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Why Ozonators Aren’t That Great

Why Pool Ozonators are that great
Charlie Ramirez

2 Minute Read

88
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Over the last few years, you may have heard all about the greatness that are ozonators. Ozone, in fact, is a great swimming pool oxidizer, sanitizer, and is a safe alternative to chlorine. It destroys trash and kills bacteria simultaneously. Ozone does almost everything chlorine does and can perform at a higher efficiency. With that being said, do we recommend you to run out and purchase an ozonator immediately?

Not necessarily. And here’s why.

Before running out and buying an ozonator, there are a few things you might want to take into consideration. Did you know that despite the name, ozonators do not actually ozonate the water in your pool? Yup, you read that correctly. ozoneSwimming pool ozone systems only ozonate the water in your pipes. In fact, some only ozonate portions of the pipes. They are specifically designed to assure that no ozone ever reaches your swimming pool or the swimmers in it.

Why, you ask? Because ozone is poisonous. Yes, poisonous. Ozone is harmful to bacteria but also very harmful to humans as well. Like chlorine gas, ozone is poisonous, but neither are dangerous as long as they stay within the water. That’s where the problem arises. Unlike chlorine gas, ozone will not stay put in water. Therefore, the ozone must be removed before it reaches your pool.

Still, there are a lot of great benefits to ozonated swimming pools. There are incredible health benefits associated with ozone systems, but one of the main ones is the comfort of the water. Red eyes, rashes, faded swim suits, and other chlorine-related problems are no longer an issue. Ozone also eliminates pool odors common to traditional pools and oxidizes and destroys oils and other contaminants.

The underlying truth is that ozonators actually produce very little ozone. In an ideal pool environment, it takes approximately 3 to 4 days to completely ozonate a swimming pool. However, it will take weeks before a residential swimming pool is completely ozonated. This creates a tiny problem, unless you’re okay with swimming in last week’s flu water.

ozonetreatsBecause of this, you still must add chlorine or bromine to your pool so that there is an active ingredient killing germs where swimmers will be and not just in your pipes. When you chlorinate your pool, the chlorine is both in the swimming water and in your pipes.

Ozonators have the potential to perform really well, but are not ideal or practical for residential pool owners. Ozone has a very short half life. It cannot be stored, only used soon after it is produced. And although it is a lot stronger than chlorine, it alone is not a sufficient sanitization method for most swimming pools. It does not eliminate all swimming pool contaminants that are potentially dangerous to swimmers.

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88 responses to “Why Ozonators Aren’t That Great”

  1. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    Hi Charlie. I am in the design process of a pool and have been quoted to include both the Ozone and the salt system together. Does this combination give you the levels of chlorine required to maintain a healthy pool?

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      yes

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        yes

        Reply
        1. Avatar
          Anonymous

          yes

          Reply
          1. Avatar
            Anonymous

            yes

    2. Tina Avatar
      Tina

      Hi Sandra, Did you decide to go with both systems? My daughter breaks out with a horrible burn like rash when she uses sunblock and enters chlorine pools…. using both systems together sounds like a helpful alternative.

      Reply
    3. Elizabeth Avatar
      Elizabeth

      Charlie,

      I am wondering why the gentleman who wrote the article said: ” Did you know that despite the name, ozonators do not actually ozonate the water in your pool”? If you buy a Prozone unit that is either UV/Ozone or Ozone only, it does Ozonate the whole body of water. The process depends on how long it takes your pump to turn over your body of water. Think about it! Ozone is injected directly into the water, but the water is always being circulated because you have a pump, meaning the water that is passing by the Ozone is being treated, so the whole body of water is treated at some point through the day. The filter picks up all the nasty that is destroyed while it is running. I am unsure why he said it doesn’t ozonate the whole pool and only the pipes. The water does run through the pipes and it is an added bonus to have your pipes cleaned since that is where biofilms build up. Don’t let some guy tell you that ozone systems aren’t a great investment.

      Reply
      1. ANONYMOUS Avatar
        ANONYMOUS

        Not a great investment for any pool. A chlorine pool or salt water pool will keep your pool sanitized more than enough. Any additional sanitizers seem redundant.

        Reply
        1. Doug Avatar
          Doug

          You are correct a chlorine or salt can sanitize a pool but you need to maintain 3-5ppm of chlorine. Corona Discharge Ozone generators paired with UV-C and slower flow rates will allow you to effectively sanitize your pool with around 0.5ppm of chlorine, used as a residual. For those with sensitivities to chlorine or simply just dont want as many chemicals it can be a great investment.

