23 Jun Recap of last week’s “Bad Water and Good Ice” zoom chat
Struggling with Water Quality? You’re Not Alone.
For decades, rink operators have been told they need perfect water and scalding hot floods to make great ice.
But what if that wasn’t true?
At REALice, we know it’s not. And monthly, we host short Zoom chats with ice techs from across North America — REALice users and non-users — to swap stories, solve problems, and compare notes. Because if you’ve ever worked in a rink, you know: no two days are the same.
Spartan Arena’s Ice Mystery (and the Lightbulb Moment)
Steve Wolf, athletic director at Vermont State University, joined this week’s call and shared how their well water, loaded with calcium, was a massive challenge until they started using the REALice water treatment system and a filter.
That helped immensely… but a couple of years later, they hit a wall: the floodwater was going in crystal clear, but coming out milky. The ice felt slow. Panic.
After some brainstorming, we suspected a hidden problem: the floodwater tank of their 14-year-old Olympia. They drilled in—and bingo—it was coated with limescale.
REALice-treated water crystallizes calcium bicarbonate into non-sticky calcite and aragonite. These crystals don’t cling, but they knock loose existing buildup, which dislodges flakes from the tank into the water and onto the ice.
👉 A good acid wash fixed the problem. 👉 Slow, milky ice? History.
💡 Why Dehumidifier Settings Work Differently with REALice
Cal Radkewich from the Cenovus Arena in Athabasca (AB) mentioned that a light frost sometimes appeared on his surface. Steve asked about ambient and humidity levels:
- Ambient: 10°C
- Humidity: 45%
With cold water flooding, you’re not steaming up the rink like traditional hot floods, so you need different humidity targets. Steve shared his REALice-specific dehumidifier chart and suggested Cal try 50–56%. Cal will try it this August when he puts his ice in.
📉 5 Hours a Day — That’s All the Compressors Needs
Cal also shared that since installing REALice in 2022, Cenovus Arena’s compressors now run just 5 hours per day out of each 24 hours. That’s significant energy savings.
Meanwhile, Steve had some tough news: a brine leak under the boards at Spartan Arena will probably delay the Castleton season. But he’s still kicking — literally. Off the ice, he coaches kickers at WolfKicking.com, and just received a championship ring after two of his players helped Laval University win Canada’s national college football title. Look at that. Steve’s an expert with both ice AND turf!
🏒 Fast Builds and a Smoother Finish
On Wednesday, he wasn’t on the call, but I also chatted with Peter Burnett, Director of Community Services at The Municipality of Trent Hills (ON). Peter’s team recently opened the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre — their second REALice facility. Even though the operations team was used to hot water floods, they quickly came around.
Why?
💬 “They liked how quickly the ice set up — and how EVEN it was,” Peter said. The REALice handheld nozzle was delivered. The first pass was frozen when they returned to center, so they could keep building the ice, taking 12 minutes per pass. That’s the same as the twin pad Fenlands Recreation Centre in Banff, AB took, which pioneered the timing of the technique, proving building with the REALice handheld is far faster than building with hose floods.
❄️ The Bottom Line
Whatever your water source, good ice is possible, and REALice delivers.
REALice doesn’t just de-aerate. It works with your water to unlock performance and energy savings. And sometimes, it reveals hidden problems — like scale buildup — that help you improve your system even more.
Want to join our next call or learn more about REALice for your rink and incentives that will help lower the ROI? Drop us a message. We’re always happy to talk ice.
Watch a short recap of this Zoom call.
