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The Mechanics Of Ozone


Dr. Spa

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As there seems to be lack of understanding, I thought I'd take some time to post a sticky explaining how ozonation works in a spa. The process is very basic, and in the vast majority of spas, consists of only four very basic components.

ozone_mechanics.gif

The OZONATOR - This is a devise that, when electrical power is applied too, converts some of the oxygen in the air contained within it, into OZONE. This can be done through either a process called Corona Discharge, or with a specific frequency ultraviolet light.

VERY IMPORTANT! - ALL, it does is convert some of the oxygen within it into ozone. It does NOT push, pull, pump or move this now ozonated air!

The CHECK VALVE - This is a one way valve that prevents spa water from backing up into the ozonator.

The OZONE TUBING - This is the "pipe" that the ozone travels through.

The INJECTOR - The INJECTOR works off a principle called "Venturi". Without going into the entire scientific explanation, when water flows through it, it creates a vacuum (some spas use a dedicated jet, which has this venturi design built into it). This vacuum pulls air through the OZONE TUBING, through the CHECK VALVE and through the OZONATOR. The INJECTOR will pull air through it, any time there's water flowing through it, regardless of whether or not the OZONATOR is producing ozone.

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Most spa ozone injectors are UV, which is not very efficient, so the amount of ozone produced is small (in the neighborhoold of 10% of a CD system), particularly after they have been in use for a few months. In reality it is more of a sales 'gimmick' than an actual adjunct to spa maintenance, IMHO. CD systems tend to be a bit more complicated since they usually include a drying chamber (if they do not their ozone generation can actually be lower than a UV unit and, once again, become a sales gimmick!) and they product a much higher ozone output. However, they are more expensive and not as common.

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This forum is not the place to discuss vaccination but let it be said that many childhood illnesses that had all but disappeared are on the up rise again because people are afraid to vaccinate their children and that all the Wakefield rubbish about vaccination and autism has been disproven, the Lancet published a full retraction, and Wakefield was found guilty of professional misconduct and can no longer practice medicine!

As far as ozone, yes it is a toxic gas but if properly introduced into the spa (which is usually is not) it will only be in the reaction chamber and not in the water in the spa vessel. However, as I stated above ozone, and UV for that matter, in the way they are usually implemented are really more of a sales gimmick than something that actually does anything! That being said, I am not a fan of ozone, particularly if the sanitizer is chlorine since it tends to destroy chlorine (and vice versa) and can actually increase chlorine demand. It is some use in a very high usage (read commercial) spa that have a persistent combined chlorine problem. UV can also be useful in this circumstance but in a residential spa they are a waste of money, IMHO. Ozone can be of limited usefulness with bromine since it will oxidize bromide into hypobromous acid but it also tents to convert bromide into non renewable bromate, decreasing the bromide 'bank' in the water. A common misconception about ozone (and UV for that matter is that they will allow you to run a lower halogen sanitizer level than without. This is not true. They might reduce your sanitizer demand (the amount of sanitizer needed to maintain the desired level) but the do NOT allow you to run a lower level of sanitizer and have properly sanitized water. In a low usage spa the sanitizer demand can actually increase.

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