Ice-Making Guide for Deer Bone Arena
Rochester weather is very challenging for Deer Bone Arena.
Bright sunny days and 40+ degree temperatures are
problematic. The best defense against our volatile weather
is a good offense – thick ice.
it from the tool. Push the tool back and forth several times
while water is running so the mat gets good and wet.
7) Pull tool along side of you. Circle the perimeter of the
rink once. The edge of the mat should contact the boards id
possible
Our goal is to maximize the number of skating days for
the kids. In order to do so, it is advisable to make ice
whenever the weather permits. In general, ice should be
made whenever the temperature is 32 Fahrenheit or below.
8) After you have made one pass around the perimeter,
work back and forth (the long way) resurfacing the ice.
NOTE, to move the hose out of your way for your return pass
to the other end, give the hose a firm tug with your arm about
15’ from the end boards. The hose should slide out of the
path of your next resurface lane, unless you have too much
hose on the ice.
Our goal should be to reach 5-6” in thickness throughout the
surface. This is most important for the far side of the rink
(away from the house), which gets the most exposure to the
Sun.
9) After completing the last pass, turn off the valve on the
tool and quickly remove it and all hose from the ice. It is a
good idea to rest the tool on the edge of the boards, so the
wet mat does not collect debris and/or grass on it.
“Less water will produce more ice”. Multiple thin layers will
freeze much faster than thick layers. In general, standing
water in any location should not exceed one eighth of an
inch. Deep puddles will take longer to freeze and are
susceptible to air pockets.
10) Disconnect hose from tool. Be sure that the hose valve
is closed and the tool valve is open. Otherwise, the
pressure at the connection will make it very difficult to
disconnect.
Two general methods will be discussed for making ice and
maintaining a smooth surface.
Resurfacing techniques should be used to optimize the
smoothness of the surface.
11) After each use, store the tool in the “zamboni caddy”
with the valve in the open position.
Base building techniques should be used when establishing
the ice surface for the first time and for increasing the
thickness of the ice.
12) If you are planning to apply multiple layers, the water
can be left running through the hose. However, it should
drain into one of the culverts in the diagonal corners of the
yard. The closer the temperature is to 30 the more the flow
can be reduced. Below 15 will require 30-50% water
pressure to avoid freezing the hose.
RESURFACING INSTRUCTIONS
1) Scrape off all snow and skate shavings from the ice.
Loose snow should be completely removed from along the
boards before watering in order to minimize the bumps.
Do not resurface when it is snowing, unless the snowfall is
extremely light. This will create a very rough and weak ice
surface.
2) Wheel the hose cart out and turn on the water supply.
Insure that the valve is closed at the destination end of the
hose before turning on the water supply. Position the hose
reel in the direction of travel to allow for easy unreeling of the
hose.
Use CAUTION at all times when walking on the ice. The ice
becomes very slippery when wet. Also, be careful what you
track onto the ice on the bottom of your shoes (grass, dirt,
leaves, etc.). It will become part of the ice. Any dark pots
from leaves, twigs, etc. will eventually cause a hole from the
Sun’s attraction.
3) Retrieve the Ice-Master tool, and the bronze “quick
connect” from the “zamboni caddy”. Proceed outdoors. Grab
the destination end of the hose from the hose reel.
If a warm (>40) and/or sunny (>30) day is forecasted,
snow should be piled on the first two feet of ice along the far
boards if possible. This will minimize melting from reflected
sunlight from the boards to the ice.
4) Enter the rink from center ice. This will allow easier
management of the hose when resurfacing, by keeping the
hose in one spot at the edge of the ice rink. You do not want
more hose than you need on the ice. Extra hose will disrupt
the resurfacing process. Proceed to the back right corner
comer of the rink.
Resurfacing Temperature Guide
Fahrenheit
temperature
30-35
25-29
15-24
5-14
Below 5
5) If this is the first resurface after shoveling, it is wise to
circle the perimeter and spray the edges of the boards to
melt the loose snow.
6) Attach the ice master tool to the hose. Turn valve on the
hose and the tool (parallel to pipe)to the open positions. A
wet surface mat will freeze to the ice surface if you leave it sit
still too long. Soak the mat thoroughly by running water over
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Resurfacing
Results
Marginal
Fair
Good
Excellent
Heaven
Set up time
30-40 minutes
15-20 minutes
10-15 minutes
5-10 minutes
0-5 minutes
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Ice-Making Guide for Deer Bone Arena
the same approximate volume of water as a 180 sweep for
BASE ICE BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS
30 minutes at a center ice location). This will minimize ridges
in the ice.
Building the base surface can be accomplished at any
temperature below 30 (often found from 6PM - 7AM in
Rochester winters.
7) Depending on the temperature and range of ice surface
coverage, the sprinkler can be left unattended for up to 60
minutes. In no event should it ever be left running for greater
than 60 minutes.
When building the base on top of the liner, spraying of the
hose and/or use of a sprinkler is required. The ice must be at
least ½” thick in order to walk on and use the ice-master tool.
