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Learn How RainMaster Turned One Customers Property Into an Ice Skating Rink
One of our customers wanted a backyard skating rink. The irrigation system already running their lawn all summer turned out to be the easiest way to fill it.
How we did it
Our technicians ran a waterline off the existing sprinkler system to fill the backyard rink, using the same equipment and methods we use to water lawns all summer. No separate supply, no hauling hoses across a frozen yard.
What makes a backyard rink work in the Upper Midwest
- A flat base. Even a slight grade means one end is thin ice and the other is a pond. Check the slope before the ground freezes.
- A sustained freeze. Wisconsin and Minnesota typically get a reliable window from late December into February. Build the base in thin layers once temperatures stay below freezing.
- A controlled water source. This is where an irrigation system helps. A dedicated line fills in layers without dragging hoses out of a heated garage every night.
- Patience on the first layers. Thin, repeated floods freeze clear and hard. One deep flood freezes slowly and cracks.
A word about your system
This is a project for a technician, not a weekend. Irrigation systems in our climate are blown out each fall precisely so that no water is left in them to freeze, so any winter use has to be set up deliberately and drained afterward. Running water through a winterized system without that planning is how pipes split.
Projects like this are a good reminder of what the crew here is willing to figure out. If you have something a little outside the box in mind, give us a call and we will tell you honestly whether it can be done.
Bottom line
- An existing irrigation system can be used to fill a backyard ice rink with a technician-installed waterline.
- A flat base and thin, repeated floods produce hard, clear ice; one deep flood cracks.
- Any winter water use has to be planned and drained, because systems here are winterized to stay empty.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my sprinkler system to fill a backyard rink myself?
Not without help. Systems are blown out in the fall so no water remains to freeze; using one in winter requires a setup that can be drained afterward.
How thick does backyard rink ice need to be?
Build to at least four inches of solid ice for skating, adding it in thin layers rather than one deep flood.
Will this damage my irrigation system?
Not when it is set up and drained properly by a technician. Done improperly, trapped water freezes and splits pipe.
