Rink floor Basics

Whats good everyone! For this video I go over our ice rink floor construction. I also add some information about how rinks are generally constructed. Most of the pictures featured are from our rink construction. Taken by Bruce Swanson.
A special Thanks to Ian Bennett at everythingice.com
Questions and comments are much appreciated.
Thank you for Watching!
Your Local Ice Man
paypal.me/icerinkdiaries
** DISCLAIMER** I do not represent the Sportsplex, Whatcom Sports and Recreation, nor The City of Bellingham, Bellingham Parks & Recreation, Bellingham Blazers, Bellingham United, WCAHA, WSSA, ABC, XYZ, Zamboni or anyone or anybody but myself and the United States of America! My videos are not intended for kids or the easily offended. This is just a hobby***
#YourLocalIceMan

[@SMINEM666]

Made it really easy for me to follow along and learn. Am a refrigeration apprentice but never got a chance to work on a rink. Thanks man this was cool

[@avrumilorkis728]

Also, thanks for another quality video! I learned a ton

[@rogerhale5239]

Hi Local Ice Man, I just enjoyed watching your video showing the details of your ice rink floor system. You commented initially that you are not familiar with all of the details, which I totally respect. Personally, I have been in the ice rink floor business for the past 40 years in Canada. Just for clarification, in my opinion the accessible headers and return bends, as you have in your facility is the best way to go if possible. Even if polyfused HD piping is used, the lines in the floor can be damaged, ie; a hole drilled into a pipe, or some of the pipes can be plugged with a gradual build up of rust or debris in the brine system. Your accessible rink pipe connections will pay huge dividends when you have to repair these types of problems, and these problems will occur. With a buried header system the repair costs and system down time will be catastrophic. My suggestion is to always have an accessible header system and return bends. Thank you, Roger Hale - Saskatoon

[@YourLocalIceMan]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@rosegoldpumpfn8859]

Absolutely love your channel dudes helps me so much as head of maintenance at an ice rink. Do you think you could do a video on repairing the rusted sheet metal on the Zamboni and or repainting repairing the rust spots etc etc. that would be awesome

[@YourLocalIceMan]

Thanks alot. Appreciate it. For sure. I know the 500 needs some work. Might be some time though but I will keep it in mind. Check out the goal frame painting videos for now. I use a wire brush attachment to grind rust and paint off the goal frames. That's where I would probably start.

[@rosegoldpumpfn8859]

Ice Rink Diaries Okay sweet deal man sounds good I will check that out. Both of our Zams are 500’s. you are the man dude. You save us with some of these vids.

[@musicnerd72]

I'm watching KZbin but my eyelids keep wanting to close lol

[@timflomer2438]

Have a question: Why not run a pipe inside a pipe? The pipe running the coolant is the inside pipe, and the outside pipe allows for expansion and contractions? Concrete is corrosive on steel. The air between is cooled naturally by the coolant pipe. I'm not an expert. I just got interested in hockey this year. Was just wondering how things work. Thank you for your time and video.

[@terryspross1484]

Sometimes fusion pipes or hoses together instead of pipe clamps might be worse cause what you fuse together sometimes weakens it

[@briandanning]

Can you make a video of you turning on your plant, building ice and painting whenever that time comes for you? I'm going to be responsible for that process here at my local rink Oct. 1st and the only experience I have was helping during last years install where I just pulled the hose and walked the boom. I'm pretty intimidated to be "in charge" of that process this year with very little experience so a step by step video from you could potentially teach me a lot!

[@YourLocalIceMan]

Yes for sure planing when to and if we put the ice back in. We are suppose to put it in some time in August but things are not looking good for the non-profit that runs us. They may have to walk away for the building. I hope things turn around soon.

[@briandanning]

@@YourLocalIceMan Oh no! I was going through a similar situation. My rink was closing down for good due to covid but our youth hockey organization was able to come to an agreement with the city park and rec and they're now taking over management and operation costs. So I'll have a new "employer" but thankfully we're planning on installing ice Oct. 1st. Fingers crossed everything works out for you, I really enjoy your videos! Also, thank you for responding! Stay safe!

[@tomaspetr6771]

Is r22 common in the US? it is quickly dying out in Australia

[@brandonallen2584]

May I ask what the heating tubes below the foam insulation layer are for?

[@YourLocalIceMan]

To keep the ground below the cooling slab from freezing. If the ground below the slab freezes it can push up on the rink floor making it uneven.

[@avrumilorkis728]

So which part allows you to keep the ice in longer? In my rink, they say we have to take it out every summer or it will kill it More questions, for those that have header pipes in the middle of the rink, where is the return pipe? Also, what is brime?

[@YourLocalIceMan]

I think you where referring to me saying we maybe have less problems by not taking the ice out much. Just with the fittings I guess. But there are other problems that arise by not taking it out. Like frost build up. The charge and return pipes would be in an insulated trench to the refrigerator room. Brine is the solution made up of calcium chloride and water that is pumped in the cooling slad apose to the refrigerate itself. Glycol is used nowadays instead of brine.

[@dylanporter6720]

my local rink here in Australia is open all year round, even during summer with 40c (105f) days and its basically in a shed so i dont know why summer would be a problem

[@avrumilorkis728]

@@dylanporter6720 My boss said that (and I don't know if it's true) if we wouldn't melt, it would create some type of permafrost and kill the concrete, which they wouldn't have money to replace

[@YourLocalIceMan]

@@dylanporter6720 sorry not sure what you mean by problem. Only thing I can think is that takes more emnery to keep it cold in the summer months. Are you referring to something specific I said?

[@YourLocalIceMan]

@@avrumilorkis728 yes I but I think that's what sub floor heat is suppose to prevent. Not too sure if it prevents it all. I was told at STAR training that it takes one week for every year of operation to melt permafrost. 5 years = 5 weeks. Not sure again if that takes inaccount sub floor heat. Also permafrost can push up since water expands and heave the concrete.