Any cracks or holes created from walking will greatly
elongate the process of achieving a smooth surface Spraying
and/or using the sprinkler will exaggerate any irregularity in
the ice surface.
Base Building with Sprinkler - Schedule of locations
Fahrenheit
temperature
23-32
17-23
10-17
0-9
1) Remove any leaves from the plastic or ice surface
before starting. Leaves attract sunlight and consequently
result in deep holes in the ice. If a leaf becomes frozen in the
ice, use the hose to melt the ice, so it can be removed.
9) The same base building techniques can be applied to
any spot where the ice is thinner. The ice depth can be
measured by holding a yardstick against the boards with one
end on the ice. Ice thickness will equal 24” minus the
yardstick reading at the top of the boards.
4) The resurfacing tool works well to build the base also.
You can apply two (0-10) to four (10-20) layers by
repeating each pass. In addition, apply the ice master tool
over any area, which needs thickening.
Base Building with the Sprinkler
Sprinkler Base Building Temperature Guide
1) Retrieve the sprinkler and black clamp from the
“zamboni caddy.
Fahrenheit
temperature
2) Clamp the sprinkler onto the boards at the first location #
1 (center red line).
25-30
20-25
10-19
0-9
3) Adjust pulsating range to the targeted surface area.
Adjust sprinkler location and range to accommodate the
2
1
6
22-30 minutes
10-15 minutes
5-8 minutes
Sprinkler will freeze.
Ideal for resurfacing.
8) The use of two hoses and sprinklers can expedite the
process. Be certain to avoid over watering any one area with
frequent location changes. Do not have both sprinklers
aimed at any one area.
3) Use the hose to spray any low spots being careful not to
let puddles exceed one-eighth of an inch.
Far side
45-60 minutes
20-30 minutes
10-15 minutes
Not advised
Time @ locations
2, 3, 4 & 5*
*The sprinkler will freeze if these times are exceeded and
too much water will be applied to one spot.
2) Wheel the hose cart out and turn on the water supply.
Insure the valve is closed at the destination end of the hose
before turning on the water supply. Position the hose reel in
the direction you will be unwinding the hose.
4
Time @
Locations 1 & 6*
5
Base Building
Results
Marginal
Good
Excellent
Not advised
Ice Set up time
2-3 hours
60-90 minutes
30-60 minutes
Sprinkler will freeze
HANDLING & STORAGE TIPS
Always store the tool and hose indoors where it is warm. Be
sure to drain the water from the hose and tool. Disconnect
hose from tool, open the valve and keep in this position
during non-use.
3
wind, if any.
HELPFUL HINTS
4) Connect the hose to the sprinkler and open the hose
valve. Test sprinkler coverage before allowing it to operate
unattended.
5) After the planned time, turn off hose valve, unclamp the
sprinkler and move to the next location.
1) When resurfacing the ice, you do not want too much
water coming out of the tool. Turn the valve down if there is
too much water coming out. You can tell if there is too much
water when it starts to come out around the mat. You want
the water to go underneath the mat, not around it.
6) Apply equal volumes of water to all locations of the rink
by varying the time and % of sprinkler coverage sweep (i.e.
a 90 sweep for 15 minutes at the corner locations will apply
2) The less water you put down per application, the faster it
will freeze. The faster it freezes, the sooner you can put on
another layer of water. Experiment with the water flow
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Ice-Making Guide for Deer Bone Arena
coming from the tool. The colder the air temperature the
more water flow. The warmer the air temperature, the less
water you want at one time
3) Until you get accustomed to using the Ice Master, it
helps to have someone else move the hose around on the
ice. With very little practice, you can do it all by yourself. See
#8 under Resurfacing Instructions for handling tips.
4) Fill all large holes in the ice with a mixture of snow (if
available) and water. You can pre-mix it in a 5-gallon bucket
to a milkshake consistency.
5) Remove all pucks, sticks, nets, etc from the rink when
finished skating. Dark colored objects attract the sun and
they will melt into the ice next day.
6) Before you resurface, remove the snow or skate
shavings with the three 36” shovels. Have the skaters
remove the shavings because they can go much faster on
skates. There is no need to sweep off the ice. Use cold water
it is not necessary to use hot water.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Frozen hose
Bring the frozen hose inside, being careful not to bend and
crack the hose. The frozen hose can also be thawed-out by
soaking in hot water, in a laundry or bathtub.
Frozen Faucet
Open the faucet all the way. Boil a large pot of water. Hold
the pot under the faucet so the faucet is submerged in the
hot water. Pour the hot water slowly over the faucet. Repeat
the process if necessary.
Can’t screw the hose onto the faucet
If the hose is difficult to screw onto the faucet, turn the water
on briefly. This will melt any ice, which may have formed in
the threads of the faucet.
Broken or leaky hose and/or adapters
There are extra snap-on adapter and hose accessories in an
orange, white & blue box, located on the skate shelf in the
garage.
Frozen Sprinkler
Detach the hose from the sprinkler and spray the sprinkler
with water.
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