          Reply
          1. Simon Spragg Avatar
            Simon Spragg

            Totally agree.
            Ozone nowadays AOP is the way to go… You still need residual chlorine compound in the water, but less so.
            Salt systems just suck.

        2. Pedro Avatar
          Pedro

          I thought so too, until my pool got infested with a chlorine tolerant algae which survived around 20 ppm chlorine (high enough to keep swimmers
          out of your pool, but the algae persisted). Bubbling ozone directly into
          the pool water for a few hours removed it completely.

          Reply
          1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
            Matthew Simmons

            I’ve not heard of a chlorine resistant algae, but are you sure your CYA levels weren’t out of whack? Chlorine kills everything but it can be hindered by high CYA levels. Too much CYA is like putting the chlorine in a straightjacket, it can’t attack the bad things in your water.

        3. John H, Winter Springs, FL Avatar
          John H, Winter Springs, FL

          I recently renovated my pool and added an ozone generator to the system. Originally my pool was a chlorine based system and 10 years ago I switched to a salt system because my granddaughter had a severe reaction to the chlorine based pool. Switching to a salt system reduced the chlorine in the pool very well. When we renovated the pool we removed the salt system and went to the ozone system. In the 3 months that we have added the ozone system to the pool we have reduced the amount of chemicals (salt, calcium hardness, stabilizer, etc) saving money on those. So far the only thing I have done is add acid about every other day so it further reduced operational expenses. I kept the old salt system just in case the ozone system didn’t do the job thoroughly. It is sitting on a shelf in the garage and so far it looks like we won’t need to reinstall it. The grand kids were here this past week and commented that they could swim without goggles and their eyes didn’t burn. So far I give it two thumbs up from both the operational cost and swimmer comfort perspective. My pool is 13,500 gallons.

          Reply
          1. Donna Armstrong Avatar
            Donna Armstrong

            Can you tell me where I can even get an ozone-UV system in the Orlando area. I called several places – One has yet to call back and a couple only do commercial not residential pools. The Clear O3 seems the most popular but I don’t think it works with corona discharge, only UV initiated ozone. Is yours corona or UV type? Thanks for any help!

      2. Jenn K Avatar
        Jenn K

        We have a prozone unit and wouldn’t do it any other way! It’s amazing!! We are able to use very little ch in our chlorinator, therefore no red eyes and green hair. 😊also no chlorine smelling suits and dry skin.

        Reply
        1. Jennifer Avatar
          Jennifer

          We have an ozone system and a chlorinator. We live in the desert where temps are very hot. What should the chlorinator dial be turned to when you also have an ozone system?

          Reply
      3. Becca Avatar
        Becca

        Thanks Elizabeth. I too was taken by by the false date.

        Reply
      4. PoolOperator Avatar
        PoolOperator

        The difference is that chlorine is in the water in the pool and in the pipes so it’s doing it’s cleaning job all the time. Unlike ozone which is just cleaning the water when it goes through the pipes

        Reply
      5. ChemFacts Avatar
        ChemFacts

        Yes, the entire pool is exposed to ozone, but there is no ozone in most of the water. Ozone is a murderously unstable chemical. It has been considered as a rocket propellant, but dismissed as too hard to work with. In pure form, it is well known for its tendency to transform into a super-heated oxygen fireball even when cooled to near absolute zero with almost no provocation.

        It is this violent decay process, occurring constantly on a microscopic scale that allows ozone to serve as so effective of a decontamination agent. The downside is that the ozone produced by your generator doesn’t last long. In fact, it never gets out of your pipes: by the time it has reached the pool proper, all the ozone has exploded already, and all that’s left is regular oxygen. This is how your pool remains unozonated despite your water being exposed constantly.

        Reply
        1. IV Ozone saved my life Avatar
          IV Ozone saved my life

          I can’t comment on ozone being used in a pool for sanitation but we are looking into it as an option for our above ground pool. I can say with 100% certainty that Ozone is NOT, by any means, a “murderously unstable chemical.” I have Lyme Disease and have been receiving Ozone by IV twice a week for over a year and it has literally saved my life. Please do your research.

          Reply
      6. DocDee Avatar
        DocDee

        With an ozone only system there is no residual sterilization going on in the body of the pool. Also, pools have dead spots, or less well circulated volumes of water, So all you are doing is diluting bulk dirty water with ultra-clean water.

