Anyone have a backyard ice skating rink?

[92hatchattack 0]

Hey guys and gals....

Anyone here own one of those backyard ice skating rinks??? If so, where do you live?

I live in jersey, and while sometimes the winters get nice and cold, sometimes we hit some warm periods too. Now ill be buying a house in a year or two and i think the idea of having an ice skating rink in the backyard would be awesome for me and my son.

The question is how do i keep it from melting durring the warm spots???? Is there anykind of non toxic chemical that will keep the ice frozen???

Or any cost efficent ways or refridgeration????

The only thing i have come up with that may work is the concept of using a cover, white, that covers the surface at a 1" height... reflecting the sun and heat and keeping it out of direct sunlight.....

now this may sound odd but follow me.....

a 26'x52' rink would consist of 1352 square feet....... Now take the refrigeration unit from a freezer that is 35square feet.... get two of them... so 70 square feet times 12(because the tart will only be 1" off the ice) is 840...... and being that those freezers def. dont run at all times i would think that two of those units could keep a 1350 square foot area refrigetated enough to stay frozen....

Well, thats my boneheaded idea....... anyone have somethime more logical????

[analog999 0]

Now take the refrigeration unit from a freezer that is 35square feet.... get two of them...

How much would this cost? You're talking about an industrial freezer that you would find at like a meat locker, right?

[92hatchattack 0]

^^^ i really dont have a clue.... i know that there are like big full sized freezer for home ... my mom has one that like 25 square or so i think......... but something industrial would sure work better...

my guess is it would be $$$ and hard to get a hold of.... but i good idea.... ill serch the web.... god knows what u can find online ... lol

[BK 0]

Normal ice sheets have a pipe system below the ice. It is filled with a salt water solution (to keep the water in the pipe from freezing) and pumped through an aparadus that puts the water below freezing temps to keep your ice frozen.

good luck making one.. usually backyard rinks are fueled by weather. You may just have to let the ice melt and refreeze as the weather changes.

[92hatchattack 0]

^^^ well, thats the worst case scenario i guess..... i wonder if anyone makes any small cost efficeint systems that can be assembled and disassembles seasonaly..... Shit, i would mind paying even up to 5K if i was garunteed the system would last at least 10 years.....

but even at that, im doubting ill be able to find a system anywhere near that price....

[devilsrule711 0]

well i was going to get one of those rinkrat ice things that u put up the boards put on aliner and fill it up with hot water and let it freeze in the winter

didnt get one but one with a ppe system is like 22,000 US or something like that they are nice but $$$$$

[92hatchattack 0]

damn that a big price tag.... was that $22,000 for the entire rink ket and entire refrigeration kit??? and what size are you talking about???

[stickfixchaska 0]

Check it out...

Custom Rinks Residential

You can go as Hightech or as low key as you want.

$25k to start...

[92hatchattack 0]

I really cant think of any better way to spend $25K ...... yet, i dont think the wife will go for it :(

[devilsrule711 0]

go to rinkrat.com for like 500-2000 dollar set up

[stickfixchaska 0]

I really cant think of any better way to spend $25K ...... yet, i dont think the wife will go for it :(

Me too! All that needs to be done is too convince your significant other that, $25k on a refrigerated sheet of ice rather than a nice inground pool is the smart thing to do.

Like that will happen! :lol:

[Nick23 0]

I really cant think of any better way to spend $25K ...... yet, i dont think the wife will go for it :(

My dad is about to spend £65000 ($113,231.53 USD) on a new grand piano. Im sure if he went a little less i could squeeze in a rink :)

[AlabamaICE 0]

Think I could put one of those in my backyard in Alabama? Average winter temp. is about 50 degrees.

[hockeydude_49 0]

Jeez you guys are crazy spending that much on a back yard rink. I live in minnesota and this is my rink I didn't buy anything, I just waited for it to get cold enough and just sprayed down the ground and it eventually builds up ice. Mines kinda small but its perfect for shooting, and my little brother uses it a lot. The white cover thing sounds like a good idea. Theres warm periods here too and the main thing is just not to skate on it when its warm out. If you keep the snow off it and don't skate on it it'll just get soft and then freeze again when it gets cold.