Vending Machine Space and Power Checklist

Short answer: a full-size vending machine is 72 inches (183 cm) tall, 33–47 inches wide, 32–37.5 inches deep and weighs roughly 490–690 lb, according to AMS and Crane spec sheets. It plugs into a standard grounded 115–120 V outlet and draws 3 A (snack) to 7.5 A (refrigerated drinks). The spot needs a level floor, clear walkways under workplace safety rules (WorkSafeBC's in British Columbia), and ideally cell signal or Wi-Fi for the card reader. Run through the 12 checks below before anyone brings a machine.

This checklist is for facility managers, office managers, building managers and strata councils choosing where a machine could go. The dimensions and power figures apply anywhere; the walkway rules and the power rate quoted are British Columbia's, so check your own province or state. Print it and walk the site.

What the machines actually measure

From each manufacturer's published product page or spec sheet, read 2026-09-26. Where two figures are given, the manufacturer lists two sizes.

In metric: 183 cm tall, about 84–119 cm wide, 81–95 cm deep, 224–312 kg. A countertop or compact machine is smaller, but most workplace placements are one of these.

The 12-point spot check

Space

1. Floor footprint: at least 1.2 m wide × 1 m deep free, measured, for the widest machines above.
2. Standing room in front: enough for a person to stand, and for the door to swing open for restocking.
3. Level, solid floor: no step, ramp or soft flooring under the spot. The machine is heavy and tall; it must sit level.
4. Height: nothing overhead lower than about 2 m (a shelf, a sign, a sprinkler head).
5. The route in: measure every door, corridor turn and elevator on the way from the loading area. The narrowest point has to clear the machine's width or depth, whichever way it will be moved.
6. Floor and elevator load: for upper floors, check the elevator's rated load against a 225–310 kg machine plus the moving equipment.

Safety

7. Clear walkways and exits. WorkSafeBC's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires that "a work area must be arranged to allow the safe movement of people, equipment and materials" (s.4.33) and that "there must be a safe way of entering and leaving each place where work is performed" (s.4.32). Don't put a machine where it narrows a corridor, blocks a door or sits in front of a fire exit, extinguisher or panel.
8. Away from traffic: in warehouses, keep it out of forklift and pallet-jack routes; in lobbies, out of the main flow to the elevators.

Power and connection

9. A grounded outlet within reach of the machine's cord, at the spot. The spec sheets list 115–120 V at 3 A (snack, low-temperature combo), 6 A (combo) and 7.5 A (refrigerated drinks).
10. What else is on that circuit. A drink machine's 7.5 A rating is a meaningful share of a typical circuit, so if the break room also runs a microwave, kettle and fridge, ask an electrician whether the circuit has room.
11. Signal for the card reader. Card and tap readers need cell signal or Wi-Fi. Check bars on your phone at the exact spot; basements and interior rooms can be dead zones.

Cost

12. Power cost, in writing. A full-size refrigerated drink machine uses about 1,354–1,456 kWh a year (US DOE FEMP), which is about $16–17 a month at BC Hydro's Small General Service rate of 14.06¢ per kWh. Snack machines without refrigeration use less. The BC vending power-cost calculator works it out for your machine and rate.

Where machines tend to work

• Offices: the kitchen or break room, not reception.
• Warehouses and plants: in or beside the break room, where shift workers take their meal break. Our warehouse setup guide covers shifts and restocking.
• Gyms: near the entrance or change rooms, off the training floor.
• Apartment and strata buildings: a lobby, mail room or amenity room, with strata or owner approval.
• Care homes: the staff room or a visitor lounge, chosen with the care team (see vending in BC care homes).

If you tick every box

Your spot is ready. The next step is the site-fit scorer, or go straight to the qualifier. It's $0 to you: the operator covers the machine, install, stocking, service and removal, and you provide the spot and the outlet.

About this data

Dimensions, weights and electrical ratings are quoted from AMS and Crane Payment Innovations product pages and spec sheets retrieved on 2026-09-26; models change, so the operator should confirm the exact machine. WorkSafeBC wording is from the OHS Regulation Part 4 as published on worksafebc.com on the same date. Energy use is from the US DOE Federal Energy Management Program; the rate is BC Hydro's published Small General Service energy charge. We couldn't find a published BC rule that requires a dedicated circuit for a vending machine, so we haven't claimed one: that's a question for your electrician.

Sources

• AMS, Classic Snack: https://amsvendors.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Classic-Snack-2025.pdf
• AMS, Low Temp Combo: https://amsvendors.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LTC-Vendor-V1-2-2025-web.pdf
• Crane Payment Innovations, Merchant Ambient MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/snack-and-food-vending-machines/merchant-ambient-media2
• Crane Payment Innovations, Merchant Combo MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/snack-and-food-vending-machines/merchant-combo-media2
• Crane Payment Innovations, BevMax MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/cold-beverage-vending-machines/bevmax-media2
• WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 4: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation/part-04-general-conditions
• BC Hydro, Business rates: https://app.bchydro.com/accounts-billing/rates-energy-use/electricity-rates/business-rates.html
• US DOE FEMP, refrigerated beverage vending machines: https://www.energy.gov/femp/purchasing-energy-efficient-refrigerated-beverage-vending-machines

All accessed 2026-09-26.