        Reply
      7. Avatar
        Anonymous

        Wrong. Most Ozone systems are Side Stream & therefore it takes many days for all the water to pass the Ozonator. You also need a residual sanitiser in the pool water to combat enviromental contamination, bird crap & swimmers. The new PuraPool low ppm pink salt “Oxy Minerale” systems produce Anolyte – Hypoclorus acid & detergent. Leaving a residual sanitiser in the pool. Arguably the best machines on the market!

        Reply
      8. Pedro Avatar
        Pedro

        Fully agreed. I find bubbling ozone directly into the pool
        as with a fish tank very effective.
        Most of the ozone seems to dissolve into the water, as the is little smell
        of ozone from the bubbles reaching the surface.
        This article seems to assume without good reason that there is only
        one way to add ozone in the water, and ignored the fact that the
        average decay time of O3 in pool water is about 15 minutes, enough
        to circulate around but short enough to decompose almost entirely
        within an hour. The toxicity of an active treatment of ozone should be less
        than chlorine thanks to this short decay time and the absence of chloramines
        which tend to accumulate over time.

        Reply
      9. Bert the Pool hombre Avatar
        Bert the Pool hombre

        No, the article explained everything correctly. The pool water is not chlorinated only the water in your pipes. This is why you need to use chlorine, to sanitize the water in your pool. Ozone will clean only the water that passes through the pipes. The whole body of pool water will eventually pass through the pipes but will take several days. I just think you were a little mixed up. No worries!! Glad I could clear it up.

        Reply
      10. Andrew Porter- Pool Designer Avatar
        Andrew Porter- Pool Designer

        I’ve built scores of swimming pools and the region I cover includes some very remote places that are well over an hour from a town let alone a pool store. I often design filtration/sanitization systems with this difficulty in mind and ozone is an integral part. My favorite system stack is a copper/silver ionizer and a del ozone generator with a salt system on top of a cartridge filter with a Waterco multicyclonic prefilter. For a period of time I switched from ozone to UV systems in the stack and the differences were soon obvious. Filter blinding (mostly from oils) was immediately evident and water clarity was not as easily maintained. UV’s antimicrobial effects may be as powerful as ozone, but the oxidation power is not on par. Interestingly I have not discovered any advantage to stacking ozone AND a uv system. I suppose overkill is possible after all! At any rate- ozone is the superior point-source sanitizer…

        Reply
        1. Trevor Chilton Avatar
          Trevor Chilton

          Andrew is it possible to talk to you on your experience with Ozone. I am in Costa Rica and build pools in a low population tourist area so not much supply and everyone in the pool business babbles about salt or chlorine being the only solutions to ugly chemicals. I personally am quite allergic to chlorine hence am trying to find the best way to drastically reduce if not eliminate its use but not having used it I would dearly like to communicate with someone of experience as no such thing exists here. I certainly don’t have your experience but when I see the common habits of the pool guys I just shake my head and think if all you have is a hammer everything is a nail.

          I would gladly pay for your consulting time not looking to suck your time with no results other than a feel good!

          I already import many building products from USA since much either is not here or suppliers goose me. Like a Pentair pump VS 3 hp is around $2,000. I built this pool with a huge amount of jets floor and wall of 23 for an 18,000 gal pool plumbed with PEX manifold to avoid the typical shitty circulation. Idea is to run a VS pump 24/7. Sorry I did not like the results of the one salt pool I did and honestly think it accomplishes nothing other than a salt environment eating every dam thing in the pool over time. There has to be a better way than buying salt to only eat everything! trevorcr@icloud.com

          Reply
        2. Donna Armstrong Avatar
          Donna Armstrong

          Where can I get a Del ozone generator in Orlando, FL? Many people on these blogs mention products but they seem hard to find on web. Plus there are a few different models. Advice is not practical unless someone can find locally or buy on line and a professional is willing to install.
          Thanks for any help.

          Reply
      11. Martin Avatar
        Martin

        Well said Elizabeth, I was waiting for someone to say something

        Reply
      12. CestMoi Avatar
        CestMoi

        Ozone is highly reactive and, for that matter, only a small amount is generated from the process of electrivcally creating it – most of the output of an Ozone generator is simple air. Anyway, of the Ozone generated, most of it reacts with water to create Hydrogen Peroxide and Oxygen within seconds so very little ever reaches the pool itself.

