Leisure Industry

Effective Dehumidification Solutions for Ice Rinks

We recently worked on an ice rink dehumidification project with a leading name in the industry to reduce the effects of unwanted moisture ingress. Moisture from warmer outside air will inevitably find its way into the building through natural leakage and door traffic. This usually results in an increase in relative humidity and dewpoint of the cool ice rink air. When the humid air comes into contact with colder surfaces such as steel roof supports, the air can easily reach its dewpoint and condensation will occur. Dripping water will cause damage to the ice by pitting the surface or by forming ‘ice mushrooms’, thereby lowering its overall quality and increasing costs associated with improving the ice surface for customers. If humidity is allowed to rise, indoor fog can be a common problem, especially in summer, when the dewpoint of outside air (and hence moisture loads) are at a maximum. A desiccant dehumidifier system is designed to maintain a constant relative humidity or dewpoint within the ice rink. The re-circulated air (often combined with some fresh air), is prevented from reaching its dewpoint by controlled dehumidification. The dewpoint of the air is maintained below that of internal surface temperatures. Condensation and fog are eliminated. Lower humidity also helps to prevent the formation of mould and mildew growth, reduces steel corrosion, and improves the general safety of electrical equipment.