Ice Rink Maintenance
Ice rink maintenance
Good ice is mostly habit. The same sheet, the same plant and the same water will give you a different result depending on how it's flooded, how often it's shaved and how steadily it's held at temperature.
Four habits that make the difference
- Thin layers, not volume. Water laid down thin freezes evenly and bonds to the layer below. Flooding heavy gives you a soft, layered sheet that scars.
- Dry-shave in the morning. A dry shave before the day starts gives you a clear sheet, uses no water and keeps thickness in check.
- Change temperature in stages. If you're moving the set point, move it a degree at a time and give the ice days, not hours, to settle.
- Manage your pass lanes. You drive over some areas more than others. Cut the water flow on repeat passes or you'll build ridges where the machine turns.
What good maintenance saves
Every one of those habits shows up on the utility bill as well as the ice. Thinner layers mean less water to freeze. A dry shave replaces a flood. Steady temperatures mean the plant isn't chasing a moving target. Even pass lanes mean less ice to take off next time.
With REALice, thin layers get easier. Conditioned water spreads and levels without heat, so a thin flood covers evenly instead of pooling. How that works →
More from the Ice Academy: optimal ice thickness · optimal ice temperature · 20 ways to reduce ice rink costs
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