With Built-in Ice Maker

This article describes that technology and engineering combine to keep rinks flush, below freezing, and efficient enough to turn a profit in even the balmiest climes. An expert specifies that to prevent the latex paints from running, additional layers are carefully sprayed over the decorations, sealing them. A warm-sand underfloor keeps the rink frost line away from the ground, preventing any heaving of the slab. Among the many elements that Commercial Refrigeration incorporates into its rinks, finned pipes improve the rate of heat transfer. Exceptional care is used in positioning each pipe precisely within the concrete slab, Martin said, as a way of bettering heat transfer and rink efficiency. Eight-inch-diameter headers distribute coolant to the floor pipes. Smaller headers beneath circulate warm brine to the pipe. Low-emissivity ceilings can reduce heat loads by 20 percent. The new machine requires less maintenance than those that rely on internal combustion engines.