Anyone who used a vending machine to circumvent the convenience store has likely encountered the following scenario: your drink or snack gets stuck inside the machine and you don’t know what to do. For some people, the instinct is to shake the machine, but shaking is often not a helpful solution for stuck items. Below, we’ll explore the reasons that snacks get stuck in vending machines, some methods for correct dispensing issues, and what to do when a purchased items get stuck.
Why Do Snacks Get Stuck in the Vending Machine?
There are a number of reasons why snacks may become stuck in a vending machine. Due to the air-filled nature of most chip and snack bags, it is much more common for snacks to get stuck than drinks. This can happen for a variety of reasons including poor ventilation inside the machine, poor placement of the items inside the vending machine, a power issue, and even overheating.
It is not uncommon for more than one of these problems to be occurring at once, as they are often related to each other and have complex cause and effect relationships. Let’s investigate each issue on its own.
Poor Ventilation
Vending machines rely on proper temperature control and air flow for functionality. When one or both of these things are compromised, items tend to get stuck inside the vending machines at a much higher rate. The most common cause of poor ventilation is a crowded environment, meaning there are too many other objects placed around the machine or it is too close to a wall.
Without the space to vent out hot air and maintain the ideal internal temperature, the air pressure inside the machine will increase and make it more likely for an item to get stuck on its way out, or even not dispense at all.
Poor Placement
One of the main causes of jammed items in vending machines is poor placement in the coils. When drinks are lopsided, they are much more likely to catch on the front glass and other drinks as they are dispensed from their row. Essentially, they are set up to fail.
Snack bags in snack vending machines are even more problematic than drink bottles. The bottom corners of snack bags should both be in front of the coils; if one or both corners are behind the coil instead, it is quite likely that the item will become jammed. Not only can a jam prevent the entire row from being dispensed when the item is purchased, but the poorly placed item in question may also get stuck on its way out of the row as well.
Find out how many slots both of these types of machines hold:
Power Issues
Snacks may get stuck part way out of a coil or not dispense at all due to power issues. A vending machine requires a steady stream of electricity to be able to function normally, and any problems in this system can present as dispensing issues and a higher number of items becoming stuck.
A faulty power source, poor connectivity, and internal damage from overheating or rough treatment can all affect a machine’s ability to receive the power it needs.
Overheating
Overheating is a common problem for vending machines, whether they are new or old. Proper spacing between the machine and other objects, as well as between the machine and the nearest walls, is absolutely crucial to make sure a vending machine does not overheat.
When a vending machine is surrounded by other objects or pressed directly against a wall, it is not able to ventilate the internal areas effectively. As a result, the temperature and air pressure inside the machine will rise and cause problems.
Overheating can increase the frequency of jammed items and can even cause power issues that then result in more stuck items. Clearly, it is best to ensure that a vending machine has enough space in its surroundings for proper ventilation and temperature control.
How to Fix a Vending Machine That Won’t Dispense
Vending machines can run into problems with their ability to dispense items for a variety of reasons. Jammed items and inadequate temperature control are two of the most common causes of a vending machine’s inability to perform, but there are a handful of others as well. Luckily, there are solutions for all of them.
Check for Jammed Items
If a stock person does not know how to fill a vending machine properly or is simply careless and makes a mistake, a jammed item can easily be the cause of a vending machine’s issues with dispensing items. If drink bottles are placed haphazardly or snack items are not placed in front of the coils properly (package corners especially), they can easily jam the coil mechanism and prevent the items from being dispensed.
Taking care to place items in the coils properly and resolving any jams that have already occurred is often the correct solution to a vending machine’s dispensing problems.
Adjust the Compressor
The compressor in a vending machine is responsible for controlling the internal temperature. It can produce dispensing problems at both temperature extremes.
If the compressor is overactive and the drinks in a vending machine begin to freeze, the vending machine will not be able to dispense them correctly. Similarly, if a compressor is not effectively cooling down a warm machine, the excessive heat and associated air pressure can also affect the frequency of items getting stuck.
In other cases, the temperature may be set correctly but the vending machine is still not achieving the desired temperature. In this situation, it is likely that the compressor fan is malfunctioning or damaged and requires some investigation for repairs.
Taking the time to set the compressor temperature correctly, making adjustments as needed, and monitoring the functional status of the various machine parts are all important steps in vending machine maintenance.
