Typical Recreational Ice Floor Configuration
The cooling floor brine is usually a calcium chloride solution mixed to a freeze point of -5°F to -10°F. The heating floor brine should be kept at a freeze point of 10°F to 15°F.
Solving Humidity Problems in Ice Rinks
If you can control the humidity in your facility you are one very large step towards creating the ideal ice skating environment.
Sand Floor versus Cement Floor
There are good reasons for installing both sand floors and cement floors in an ice skating facility. Hopefully the following should make your decision easier.
Removing Air from the Brine System
Air is extremely harmful in a brine system. It will promote an aggressive rate of corrosion, causes cavitation in the pumps, and can displace brine to the extent that the brine will overflow down the drain.
Potential Problems in Brine Piping System
Cracked or broken brine lines can be detected by a loss of brine in the balance tank or by a visual sighting of brine on the arena floor or in the header trench. The leaks must be located and repaired to ensure the brine system stays full.
Determining if there is Air in the Brine System
A good way to determine if you have air in your brine system is by observing your balance tank.
Brine System Maintenance Tips
Some general tips for brine system maintenance.
Brine Filtration System
It is extremely important to keep your brine in a very clean condition. Dirty brine will shorten the life of the brine pump seals, impede heat transfer in the chiller, and restrict the flow of brine to the cooling floor grid.
1" pipe in cement versus ½" mat style
On floors with end headers, the 1" pipe permits higher glycol flow rates at lower pressure drops. This results in reduced temperature drops across the grid, faster temperature recovery, and superior temperature control. Better ice surface conditions are maintained during varying conditions.
Adding Calcium to the System
If the balance tank is full and the brine is still too weak, some of the brine mixture will have to be drawn off and stored.