This is the original chiller inside the mechanical room next to the Zamboni garage at Los Alamos Ice Rink. The original chiller utilized three reciprocating compressors and delivered 98.4 refrigeration tons. Council recently approved the purchase and installation of a new ice chiller that has 155 tons of refrigeration. Courtesy/LAC
This was the original condenser on the outside space next to the mechanical room. This space is occupied by the temporary chiller. Courtesy/LAC
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
With the original ice rink chiller expired and then renting a temporary chiller for the 2023-2024 ice skating season, Los Alamos County Council unanimously agreed that it is time to purchase a new chiller.
Council approved the replacement project during its Aug. 6 meeting. The project is budgeted at $2.9 million, and installation is expected to begin in either late spring or early summer of 2025 and scheduled to be completed in time for the 2025-2026 skating season.
Public Works Project Manager Miguel Jimenez explained the chiller is also referred to as a refrigeration plant. It works the same as a refrigerator but rather than freezing food, the chiller freezes the floor of the ice rink.
The original chiller, which was installed in 2002, was plagued with frequent malfunctions, he said. Plus given its age, it was getting difficult to find replacement parts especially for the control panel.
The temporary chiller was put into service in October 2023.
Capital Projects and Facilities Manager Sara Rhoton said the temporary chiller provided a “satisfactory season” but isn’t a long-term option because its intended use is for AC systems.
Jimenez agreed.
“We had a successful season,” he said. “It worked well. It was sized to deliver the same capacity as the old one.”
Deputy Public Works Director Eric Martinez said the temporary chiller was utilized before purchasing a permanent one because “the existing refrigeration system reached the end of its service life … so instead of investing more money into the old chiller we looked at a temporary chiller to keep the ice skating season in place while we went through the planning and procurement process for a replacement.”
Jimenez explained that chillers cannot be bought off the shelf, they are customized based on several factors such as available space for equipment, ice rink size and power supply conditions.
The new one will be a real upgrade, he added. For one thing, it will have a bigger capacity with 155 tons of refrigeration compared to the original’s 98.4 tons. Plus, the new chiller will be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Rhoton pointed out that the old chiller requires all its compressors to operate while the new one can run either just one compressor or two compressors as needed.
“We are expecting that the performance from this chiller will be great,” she said. “We want good, sustainable ice.”
Not only will the new chiller be energy efficient, but it will also save the County money. Rhoton said about a half million dollars will be saved in purchasing a permanent chiller now rather than renting for one or two more seasons. She added the new one should last 30 years.
Installing the new chiller will require a crane to set it in place as well as doing work in the mechanical room and HVAC system, Jimenez said.
Rhoton added that this may disrupt the schedule of those groups such as the Derby Dames that utilize the rink in the summer months, but it should only be a week or two.
The new chiller replacement project isn’t the only thing in the works for the ice rink. Martinez said during the FY25 budget hearings, in addition to the chiller, council approved funds for other improvements to the rink including replacement of the floor and a possible shade structure.
The floor replacement and the shade project are interconnected, he said. The floor, like the chiller, is aged as is the plumbing within it that cools the floor and freezes the water to produce ice. Just what type of shade structure has yet to be determined but the underlying support structure would need to be integrated with the floor due to the limited footprint around the site.
To weigh all the options for a shade structure, Martinez said a design team will be hired to evaluate different structures as well as their costs. Council’s input will be sought on the issue as well as the public’s. Public works staff is in the process of procuring professional services for the floor replacement and shade structure phase of ice rink improvements.
This image provided by Modern Mechanical Ice Systems, the contractor designing the new chiller for the County, shows a CAD rendering that, while not identical, is an example of the kind of chiller that will be designed and fabricated for the Los Alamos Ice Rink. Courtesy/LAC
