Sports Shop

Hiring Chillers for Ice Rinks

About hired chillers
Hired chillers are a means to cool water very quickly to the low temperatures required for keeping ice rinks in a skateable condition. They are then able to maintain these low temperatures for the duration of the requirement.

Hired chiller units designed especially for use at ice rinks can vary in size and capacity.

How ice rinks control temperatures
Every permanent ice rink in the UK has a built-in refrigeration plant at their premises, with freezer coils being positioned beneath the ice to help ensure it remains the ideal thickness for people to skate upon safely. But from time-to time the refrigeration plant can fail, with ice rinks thawing quickly (four hours would be enough for most rinks to be completely unusable). This can also leave freezer coils exposed, which can cause damage to the rink.

When planned maintenance at a rink usually takes place, hired chiller units can be used to maintain required ice and indoor temperatures.  

How hired chillers can uphold an ice rink’s reputation
Although many ice rinks in the UK (and indeed across Europe) have a contingency plan in place should ‘the unthinkable’ happen, some rely only on a facility manager or maintenance manager who is responsible for ensuring the rink is kept running.

Should an ice rink experience several refrigeration plant faults or complete breakdowns (meaning that the facility has to temporarily close on a number of occasions), customers can lose faith and seek their skating enjoyment elsewhere. The rink forges a reputation for being unreliable – a reputation that is difficult to lose. The loss of revenue can also be crippling, of course.

Ice rinks used for professional sport also need to provide ‘assured ice’, obviously.

Cancelled sporting fixtures not only leave both fans and players disappointed, but also put a doubt in peoples’ minds as to whether other planned matches will definitely be on.
The key to avoiding all that is to have a thorough contingency plan in place – one formulated with the help of a specialist chiller hire company experienced in providing rented chiller solutions to ice rinks of all sizes, both indoor and outdoor, and on a permanent or temporary basis.

More on the challenges specialist chiller hire companies face
When supplying chiller units (and related equipment) for ice rinks, the main challenges a specialist chiller rental company will face are:

1. Assessing the client’s exact requirements*

2. Getting into the site quickly (careful planning between the client and the chiller rental company is crucial in ensuring the delivery goes as planned).

3. Speed of installation (are there enough connection points at the rink**? Is there an adequate available power supply***?). Once the installation is underway, the chiller rental company generally has around four hours to get everything connected and the temperature down to the required level.

* A fully prepared contingency plan would assist in speeding this process.

** Many rinks will have existing connection points; if not, the chiller rental team will quickly assess the requirement and bring in specialists to make the relevant connections available.

*** In some cases, a chiller specialist may need to supply generators if on-site power is not available or suffice to cope with the load.

Required temperatures at ice rinks
Generally speaking, outdoor rinks need to maintain an ice temperature of around -12 to -14 degrees Celsius, with indoor rinks requiring an ice temperature of around -10 degrees Celsius. These stats refer to ice rinks used by the public. Interestingly, professional figure skaters often prefer an ice temperature of -2 degrees Celsius, while for professional ice hockey players -4 degrees Celsius is often preferred. (See: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/ice-rink4.htm)

Types of chillers used at ice rinks
Not all ice rinks are permanently situated (as indoor or outdoor rinks). Often, temporary ice rinks are required, particularly during the festive season (for Christmas and New Year-themed events), for television productions, and also as city centre rinks that are set up for a short period as part of an annual festival or city promotion, perhaps. This is where hired low-temperature chiller units can really come into their own, as the need for a built-in refrigeration plant at a temporary ice rink simply is not there.

As well as the hired chiller units themselves, a specialist chiller rental company will also provide temporary hoses, pumps, and buffer tanks, in accordance with the client’s specification (note: chosen chiller sizes can vary depending upon rink size, but the equipment used is generally the same).

About the Author

Article submitted by Carl Webb, Specialist Hire Director, Andrews Sykes. Andrews Sykes is the UK’s largest specialist in ice rink chiller hire.  The company hires chillers to virtually all industry sectors using machinery sourced from the world’s top manufacturers.

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