        Basically H2O (Water) + O3 (Ozone) => H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) + O2 (Oxygen) + a small amount of O3

        Very little makes it to the pool and only oxidizes something that encounters a bubbles as it escapes to the atmosphere. Any O3 that remains in the water has a half-life of 20-30 minutes.

        It’s a good thing but the original statement that it does most of it’s work in the pipes is true – that’s where it’s most concentrated and most likely to encounter the things that need to be purged.

        Most of the bubbles you see are air with extra oxygen and a minor amount of ozone. Unless you like the hot-tub look, add a de-gasser to your system – problem solved – best of all worlds IMHO.

        Reply
    4. Robrrt stovall Avatar
      Robrrt stovall

      I you are still in the design poscces you can make a organic pool

      Reply
  2. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    This article is a little misleading. If an ozone generator is the ONLY sanitation system you use then, yes it isnt good enough. If you pair it with other systems you can all but effectively eliminate chlorine and be just fine.
    From my understanding chlorine does 3 things. Oxidizes, germicide, residual. 70% of your chlorine is used for oxidizing purposes and by adding a ozone generator you can effectively reduce the need for chlorine by 70%. Add in a wide spectrum UV-C unit which is 99.9% effective as a germicide you can reduce chlorine by 90%. What ozone and UV-C cant do as the author of the article alluded to is act as a residual which is why the addition of chlorine erosion feeder allows you to keep your pool at 0.5ppm of chlorine.

    In addition ozone is not dangerous at the concentrations being created here, unless you are sucking on the output of the generator itself and if you plum in the ozone generator-> UV-C -> chlorine feeder post filter you can get the ozone to the pool in plenty of time before the O3 reaches its half life.

    Reply
    1. Jo Avatar
      Jo

      Sounds great thank you for the information.
      How much chlorine for pool size do you need for your pool. What type of pool in ground or above ground, fiberglass, etc?

      Reply
  3. CA Ozone Advocate Avatar
    CA Ozone Advocate

    If ozone were poisonous, we wouldn’t be able to go outside and breathe the air, especially during sunshine, a thunderstorm, lightning, or after the rain. The fact is, unless breathed directly into your lungs in a high concentration, ozone is very safe just like oxygen and very beneficial to our planet and all of us that live here. It is completely safe in water. To prove this obvious fact, many scientific studies have been done by experts on ozone, and all confirm the safety and beneficial aspects of ozone over and over again.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Lies.

      Reply
      1. Tyler Avatar
        Tyler

        Facts proven over and over

        Reply
      2. Jo Avatar
        Jo

        What are the lies?

        Reply
        1. ChemFacts Avatar
          ChemFacts

          See my wall of text below!

          Reply
    2. ChemFacts Avatar
      ChemFacts

      Ozone does truly terrifying things to organic molecules. The concentrations you’re talking about are in the parts per billions. Keep in mind that the MAXIMUM safe concentration of ozone in air is recognized as 1 ozone molecule per 10,000,000 air molecules. It’s also a carcinogen, because of course it is.

      For comparison, Chlorine gas, a KNOWN CHEMICAL WEAPON used in WWI, is considered safe for short periods in concentrations below 1 chlorine molecule per million air molecules. To reiterate: A LITERAL CHEMICAL WEAPON is ten times LESS POTENT a poison than ozone.

      THAT SAID: ozone does have a number of things going for it. It decays very rapidly to non-toxic byproducts. It is effective in small concentrations. Unlike chlorine, which can produce a variety of poisons when reacting chemically with certain materials, the oxides that form on reaction with ozone are largely harmless. It is also a far stronger oxidizer than chlorine.

      Ozone can certainly be a superb alternative to chlorine, but only if properly handled. Like any chemical, there are circumstances in which it can be LETHAL, and circumstances in which it can be harmless. To drive this point home, all one must do is google “dihydrogen monoxide”. Some people never realize that’s just another name for H2O, or ordinary water.

      In a pool, you are far more likely to see the harmless side of ozone, because it’s very rare that even a single atom of the compound actually reaches the pool water, due to the prompt self-destruction of the ozone molecule after it has done its job as a oxidizer and disinfectant.