Restart the Machine
Various problems can cause issues with a vending machine’s power supply. Most vending machines work the same, and oftentimes, restarting the machine is a simple solution that can provide a total reboot and correct any power-related issues the vending machine is having. Plus, it can help identify if there is a more complex issue going on such as damaged internal wiring or a faulty power source.
To restart a vending machine properly, it should be unplugged, left to rest for 3-5 minutes, and then plugged back in. This will ensure the internal components have enough time to fully reset before power is restored.
Restock
Many vending machines run into dispensing issues when they are low in stock. If there are only one or two bottles/snack items left in a row, the vending machine may not be able to dispense them. Restocking the vending machine is the simple solution for this problem. In order to prevent future dispensing issues, the stock level should be monitored to ensure there are always enough items in each row.
Here's a complete guide on vending machine inventory management.
Reposition
One method for resolving dispensing problems in a vending machine will involve moving the unit to a different location, or adjusting its position if it is already in a fairly open area. When a vending machine is crowded by other objects or placed too close to a wall, it won’t be able to regulate the internal temperature as it is supposed to.
This can cause a number of problems with the machine’s power and internal pressure, two things that can inhibit the vending machine’s ability to dispense products. Repositioning the unit or moving it to a more open location can be a quick solution for those problems.
If you plan on moving the vending machine yourself you better get informed on how to move the equipment properly.
What to Do When a Bag is Stuck in the Vending Machine
One of the most crucial services of a vending machine is to actually dispense the item that someone is paying for. However, no piece of equipment is ever perfect, and items are bound to get stuck now and then. If you find yourself facing a stuck item in a vending machine, the solutions below can resolve the problem.
Push Up the Flap
One of the most common reasons for chips and other air-filled snack bags to get stuck in a vending machine is a problem with the ventilation or interior air flow. As a result, the easiest solution is to simply push the flap open to temporarily increase air flow, and then let the flap snap back into place quickly.
It may take a few tries with this process, but the success rate is very high. Creating a rush of air with this movement is usually all that is required to free the stuck bag and collect your snack. No punching, kicking, or waiting for help required.
Call for Assistance
Every vending machine company will likely leave a sticker on their vending machines that has a customer service line. When items get stuck, you can call that number for assistance with retrieving your item or get directions for acquiring a refund.
You will have to wait for a service personnel to come fix vending machines if you go this route, but many vending machine business locations will have a refund kiosk nearby so you can at least get your money back if you don’t have the time to stick around.
Wait for the Sensors
Newer models of vending machines are equipped with sensors that can detect when food items and beverages do not dispense correctly. When items get stuck inside these vending machines, these sensors will recognize the problem and resolve it for you within a few minutes.
You won’t need to worry about DIY solutions or calling for help in these scenarios. As vending machine parts go, this one is pretty invaluable and can help save vending machine companies a fair amount of money on repairs when people get too violent trying to free their trapped snacks and drinks.
What to Do for a Drink Stuck in a Vending Machine
Drinks getting stuck in a vending machine is much more of a fluke than snacks getting stuck. Usually, it will happen as a result of simple bad luck in the way the drink falls; it will get trapped between the front glass and a drink row. In almost all cases, a stuck drink can be freed quite quickly by any individual that is aware of the correct method.
There are two possible solutions to help retrieve a stuck drink: punching/kicking the machine in the right spot, or buying a second drink to knock the stuck item down.
Kick the Machine
Sometimes, bodily force is a great solution for a drink that has gotten stuck in a vending machine. A well-aimed punch or kick can jolt the bottle/can enough that it will become free to fall the rest of the way to your waiting hands.
Hitting the glass carefully at the precise spot the bottle is resting can cause enough bounce that it will become unstuck. A punch or kick can be equally effective depending on how high up in the machine the bottle has gotten lodged.
Buy Another Drink
If you have enough money on hand to purchase a second drink, an alternative to physical force is to pay for a second drink from the same row (or the row above if it didn’t fall very far). As the second drink is dispensed from the coils, it should knock the stuck bottle down and allow you to collect both beverages with ease.
Keep in mind that this method does come with the risk of ending up with two stuck bottles instead of one, but the likelihood of that is quite minimal. This may not be an option for you if you’re out of money but the machine is over a decade old and only accepts coins and paper money, but newer vending machines with a card reader will provide you with this second solution.
Wrapping Up
Since most vending machines work the same, the above tips can help every person who ever has their day ruined by a stuck snack or drink in a vending machine. As modern vending machines become more advanced, these issues will happen less and less, but the more people that understand the easy ways of fixing blocked items in vending machines, the better.
