at 1 1/2 inches, one has to look no further than the first lawsuit to understand the importance. An ice resurfacer will cut off more than it will put down and in one weekend of heavy programming, a poorly trained driver can easily remove a goal crease or in-ice logo. Weekly or even biweekly ice thickness checks are recommended to hold a common thickness, thereby producing even heat transfer and consistent ice quality while saving energy dollars.
5 A basic understanding of latent heat — including how
it affects your ice quality and cost of operation — is vital. Latent heat, water vapor or relative humidity —
whatever you want to call it — inside an arena is a major issue for the ice maker. Geographical location makes a big difference on your dehumidification needs. Moisture-laden air in Florida and the dry arid air of Arizona illustrate the need for a difference in ice practices. Te numbers vary per location but the important number is the one inside your arena. Cold and dry is far better than cold and damp. Tere is nothing more uncomfortable than spending a couple of hours in a cold, damp arena. Te dampness seems to creep right into your bones and does not leave until you do. Our objective is not to drive customers out of the arena to a better climate; it’s to keep them in the building spending their money. A rule of thumb will put your relative humidity around 40 percent at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Te bigger problem these days is black mold, which is indicative of absence of dehumidification or proper air handling.
6 Service of your arena equipment is an integral party of
ice quality. Te ice resurfacer is your most important tool. While the majority of facilities have an effectively
scheduled maintenance program, it has come to my attention while visiting some arenas that this is an area that needs to be addressed. It is the one thing that you cannot operate an arena without, so please keep it in tip-top shape. Please maintain all your ice-making equipment in pristine working order. Show you care.
7 Tis tip covers training and education. Competent ice
makers and/or drivers are key. Tey are the people who make the decisions that will dictate the quality of your
ice. After a small open skating session, they might choose to do a light scrape, pick up the loose snow, then do a light 45-gallon flood. Tey are the ones who patch the holes after the figure skaters, then do a wash water and a light flood. Tings change, methods change and tools change, so it is imperative we keep these employees up to date on what’s new and the direction of the industry. It is a small price to pay. Ignorance can be expensive.
8 Water quality will dictate the quality of your ice. High
mineral content in water will retard the freezing rate of water. Some regions in the continental United States
have good water for ice making, but other areas provide questionable water at best. Hardness of water is measured in parts per million or grains. As you increase the amount of mineral content, you degrade the quality of ice and its clarity. It is important to review what is in your water for making ice.
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9 Set aside time to do ice maintenance. Although some are wrong. The amount of
people think ice maintenance is the 10-minute resurfacing, they
programming and the quality of the drivers will dictate the amount of time to be spent on ice maintenance. It really doesn’t take long for one poorly trained driver to “fish bowl” the sheet of ice. A trained operator with the proper tools can clean up the perimeter, level out the sheet and bring it back to its pristine appearance within a few hours. Set aside the time.
10 One thing that is often overlooked with regard to great
ice is communication. From the owner to the cleanup crew, everyone should be kept in the loop. Once, I was
in an arena that was having issues with dehumidification. After a short investigation, it was found that employees were using the rear of the arena as a smoking area. No problem there. But the back door was being left open and causing condensation problems in the rink. One hand should know what the other one is doing. Communication is the key to successful ice making.
Dave Loverock is vice president of Jet Ice Limited. Founded in 1979, Jet Ice is located in Newmarket, Ontario and Emerald Park, Saskatchewan and offers a complete range of products and services for the ice-making industry.
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