Club Sports Assistant Director of Events and Facilities Justin Forth sprays down the ice on the new lettering inside the blue line. (Photos by Matt Reynolds)
New refrigeration system, surface facelift makes LaHaye Ice Center state-of-the-art again
Liberty unveiled its newly painted surface with a fresh coat of ice generated by the recently installed Evapcold system this week.
The chill is back in the LaHaye Ice Center thanks to a replacement of the original refrigeration system with a new Evapcold compressor.
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Maintenance workers service the Evapcold unit on a platform outside the LaHaye Ice Center.
"It's an ammonium chiller, which is the go-to for most professional arenas, so it's the most efficient you can have for the application," said Josh Ranson, project manager from Liberty's Design & Renovations department. "It will use less electricity."
The original unit, installed when the rink opened in 2006, ran off of HCFC-22 hydrochlorofluorocarbons now deemed environmentally hazardous.Â
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"The refrigeration unit was up for its lifecycle, so you want to get a new one in here and make sure that it's up to date because technology has changed a lot in the last 18 years," Flames Division I men's hockey Head Coach and Club Sports Athletic Director Kirk Handy said. "It will be way better."
"We worked for two years with about five different companies, trying to find a company that could provide … the right equipment, brand-name equipment that we felt was going to be the right quality and last a long time," Ranson added. "This should last 20-25 years."
Bryan Thompson, chiller technician for Liberty's Climate Control (HVAC)
He said the previous compressor was housed inside the LIC, back where the Zambonis are stored, but a special platform was built behind the rink adjacent to the newly planned parking garage to hold the Evapcold unit. "It has been a major overhaul and undertaking," Ranson said. "It required a lot of engineering to be able to take everything that was in here and incorporate it (outside)."
The surface beneath the ice was painted on Wednesday before the first layer of ice using the new refrigeration system was due to be built up overnight and into Thursday.
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Other improvements to the arena include the replacement of some of the boards around the rink as well as a new kick plate, painted yellow, serving as a curb around the ice.
"It's a huge renovation update and we're super excited about it," Handy said. "It's going to really add to the quality of the ice, but it is also an upgrade to the whole facility. We want to add to the brand-new look in here. They're going to be redoing all of the mondo flooring, and all of the carpeting eventually will be brand new in the locker rooms, lobbies, and suites."
The only exterior improvements will be the replacement of the photo-wrapped facades over the front two entrances.
"It doesn't look like much now, but in two weeks, it will look pretty good," said DI women's hockey Head Coach Chris Lowes, who also serves as Club Sports Director of Events and Facilities.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
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The new paint scheme beneath the LaHaye Ice Center rink incorporates Liberty wordmarks and colors.A team of student workers spray down the under-ice layer in advance of its first freeze.Forth puts the finishing touches on the water coating of the new logos.
