Mild December Weather Isn't Going To Stop Ice Skaters In Center City
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You'll be able to skate a figure eight at the Rothman Ice Skating Rink outside City Hall despite forecasted temperatures in the 60's over the next several days.
A two stage, 200 ton chiller helps keep the 60 x 120-foot ice solid on the 60 x 120-foot rink.
There is a network of five miles of tubing hidden beneath the plaza's surface, pumping glycol through the system.
"What happens is the chemical is used to be able not to freeze so that when its going through that five miles of tubing underneath the ice, it's actually removing the heat. So a lot of people don't understand that removes heat from there and on the return run it takes that warmed up glycol and that warmed up glycol then is chilled and cooled back down through the chiller itself," said Steve Bussey, Vice President of Operations for the Center City District.
The ice rink will remain open until February 28th, no matter how warm or cold it is.