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Questions and answers about sports

How do ice rinks stay frozen?

6 min read

Asked by: Kim Lewis

The most common method of refrigeration used in keeping an ice rink frozen is an indirect refrigeration system. This is where a liquid refrigerant (often ammonia) absorbs heat from a secondary liquid (often brine) which has absorbed heat from the source.

How does ice stay frozen on the ice rink?

In ice rinks, the refrigerant cools brine water, an anti-freezing agent, which goes through pipes underneath the ice. These steel pipes are typically embedded into a concrete slab and kept at 32 F / 0 C, so that any water placed on top of the slab freezes and becomes the skating surface that we see.

How deep is the ice on a hockey rink?

How thick is the ice? Ice is approximately 3/4″ of an inch thick and is usually chilled at 16 degrees fahrenheit.

Do they paint the ice in hockey?

White powdered paint is mixed with water in a large tank creating a liquid paint mix. This paint is then applied to the ice surface with a large 12-foot spray boom and a pump. Two to three coats are applied to cover the surface. This is then sealed in with fine water spray, which freezes.

What refrigerant is used in ice rinks?

HCFC-22 is used as a refrigerant in many applications, including ice rinks.

How cold is NHL ice?

“The ice temperature before warm-up is about 18 degrees Fahrenheit, but that will climb as high as 24 degrees during the game,” says King. “The NHL’s standard for maximum temperature at the conclusion of a game is 24 degrees.”

What is under the ice in a hockey rink?

Underneath there is a layer of insulation and a heated concrete layer. This keeps the ground below the ice from freezing, which could expand and ultimately crack the rink structure.

How much does it cost to buy a Zamboni?

As the sizes and options of the Zamboni machines vary greatly according to each ice arena’s individual needs, so does the price. The Model 100 (a small tractor pulled unit) may be in the neighborhood of $10,000.00 or more and the full-sized machines can be up to or in the low six figures.

How is NHL ice made?

At the beginning of the hockey season, the arena uses an advanced refrigeration system that pumps freezing “brinewater” (salt water) through a system of pipes that run through a large piece of concrete known as the “ice slab.” When the “ice slab” gets cold enough, layers of water are applied to it.

Why is ammonia used in ice rinks?

Ammonia in Refrigeration Systems in Ice Arenas

The majority of ice arenas and curling rinks in Canada use ammonia as a refrigerant in their refrigeration systems to cool the floors in their rinks and subsequently allow applied water to freeze into an ice surface.

How do arenas switch from hockey to basketball?

When it’s time to convert an ice hockey rink to a basketball court, the walls and glass panels around the rink are removed. Then large pieces of insulated plywood are laid out over the top of the ice. Finally the basketball court is pieced together like a puzzle on top of the plywood.

Is it cold at a NHL hockey game?

Are Hockey Games Cold? Well, the ice needs to stay frozen, but, depending on the venue, it might not be all that cold where you’re sitting. It’s going to be cooler the closer to the ice you are. Generally speaking, the ice will be about 25° and the air, for an inside game, will be somewhere between 50 and 60°.

What does a Zamboni do to the ice?

Shaving the Ice: A zamboni cuts away the top layer of ice (often 1/16th of an inch or less) using a sharp blade, much like a shaving razor. Rotating augers carry away the shavings into the ‘snow tank,’ which lies toward the front of the machine. Washing the Ice: Underneath the snow tank lies the water tank.

How does the Staples Center Change floors?

Each team has a different set-up on the arena floor. It is up to the crew overseen by the Staples Center operations department to reconfigure the floor for each game. Several times a year they must make the changeover twice or more over one weekend in between games.

Do Lakers pay rent at Staples Center?

Los Angeles Lakers sign lease extension to stay at Staples Center through 2041. The Los Angeles Lakers are staying put. On Thursday, the team announced that it has signed an extension to its current lease at the Staples Center that will keep the team in Downtown Los Angeles through the 2040-41 season.

Do the Lakers and Clippers share the same locker room?

The Clippers’ locker room is smaller than the Lakers’. The arena’s seats were originally colored purple, the primary color of the Lakers, as well as the primary colors at the time of construction for the Los Angeles Kings, the National Hockey League (NHL) team that also shares Staples.

Do Clippers and Lakers use same court?

The 2019-20 season offers that moment. With Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Paul George joining LeBron James in Los Angeles, the Lakers and the Clippers have made Staples Center the seat of power in the NBA.

Why does L.A. have 2 NBA teams?

Until 1960, the city didn’t have a team. They only became a two-team city in 1984 when the Clips moved up the road from San Diego—in large part because Sterling grew up in LA.

Will the Staples Center be renamed?

The Staples Center is no more. Soon, it is going to be renamed as Crypto.com Arena. The name change is the largest naming rights deal ever at an estimated $700 million and it will begin to be called Crypto.com Arena beginning on Dec. 25, 2021.

Is there a Kobe statue at Staples Center?

8 and 24 jerseys were retired and raised on Staples Center rafters 4 years ago. She was extensively quoted as saying that Bryant would receive a statue once he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. AEG, responding to our inquiries today, says there is no update on the statue.

Did Kobe build the Staples Center?

Over the years, Staples Center has become rather iconic in the NBA community.

Do the Clippers pay rent?

Under the terms of their deal with Kings and Staples Center owners Philip Anschutz and Edward Roski, the Clippers will pay rent but will receive a percentage of the luxury-box revenue, parking and concessions for their games only. It includes an escape clause after three years.

Why is it called Staples Center?

“I’m glad they’re taking the name of the Staples Center down because that was our building…. Staples Center belonged to Shaq and Kobe, forever,” he said. Staples Center, the downtown Los Angeles home to several local pro sports teams, will be renamed Crypto.com Arena.