Basic Troubleshooting

First of all, make sure the machine is plugged into an outlet that works. Pull the machine out away from the wall. Make sure the machine is set at least four to six inches away from the wall to maintain proper ventilation. Check the thermostat to ensure that the temperature stays around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Diet drinks will freeze at higher temperatures than regular drinks. Frozen drinks can jam the machine, so you'll want to be sure that the drinks aren't freezing.

Coins Come Back

First, check the machine to make sure the slots for soda cans do not need to be refilled. If there is nothing for the machine to put out, the machine will not vend. If there are cans in the machine, rearrange them and make sure none of the columns are jammed. If you see a jam, remove all the cans or other items from the column. Make sure all the wheels are working properly on the tracks before replacing the items.

Machine Will Not Take Bills

Often, machines will not take bills when there is no change to provide. Check all the change tubes and be sure that there are dimes, nickels and quarters available to provide change for dollar or five-dollar bills. If there is sufficient change, open the front of the machine and check that the harness on the dollar validators has not come loose or unattached. Replace the harness if needed, and test a dollar to ensure the machine is working.

Machine Is Running Hot

Occasionally the machine will overheat. Depending on what model of machine you have, check the thermostat on the right side or the rear wall of the machine to see what the temperature is sitting at. Lower the temperature if it has been set to a warmer temperature. Make sure that the lower fan at the bottom of the machine is working to cool the machine. If the problem persists, unplug the main plug and plug it into an extension cord.

Machine Will Not Vend

Open the machine and make sure there are cans in it. If the machine sells out, it will obviously not vend. Another possibility is that there is a can jam. This will stop the machine from functioning. The only way to solve a can jam is to remove all of the cans in one column until you get to the can that is jammed. Pull out that can, then carefully reload the cans back into the column. Yet another possibility is that the machine owes a credit to someone who put money into a slot but failed to make a selection. Soda vending machines are programmed for only one selection at a time, so if someone inserted money and did not make a selection, the machine will not take any more money until someone else makes that selection.

Machine Will Not Take Dollar Bills

This can happen because the machine has run out of change. The vending machine will just spit the dollar back out at the customer. Filling the machine with change will fix this issue. Another issue that can arise is a dollar-bill jam. If a dollar bill is stuck in the validator, you must open the machine and clear the path by taking the validator apart and removing the jammed bill. There is a screw holding the validator and the bill box in the soda vending machine. Remove the screw, then remove the validator and push the tab on the top of the bill box to release it. Grasp the box and remove it from its housing. You should now be able to remove the jammed bill, much as you would clear a paper jam in a printer. Replace the bill box by snapping it back in place, and replace the validator and the screw. Clean the validator before reassembling it.

Machine Will Not Cool

Make sure the vending machine has power and that its thermostat is set to the correct temperature. The thermostat may be in one of a few places, but the most common is to the rear of the cabinet, under the can chute. Adjust the thermostat by turning it clockwise to make it colder. If the machine is working and the compressor runs but the cans are not getting cold, the thermostat has likely gone bad and needs replacing.

By www.ehow.com

By www.ehow.com

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