      Reply
      1. Karen Avatar
        Karen

        I’m a physician and oZone therapy is safe, but it should not be breathe in directly to your lungs, but you can bubble it through oil into your lungs for lung cancer states. O-Zone helps heal, helps cancer therapy. You can use it hemolytic, rectal, tympanic, injected into your skin and joints or drink it in water. You can look up the YouTube’s on the renowned specialist Dr. Shellenberger who teaches medical physicians throughout the United States. O-Zone pools are great! In Mexico, ozone has been used for years and years as a therapy and used in their pools for cancer patients, so people that are healing are NOT EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS.

        Reply
  4. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    My understanding of ozone is that it is nearly impossible to maintain as O3 at normal temperatures. Because it rapidly degrades at lower temperatures, like your pool, it will only disinfect the water it immediately comes in contact with. So, dangerous, doubtful.

    Reply
  5. Oliver Avatar
    Oliver

    Interesting read but based on experience I disagree with some of the content. I have been installing corona discharge ozone systems with de gassing units on our residential builds for over 10 years. I agree that ozone treatment is directly linked to pool turnover rates, has low residual and therefore takes time to treat. However after servicing hundreds of ozone and non ozone pools it is clear to me that ozone is a great investment for a residential pool if you appreciate great water and air quality, no more chloramines and huge reductions in chlorine consumption.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Exactly. I’m a builder that had been on the ozone train for 10 years as well. Nothing but good things to say about it. Over 1k pools built in the time and 99% are ozone + chlorinator. As close to chlorine free as you can get. Salt systems that aren’t maintained can destroy pool materials and equipment. Salt is corrosive. I don’t think anyone can dispute that.

      Reply
      1. Me Avatar
        Me

        Damn, I’m in the wrong game….a 1000 plus pools built over the last 10 years and 990 plus of them (approx) are ozone/chlorine hybrids.
        That must be a $50 million turnover, very roughly of course (based on $50K new build per pool).
        I need a new job, oh, and an ozone unit…

        Reply
        1. Avatar
          Anonymous

          Indeed, ozone cleaning of pools has been around since the 1980s. Long track record. So far very safe.

          Reply
      2. Chris Avatar
        Chris

        I am not an expert but have had an ozone generator on my pool for about 12 years. I have always handled all my own chemicals and only used an expert on occasion when there was an equipment issue. About 6 years ago I had a terrible problem with algae that I have never had. I went through all the issues and then figured out the phosphates were very high and I struggled to get them to come down. The problem came and went for months before I finally called my guy and boom ozone generator had died and I didn’t know it. Seems I wasn’t keeping my chemicals quite as good as I thought (didnt even know what phosphates were until then) but the ozone generator was covering for it. Put a new one in and no more issues and I am back to my slightly better, but not much, chem maintenance without issues cause the ozone keeps it under control. I’m a believer

        Reply
        1. Johanna Avatar
          Johanna

          How did they assess your ozone generator wasn’t working properly? I have high phosphates too

          Reply
    2. John Avatar
      John

      Do you need any chlorine in the pool when running an ozone system?

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        Yes. Ozone is not a residual meaning it does not last long in your pool. Chlorine takes care of this but theoretically you wont need as much chlorine due to the Ozone handling the oxidation process.

        Reply
      2. Avatar
        Anonymous

        Yes

        Reply
      3. Jenn K Avatar
        Jenn K

        We have a prozone unit and wouldn’t do it any other way! It’s amazing!! We are able to use very little ch in our chlorinator, therefore no red eyes and green hair. 😊also no chlorine smelling suits and dry skin.

        Reply
        1. Jenn K Avatar
          Jenn K

          This totally posted twice, but my experience with my ozone unit is yes, we still use ch in our chlorinator BUT a 25 lb of 3in tabs lasts me the whole summer and my ch tests at 2 every week and I stay crystal clear. During winter I use 1 tab every 2 weeks just to give a lil extra

          Reply
          1. Jake Avatar
            Jake

            Where are you located? Wondering how much the environment effects the ozone results

    3. Avatar
      Anonymous

      I recently was on another site that just slams Ozone and UV. They claim there is no way to know how much ozone is being produced since there is no way to measure it (i.e. there is no test strip like there is for chlorine). They also claim ozone actually destroys chlorine and therefor ozone pools actually use more chlorine. What is your experience?

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        As a pool owner with an ozone system, I thought I would weigh in. You know it is working because you never have any combined chlorine when tested. I have played around with chlorine levels quite a bit trying to understand this debate. I have never had a test come back with even a .1 ppm CC. I love the ozone system. It is most effective when the pump runs the whole time, but with a variable speed pump this is quite easy and cost effective. An ozone system and liquid chlorine maintaining low levels of free chlorine and never having to shock the pool has produced a very easy maintenance experience for me.

