BASIC GAS COST:
CO2, distributed in liquid state, tends to be priced 20 to 25% less than CO2 distributed in high pressure cylinders.

As a result of the operational differences between bulk CO2 and high pressure cylinders, the TCS bulk CO2 system reduces CO2 consumption 30 to 50%. With a bulk CO2 system, no residual CO2 is returned to the supplier, no leaks occur when regulator changeovers are improperly connected and downstream leaks are detected earlier due to having a single source of CO2 inventory measurement.

ASSOCIATED PRODUCT WASTE:
High pressure CO2 cylinders are often changed only when it is discovered that the drinks are flat. In a store using 50# cylinders with an average monthly CO2 usage of 250 #'s, this can occur four or five times per month. In cases when a store uses 20# cylinders, it is possible that flat drink situations occur 10 to 12 times per month as each 20# cylinder becomes empty.

Wasted product costs arise when flat drinks are returned or are left at self-serve beverage stands. Further costs are incurred when an employee recharges the beverage system with CO2 by holding open the fountain heads and allowing syrup to pour down the drain. Flat drinks result in wasted syrup, cups, lids and straws.

OPPORTUNITY LOSS/DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS:
Also related to flat drinks are the loss of potential sales and dissatisfied customers. It is all too common that CO2 run-outs occur during peak rush periods. When this occurs, one of the employees must leave his/her job station, which removes the employee during the rush period for 5 to 15 minutes, possibly resulting in longer lines, customer walk-outs, and loss of related food item sales. Some customers may have left with a flat drink "to go" and may never bother to return. If the backup cylinders are empty, the store could be out of CO2 for hours until an emergency delivery can be made.

UNNECESSARY SERVICE CALLS:
CO2 supplied in high pressure cylinders can result in unnecessary service calls. When high pressure cylinders are allowed to go empty, the brix calibration in the drink towers can be thrown off, resulting in the wrong portions of syrup, water, and CO2. Other possible causes for service calls include leaky regulator connections, improper regulator settings after repeated change outs, and damaged regulators which give false readings. The stationary and "set it-forget it" features of the TCS Bulk CO2 System eliminates many of the unnecessary service calls that result in emergency charges to the store.

• High Pressure Cylinder Change outs:
  Five change outs/month x 10 minutes/change out = 50 minutes wasted time/month
• Training Time:
  Training new employees on cylinder change outs, regulators, safety procedures, etc.
• Accounting Costs:
  High pressure cylinders are typically delivered once per week, resulting in four deliveries per month per store. Employee time is involved in tracking cylinder movement in and out of the store. With a bulk CO2 system, there are no cylinders moved in and out of the store which eliminates the possibility of the store being billed for "lost" cylinders.
• Interruptions:
  Since the TCS bulk CO2 system is refilled from outside the store, no employee time is wasted in assisting suppliers during cylinder deliveries (i.e., opening the back door, getting the keys, checking and signing delivery tickets, identifying empty cylinders for pick-up).
• Safety:
  Since high pressure cylinders must be moved, it is inevitable that this can result in handling accidents (i.e., sprained backs, hand or foot injuries). These cylinders are under very high pressure (800 to 1000 psig) and have the potential of becoming projectile in a tip-over incident or exploding due to a number of dangerous conditions that can exist in a high pressure cylinder.

  In contrast, the TCS bulk CO2 tank never needs to be moved and it operates at a safe, low pressure of 125 to 140 psig. This eliminates exposure to personal injury claims or lawsuits arising from cylinder explosions causing property damage or injuries to employees or the general public.

  High pressure cylinders must be capped and chained, but often they are not. This can greatly increase accident potential and may leave the store vulnerable to safety violations and subsequent citations.

  In some areas, insurance companies are reducing liability and worker's compensation premiums for those establishments who have chosen to eliminate the use of high pressure cylinders from their operation.

MAINTENANCE COSTS:
When being moved in and out of a store, high pressure cylinders can destroy asphalt, concrete, doorways and floor tiles. Rust rings are formed on the floor and cylinder caps are left lying around the back room. The TCS bulk CO2 tank is permanently installed, and is constructed of 100% rust-free steel equipped with 6" high uni-body legs which creates a clean and sanitary method of CO2 storage.

During cylinder change outs, regulators inevitably get dropped and require repair or replacement. Wrenches needed to loosen regulators often are lost and must be replaced. The TCS system eliminates the need for wrenches and no regulator changeovers are ever required.

MISCELLANEOUS COSTS:

• Any applicable high pressure cylinder rental charges and/or deposits are eliminated.
• Space savings are realized by eliminating the clutter of back-up cylinders. The TCS bulk CO2 tank can often be placed in unusable space since it does not require regular access.
• The TCS system simplifies CO2 inventory management by providing a single source of measurement with an accurate liquid level gauge.
• Since the TCS bulk CO2 tank is kept full through an outside filling station, backroom security is enhanced by eliminating the need for having the CO2 surveyor enter the store to make his CO2 delivery.