You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
ICE COOLER
- Thread starter melkal
- Start date
Purified water,(RO, distilled or DI) ie water with less than 20 mg/L (PPM) of dissolved solids will freeze better and make longer lasting ice. My company designed a RO (reverse osmosis) water purification system for our local ice rink in Park City, UT where the raw water was too high in total dissolved minerals (TDS). The ice surface is harder and last longer (no pun).
When a pond freezes (or an iceberg for that matter) the frozen water will be pure water with very little mineral. That was why the pond ice was so good.
The clearer the ice, generally the more pure it will be and the lower the TDS. Why do you think pouring salt on ice melts it.
The better ice companies use some form of water purification (not just filtration) to make ice.
The old joke: why can't the (fill in ethnicity) make ice. Answer: because they lost the recipe.
When a pond freezes (or an iceberg for that matter) the frozen water will be pure water with very little mineral. That was why the pond ice was so good.
The clearer the ice, generally the more pure it will be and the lower the TDS. Why do you think pouring salt on ice melts it.
The better ice companies use some form of water purification (not just filtration) to make ice.
The old joke: why can't the (fill in ethnicity) make ice. Answer: because they lost the recipe.
Old ice versus new ice versus whatever. How does ice cool? First take a look at the properties of water. Water as a liquid will absorb or give off heat in a fairly linear manner. It is when water changes states that it requires additional energy. Since we are talking about the solid state, ice, lets dwell on that. As the liquid water water cools you have to remove a certain amount of energy from it. This is rather linear. Once the water hits 32.1*, it takes a lot of energy to get it to 31.9*. That transformation of water to ice is what gives ice it's cooling properties. Changing of the state, liquid to solid, is what makes ice effective. As it goes from solid to liquid it is now able to absorb a lot energy. In other words it will cool your beer. Minerals such as salt will only affect the temperature where this transformation takes effect. Salt will lower the freezing point. Stick a thermometer into a mixture of ice and water and it will be 32*. Add salt to this mixture and you can lower the temperature. Thats why in the old days rock salt was used when making home made ice cream. It allowed for the temperature to be lowered and causing the ice cream mixture to hit it's freezing point.
I've been freezing one gallon bottles of drinking water or refilled with reverse osmosis water to keep my coolers cold. They seem to last longer than block ice and then the water is available to drink then they thaw. And, yes, they freeze nearly clear. Just remember to leave enough room for the ice expansion in the bottle when it freezes. I normally leave out a few ounces and give the bottle a slight squeeze before tightening the cap. As the ice expands, the bottle returns to its original size and shape.