The Client –
Leading UK events company
The Challenge –
Seasonal requirement for a winter ice rink
The Solution –
Duty share, multi-unit chiller system & ancillaries
Temporary ice rinks are a well-loved attraction in the run up to Christmas and pop up in towns & cities across the UK. They can be great for the tourist trade, attracting visitors from far and wide, and they’ve become an established part of holiday tradition over recent years.
Situation
Temperature control plays a huge part in ensuring the success of an ice rink and Aqua support a number of venues and event companies each year. Therefore, we were delighted to be asked by a new client to work on one of the UK’s largest temporary ice rinks. They were planning a festive winter wonderland, from November through to January, and the ice rink would be taking centre stage.
For ice rink operators, reliability, application experience and 24/7 support are key drivers when choosing their temperature control supplier. However festive a wonderland might look, no one enjoys skating on an uneven and slushy rink. It impacts the visitor experience, available operating hours and, ultimately, the business bottom line.
Solution
Our Hire team delivered a fully managed turnkey solution, which included design work, delivery, installation, commissioning, and ongoing 24/7 support for the length of the hire.
The application required 240kW of cooling, down to -12°C and we supply our ice rinks as a duty share system as standard. This ensures redundancy is built into the system, so that if a component fails, it can operate as normal until a repair can be undertaken. With most of our rental fleet chillers being less than a year old, it’s very unlikely that the situation would arise in the first place, however client peace of mind at all times is really important to us.
The full project included:
- 3 x Aqua Pro chiller units
- Pumps
- Tanks
- Flexible pipework
- Valves, fittings & adapters
- System instrumentation
- Electric cabling
- Melt out & decommissioning
The Aqua Pro chiller units selected operate on R454B refrigerant. R454B is a sustainable refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 466, significantly lower than R410A by 70%+. It’s Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) value is zero and its energy efficient, making it an ideal choice for the planet and your business.
Results
“These projects always take careful planning and implementation” explains Will Fernley, Northern Sales Manager at Aqua.
“Ice rinks throw up unique challenges and you need to carefully consider the highly variable environments they operate within, often for months at a time. The ice surface needs to be stable, safe, and enjoyable for visitors and the last thing any operator wants is disruption to trade. The feedback on this event was excellent, it was a huge success and planning is already underway for next year!”
If you’re considering a temporary ice rink project, chat with our Hire team on 0333 004 4433.