The popping noise turned out to be the fan from the compressor hitting the metal "hat" over the compressor coils in my soda machine. When I got to the soda machine, the compressor was covered with fluffy snow white ice, the sodas were warm, and the fan was definitely hitting something. I had to unplug the compressor and the fan. After some investigation, I found that the flap that lets the sodas fall into the dispenser was lying in the dispenser instead of hanging in the door. This machine has a faulty flap. When I first purchased the machine, the flap was missing and the one they replaced it with isn't the exact match. Every once in a while it comes out and falls into the dispenser. Well, it turns out that the compressor does not like that much warm, humid air entering the cooling chamber. It works over time and freezes up.
Luckily, it is easy to fix a snow white frozen compressor. I unplugged it and the fan while leaving the rest of the machine plugged in so that it would still vend sodas. I left a note on the machine while I came home and got my handy blow dryer. With blow dryer in hand, I heated the ice on the compressor until it melted. Then I repositioned the "hat" so that it wasn't hitting the fan. I reattached the flap and plugged everything back in. I checked the machine the next morning and it was working as good as new.
Now if I could figure out how to get another one of my machines from filling up the water overflow tank in the summer. I have replaced the original tank with one at least twice as large. I have placed extra sponges in it so that there is more surface area for the air to blow over it and evaporate the excess water. Still it overflows by the second week. This is a machine that I really wouldn't have to check but twice a month except for the water overflow problem. In the winter, I do not have a problem. I can go a month or two without having to empty the water. The machine is in an indoor climate controlled location. I have checked the seal and looked for areas that could be leaking warm air and have not found any.
I was called today for another jam at one of the apartment complexes. Someone had put in a handful of coin car wash tokens. I just wonder why they thought that those would work. I am just hoping that it was kids that didn't know better rather than an adult just trying to get some free soda. Maybe I can find the car wash that takes the tokens and wash my van.
Tomorrow is another day in this exciting vending business. I wonder what I will find.
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