3 Keys To Proper Ice Rink Maintenance During COVID-19
With both professional and recreational ice rinks across the country closed to the public, it is a perfect time to turn your attention to the maintenance of your rink.
Here are three simple things you can do now to make your rink safer for the public and more cost-efficient for you to operate as you reopen.
1: Consider the situational differences:
It goes without saying that these are unprecedented times, but what does that mean for your rink? The first thing to consider when it comes to ice rink maintenance is how the current circumstances have changed your maintenance needs.
Under normal operation, when you think about ice rink maintenance, you would likely be drawn to think about the ice itself. In a typical situation, the proper upkeep of your rink would look like this:
Using scrapers, towels, squeegees, and hoses to manually polish the ice.
Cleaning the ice with machines such as Zamboni®
Regularly maintaining ice quality after warm-ups, between periods, and after a game (for hockey rinks)
The question that arises is “what do you do to ensure a high-quality rink when no one is using it?” One of the best ways to do this is to shift your focus from the ice itself to the essential equipment that makes great ice possible.
Once you do this, you’ll find that this time of closed doors can be an open door for you to get the most out of your cooling equipment, resulting in smoother ice and happier skaters once your doors open at last.
On-ice maintenance is important, but it’s just as important to maintain your cooling equipment.
2: Monitor potential health risks:
Beyond the more obvious risks around opening back up and the related considerations, it’s important to check your cooling equipment to ensure the safety of your staff and customers.
Here are three things according to the CDC that you should do now to ensure a safe environment before reopening:
Keep your indoor humidity low (less than 50%)
Have an inspector check for mold and excess moisture
Run your HVAC/cooling systems 48-72 hours before reopening to the public
These steps can help you get started in ensuring an environment free of mold and contaminants so your workers and skaters can enjoy a safe and comfortable environment to play and enjoy a quality skating experience.
A key to ensuring smooth ice is ensuring that your cooling equipment is operating at safe levels.
3: Set up a maintenance plan:
The last big step you can take to properly maintain your ice rink at the highest level during COVID-19 is to set up a cooling system maintenance plan if you don’t already have one in place. From ensuring that any operators understand proper monitoring to imposing regular inspections, here are a few tips to better prepare your business to operate securely and reliably:
Have regular HVAC checks for your underlying cooling systems
Inspect and replace filters as needed to ensure quality, contamination-free systems
Develop a routine maintenance program for inspection, calibration, and balancing of your ice rink cooling systems
Having a maintenance plan is important because it will improve the quality and reliability of your cooling systems, resulting in lower operating costs and a longer lifespan of your HVAC cooling equipment. This translates into a better experience for your customers because well-maintained cooling equipment is the single most important key to high-quality ice that your customers will enjoy for years to come.
Following a maintenance plan will save money and give your visitors safer, higher-quality ice.
The missing piece for your success:
Most importantly in this picture is making sure you team up with experts with decades of proven experience helping rinks like yours get the most out of their cooling systems. Now is the perfect time to maintain your ice rink so that you can operate at the highest level when your doors reopen.