        Reply
    4. Ozone Avatar
      Ozone

      What units are you using? I have a small 5000 gallon residential pool.

      Reply
    5. Diana Jones Avatar
      Diana Jones

      We live in Maui and are in the permit stage for our 14×34’ pool. We have an immune compromised granddaughter and want the safest cleaning process as she is prone to rashes.
      Our pool contractor has only negative things to say about ozone but is open to being more educated about an ozone system. Could anyone please point me in the right direction as to where to start gathering information on ozone products and efficiency?
      Also, I’m not sure if there are Weekly pool care providers who are efficient in the ozone system on the island. Is there a need for a pool cleaner or does the system regulate itself?
      Thanks for any information anyone can offer.

      Reply
  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    We r looking for someone to help us put in the equipment with ozone. Any recommendations?

    Reply
    1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
      Matthew Simmons

      I am not sure where you are located but generally the best course of action is to contact local pool technicians or contractors to confirm they work with ozonators. Research those companies that deal with ozone online by checking Google, Yelp, and Facebook reviews.

      Reply
    2. Bob D Avatar
      Bob D

      I custom make ozone systems for my pool clients for $125.
      It includes a 4″Dx18″L offline Pvc Capped cannister, 8w UV-C tube and strip, internal mechanical timer, 110V AC cord, 3/8″ tubing, fittings, adjustment valve.
      If you are interested you can reach me at 702-326-9448.

      Reply
  7. Jack R. Avatar
    Jack R.

    I’ve been running an ozone system on my indoor pool in my folks home since 1986. We now list our home on Airbnb and the guests can not believe how clear the water is, they never complain of rashes or chlorine smell. The pool equipment has lasted for years with minimal corrosion. I poor in 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine once a week to shock the pool between guest stays. I have a “smart house” switch and turn on the Ozone as needed based on usage. My indoor pool is only 15k gallons, marcite, fresh water. My ozone system uses 400w, so keep that in mind when running it.

    Reply
  8. Sonja Mouton Avatar
    Sonja Mouton

    Hi. I work at a swimmingschool t days a week and 28hours per week. Its an ozone pool. Recently I’ve been coughing badly and and use my asma pump for relieve. I am on antibiotics as well. Is it normal to smell the ozone gas? When I walk into the swimming area I can smell it.My employer says its not dangerous but I’m really worried. Thank you

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      If the smell is something you’re only recently noticing I’d bet they’ve turned up their systems to accommodate bather load. It’s not dangerous but too high Ozone in the air can be an irritant so you could feel it in your nose and throat. It wouldn’t be able to cause anything that requires an antibiotic, however. That treats bacterial infections.

      Reply
  9. D.B. Avatar
    D.B.

    In my humble understanding of pool chemistry, doesn’t oxidation destroy chlorine? Would you still have to use cyanuric acid to stabilize the chlorine levels or can you inject it into the water output? It seems that if you use cyanuric acid to stabilize the water, then you can cut down on the use of chlorine even further

    Reply
  10. Larry Avatar
    Larry

    A word of caution to homeowners: make sure you have the ozone generator properly adjusted. I was having a problem with my cartridge filters in the Pentair Clear and Clean for a long time. The rubber ends of the pleated filters began getting coated with a sticky, waxy, off colored substance. I went through two new cartridges, looking for the cause. No one could explain it. Then, I ran across the ozone connection and found out that if the generator produces too much ozone, it degrades (in my case, melts) the rubber in the filter element. The installer company, the local pool store, and the manufacturer of the cartridges–NOBODY had heard of this. But at the Paramount Company, the generator’s manufacturer, I reached their resident expert who said I might have the unit misadjusted. I did, in fact, because when I adjusted it to specs, the problem cleared up within a day or two. I think all the “professionals” out there need to take note.

    Reply
    1. Jo Avatar
      Jo

      Yes, people, staff etc, need to pay attention to many things on their job and Companies need to make sure all staff is better trained. Companies have an obligation to the people of this country to spend more time educating their staff and staff training on the job and make sure management have what they need to do their job. Stop squeezing every Minute out of management training to save a penny.

