23 Jun Bad Water, Good Ice? It’s Possible!
For decades, rink operators have been told they need perfect water and scalding hot floods to make great ice.
But what if that wasn’t true?
At REALice, we know it’s not. And every month, we host Zoom calls with ice techs from across North America — REALice users and non-users — to swap stories, solve problems, and compare notes. Because if you’ve ever worked in a rink, you know: no two days are ever the same.
Doing the ice at Spartan Arena – Vermont State University’s rink
It’s time to switch to REALice. With high energy costs — and rebates available from many utilities — changing from hot floods to resurfacing with REALice has never made more sense. To find out what REALice would mean to your facility, check out our Savings Calculator and see for yourself now.
🔧 Spartan Arena’s Ice Mystery (and the Lightbulb Moment)
Steve Wolf, Athletic Director at Vermont State University, joined this week’s call and shared how their well water, loaded with calcium, used to be a huge challenge — until NHL ice guru Dan Craig recommended the REALice water treatment system, and a filter.
That helped immensely… but a couple years later, they hit a wall: the floodwater was going in crystal clear, but coming out milky. The ice felt slow. Panic.
After some brainstorming, we suspected a hidden problem: the floodwater tank of their 14-year-old Olympia. They drilled in — and bingo. It was coated with limescale.
REALice-treated water crystallizes calcium bicarbonate into non-sticky calcite and aragonite. These crystals don’t cling — but they do knock loose existing buildup, which in this case was dislodging flakes from the tank into the water and onto the ice.
👉 A good acid wash fixed the problem. 👉 Slow, milky ice? History.
The ice crew at Cenovus Arena in Athabasca, AB. Maintenance Supervisor Cal Radkewich is on the far right.
💡 Why Dehumidifier Settings Work Differently with REALice
Cal Radkewich from the Cenovus Arena in Athabasca (AB) mentioned a light frost sometimes appearing on his surface. Steve asked about ambient and humidity levels:
Ambient: 10°C
Humidity: 45%
With cold water flooding, you’re not steaming up the rink like traditional hot floods — so you need different humidity targets. Steve shared his REALice-specific dehumidifier chart and suggested Cal try 50–56%. Cal’s going to try it this August when he puts his ice in.
📉 5 Hours a Day — That’s All the Compressor Needs
Cal also shared that since installing REALice in 2022, Cenovus Arena’s compressors now run just 5 hours per day. That’s major energy savings.
Meanwhile, Steve had some tough news: a brine leak under the boards at Spartan Arena will probably delay the Castleton season. But he’s still kicking — literally. Off the ice, he coaches kickers at WolfKicking.com, and just received a championship ring after two of his players helped Laval University win Canada’s national college football title.
The ice at Campbellford Warehouse Arena in the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre — the Municipality of Trent Hills’ second REALice facility.
🏒 Fast Builds and a Smoother Finish
He wasn’t on the call, but on Wednesday I also had a chat with Peter Burnett, Director of Community Services at The Municipality of Trent Hills (ON). Peter’s team recently opened the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre — their second REALice facility. Even though the team was used to hot water floods, they quickly came around.
Why?
💬 “They really liked how quickly the ice set up — and how EVEN it was,” Peter said. The REALice handheld nozzle delivered. The REALice handheld nozzle delivered. The first pass was frozen by the time they got back to center so they could just keep building the ice, takinng 12 minutes per pass. That’s the same as the twin pad Fenlands Recreation Centre in Banff, AB took, which pioneered the timing of the technique, proving building with the REALice handheld is far faster than building with hose floods..
❄️ The Bottom Line
Whether you’ve got well water, municipal water, good water or bad — good ice is possible and REALice delivers.
REALice doesn’t just de-aerate. It works with your water to unlock performance and energy savings. And sometimes, it reveals hidden problems — like scale buildup — that help you improve your system even more.
Want to join our next call or learn more about REALice for your rink and incentives that will help lower the ROI? Drop me a message. We’re always happy to talk ice.