with you to do the second one.

 

[Gumby]

Are those cylinders used for some nefarious purpose? I'm thinking of the limits on buying cold medicine because you can use it to make meth.

 

[pacergal]

That's what I was wondering, "huffing" used to be popular, not sure those cartridges would work or not.

 

[MichaelB]

It’s just CO2, so no real nefarious uses. Even if there were some, a SodaStream canister is an expensive option. CO2 can be found at any paint ball arcade for a much lower price.

 

[calmloki]

Dunno - CO2 is getting spendy - a 20# tank cost $74 back in December. Though that will gas up our water for the better part of a couple years.

 

[audreyh1]

Kohls does two refills at a time no problem. Sometimes you have to help the ladies in the back get you the right ones but generally they know what they are doing.

 

[Maximus]

I completed my online survey with Walmart that references the receipt. . They have my mail. I am awaiting their answer.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Dunno - CO2 is getting spendy - a 20# tank cost $74 back in December. Though that will gas up our water for the better part of a couple years.

Shop around. Airgas near me charges about 70 bucks for a 20# swap, but I found a competitor that does it for under 50. This is for homebrew beer.

 

[RonBoyd]

Isn't it just as easy to go directly to SodaStream?

https://sodastream.com/products/refill

 

[YB88]

Serendipitously, just yesterday I went to my local welding supply store and swapped my not-quite-empty tank for a full one. I can't remember if I have a 15 pound or 20 pound tank --- it's something just short of 30" tall anyway.


Cost was $30-something, and will last me well over a year, and note that I live in an expensive part of the country. Took about 5 minutes, and the shop is close to Costco anyway. I did originally have to buy a tank, but over the years that cost has amortized very nicely I think.


Apart from having to get a conversion kit for a Sodastream, the other issue is that you have to be able and willing to lift and haul a relatively heavy tank. I'm 67 and didn't find that too-o hard; the hard part for me is that the tank sits behind a dorm-style (low) refrigerator that I had to lift it over and carefully lower behind, but again --- not that big a deal for something I do less than annually.


Another thing about Soda Stream is the suggested time period before replacing their bottles. Once I stopped putting their flavoring into my water bottles I stopped having to fight mold or whatever growing inside the caps and they last quite well. Once in a while I'll mix already-made carbonated water with fruit juice by or something like that by pouring both into a glass, a la a German 'Schorle', but mostly I'm happy just with the water --- once it's carbonated.


YMMV, but for some of us Sodastream's business model (sell overpriced CO2 and flavors and bottles) doesn't work well.

 

[calmloki]

Had to look - if a Sodastream container has 14.5 ounces of CO2 and costs $32 that means 20# of Sodastream CO2 costs about $700. Guess I don't feel as abused paying $70 for my 20# container.

Edit: Protip. On an adventure evening involving alcohol one might be tempted to try and carbonate vodka. Very tough to do, tougher to do the shot produced.

 

[latexman]

It’s just CO2, so no real nefarious uses. Even if there were some, a SodaStream canister is an expensive option. CO2 can be found at any paint ball arcade for a much lower price.

Food grade CO2 is a thing, folks.

But is paint ball CO2 food grade CO2? I doubt it. I wouldn’t use paint ball CO2 in my beverage, unless I knew for 100% certain.

 

[YB88]

The debate about food grade CO2 is has been going on for quite some time. Some of the common arguments on both sides are captured here, for example:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/food-grade-co2-vs-industrial-co2.589239/


I used to go to a homebrew shop and get my tank refilled there (or swap for a filled one, I don't recall now), but they went out of business or moved, so the only local source I could find was the welding supply shop. I acknowledge there could be something there that I can't taste that is nevertheless not good for me. It's just really hard to know for certain.

Anyway, for me it's about availability rather than it is price, though it would sort of gall me to pay Sodastream prices for CO2 (yes, I guess I could go back to frequently swapping Sodastream cartridges). I've never tasted any difference, and I don't add flavoring to my bottles, just drink the carbonated water. But indeed, I can't be certain that there's nothing else in the tank besides the CO2.

 

[YB88]

Postscript: I just looked at the gases offered at my local welding supply store, and the list includes: "... Medical Gases, Beverage Gases, Wine Production Gases,...".


That all sounds hopeful, so I'll call them on Monday to see if next time I have to specify "beverage CO2" or "food grade", or if they'll just tell me --- as I speculate --- that they do CO2 all the same regardless. Here's hoping.

 

[calmloki]

Interesting - seems there are different grades.
https://www.jameso2.com/co2-purity-by-grade/

Impurities can be things like Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia and Benzene. Food and Beverage grade CO2 is 99.9 grade, Medical and Industrial must meet 99.5 grade. Medical CO2 can be used for inflating a body for various procedures, so internally. Don't think I'll worry about CO2 industrial gas purity meeting a standard 4/10 of a percent lower than food grade. Between fruit off the tree and the 5 second rule I doubt the food that hits my stomach meets that food grade standard.

 

[audreyh1]

Isn't it just as easy to go directly to SodaStream?

https://sodastream.com/products/refill

You get to pay for shipping which isn’t cheap.

We exchange 2 canisters 1-2 times a year.

 

[aja8888]

Interesting - seems there are different grades.
https://www.jameso2.com/co2-purity-by-grade/

Impurities can be things like Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia and Benzene. Food and Beverage grade CO2 is 99.9 grade, Medical and Industrial must meet 99.5 grade. Medical CO2 can be used for inflating a body for various procedures, so internally. Don't think I'll worry about CO2 industrial gas purity meeting a standard 4/10 of a percent lower than food grade. Between fruit off the tree and the 5 second rule I doubt the food that hits my stomach meets that food grade standard.

The air you breathe isn't as pure as that stuff.

 

[rk911]

I completed my online survey with Walmart that references the receipt. . They have my mail. I am awaiting their answer.

Don't hold your breath..(no pun intended). .

Could their reasoning be environmental? Wouldn't surprise me.

 

[fosterscik]

You get to pay for shipping which isn’t cheap.

We exchange 2 canisters 1-2 times a year.

We have 4 sodastream cylinders. We just order 4 replacements (because shipping is free on that quantity) when we are most of the way through the 4th. Free shipping back on the empties. It's much less hassle than trying to exchange cylinders in the local store.

 

[audreyh1]

OK - I didn’t know shipping was free on 4 canisters. That makes a big difference!

Then it’s a toss up between shipping back empties and swinging by Kohls.

 

[MatatuPuncher]

Kids are doing "bammers" with these particular brand of cylinders. It's a variation of whippets driving some scarcity in a few areas. Sort of a new TikTok trend. Another reason to ban that app.

 

[big-papa]

Isn't it just as easy to go directly to SodaStream?

https://sodastream.com/products/refill

Yes. And there are others that provide the same thing. We use sodasense. They start you off with 3 cannisters, so when 2 are empty, you send the empties back in the box they provide, with the label they provide. Pretty much as soon as the post office scans the label, sodasense starts the shipping process.

Cheers.