DIY Ice Rink Building Tips for Hockey Enthusiasts in South NJ

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Building a DIY ice rink in South NJ presents challenges due to warmer winters, but a frame with a liner elevated on 4x4 timbers can help. Incorporating copper tubing filled with antifreeze on top of plywood may enhance ice quality, though concerns about freezing and pipe blockages exist. The effectiveness of this setup depends on external temperatures, ice thickness, and the cooling system used. A chiller is necessary for maintaining the glycol mix at low temperatures, making it a complex and potentially costly project. Exploring inline skating on concrete or enrolling in a local hockey club could provide more accessible practice options for young players.
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Ok, so my 8 year old son started playing ice hockey and unfortunately to get good, you need lost of ice time which is expensive and hard to come by. I am trying to figure out how to make a homemade ice rink this winter. I live in south NJ and the winters are not cold enough to have a lasting rink using mother nature alone, which brings me to my question.

I was thinking of first, building a rink with a frame and liner and thinking maybe elevating it on 4x4 timbers to eliminate the warmth of the earth.( the old "bridge freezes first" concept.)

then I thought if I covered the plywood bottom with coils of copper tubing and ran ice cold water or glycol through it, that would really help keep the ice cold and solid, thereby extending the playing season.

so is this a crazy idea? will the reward be worth the effort? what would be the best (cheapest) way to cool the water/glycol?

any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Mike
 
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You would get bettor heat transfer if the coils were inside the ice and you ran a fluid that will not freeze through it to prevent the chance of a blockage or something, causing your pipes to freeze and bursting your pipes
 
Sorry I was unclear. I did mean put piping on TOP of plywood in the ice.

I was thinking of piping antifreeze through pipes and then through an ice filled cooler.
Of course the outside temp would have to be pretty low.

Is there a way to figure the highest outside temp could be for this to still work?
Guess it would depend on liquid temp, ice thickness, amount of piping , ect...
 
Cooling the glycol mix really is the tough part. You need a chiller for that.
 
Maybe another option is to practice a lot on concrete with in-line skates? I know it's not 100% the same, but it's a lot simpler option...
 
It might be a better option to enroll your son in a hockey club to get cheap ice-time. Unfortunately, the ice-times allotted to youth groups may not be optimal, for him or for you. Still, if you want your son to get skilled at hockey, you need to put him on properly conditioned ice.

Good luck finding a solution. Maine is pretty cold most winters, but budding hockey players need ice-time at decent rinks and that can be hard to manage.
 

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