      Reply
    2. AJ Avatar
      AJ

      What adjustment can you actually make to an Ozone generator? (Del Ozone unit in my case)

      Reply
      1. Bob D Avatar
        Bob D

        I custom make ozone systems for my pool clients.
        You can use an adjustable valve inline with the air feeder tube where it attaches to the filtration system, I connect my systems to the pump suction side drain port and adjust the air input down until the air bubble under the pump’s see through inspection lid is about the size of a 1/2 dollar.

        Reply
  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hi. We need advice. We just had an above ground pool installed with a sand filter and zone system and our water turned green immediately. It’s see thru but green. The water tests keep coming back fine but it’s still green. We have tried everything they have given us – metal out, shock, ph balance, etc. We are considering emptying the pool and possibly replacing the oxygen system but my children and I are extremely sensitive to chlorine. Any suggestions??

    Reply
  12. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    shock it hard and stay out for a week. then start again

    Reply
  13. Rick Avatar
    Rick

    So if i’me understanding this ozone thing correctly ,the water passes through the filter then goes through the ozone generator where the water is sanitized then out to the pool,then you add an additional sanitizer such as chlorine but in smaller amounts,in a nut shell is this correct ??

    Reply
    1. Joseph Avatar
      Joseph

      That would be true if your ozonator was too small to handle the whole pool. In a properly sized ozone system, you won’t need any further sanitation other than maybe an occasional shock to control algae.

      Reply
  14. Joseph Avatar
    Joseph

    To suggest that ozonators “do not actually ozonate the water in your pool” is ludicrous. In a proper ozone system, you either have sufficient length of pipe, and/or a contact tank plumbed into the system. The fact ozone doesn’t leave a residual in your pool water doesn’t mean the water hasn’t been ozonated. The water had to run through the pipes, correct? You don’t need residual ozone in your pool if there was sufficient contact time in the pipes and/or a contact tank for it to do its thing. That’s one of the reasons ozone is better than chlorine, because it doesn’t leave a residual, and the chlorine residual is a carcinogen and bad for you. Your bottled water doesn’t contain ozone either, but it was purified with ozone before it was bottled, so there no longer being any ozone it it while true, is irrelevant.

    Reply
  15. GrandfatherOzone Avatar
    GrandfatherOzone

    Ozone’s history spans more than 120yrs. 70yrs, of International Medical evaluation, and use. Including, Direct Injection into wounds, infections, and into our blood streams to cause a sterilization of our bodily fluids.
    Writing of Ozone in waters. A big drop of water, holds as much Ozone, as a big drop of blood. 03 reacts within 30min with our dirty blood. Then it’s gone.
    Clean water will allow the 03 to last longer in the fresh water. 56 degree water holds Ozone for 24 hrs with a cap on. 104 temp readily degrades the 03 gas.
    One more thing. If you can smell Ozone, (actually, Ultraviolet light your smelling) it’s in the pool.

    Reply
    1. MJ Avatar
      MJ

      Can’t smell light.
      You’re smelling the ozone produced by the light.
      PhD in laser spectroscopy.
      Those photons can’t get all the way up your nose.

      Reply
  16. Other Iron Man Avatar
    Other Iron Man

    I have a custom built 316 stainless steel pool that holds 18000 gallons that I finished this year

    I use a non-pool industry ozone generation system that injects 10 grams of ozone per hour into the pool using using a contact and mixing chamber. I have only used ozone and a clear blue copper/silver/zinc ionizer. There has been zero algae in my pool fo rthe last 3 months and not one drop of chlorine, bromine or other chemical agent. I do not agree with this article. Ozone is healh and safe unless it is inhaled in very large doses. The North American pool industry is backwards and very low tech compared to the European pool industry which has used ozone exclusively since the 1990s. Please do more reserach and actually swim in an ozone pool engineered properly before writing arricles like this.

    Reply
    1. george gabler Avatar
      george gabler

      the copper ionize puts copper sulfate in the water …. thats even more dangerouse than chlorine …..
      you dont know what you are talking about ….i think the nirth amarican pool insutry is more kwnolegble about the pool senario

      Reply
  17. AlexS Avatar
    AlexS

    It seems to be really a massively misunderstood story. To start with I am using an ozonated indoor swimming pool since 20 years, the water is crystal clear, soft and the air around the pool smells tremendously fresh. I do have air ozone sensors installed just in case though. Plus we use a system which releases very small amounts of copper and silver into the water. Our bought in the shop standard 4 person spa is ozonated by default and you can smell the ozone quite well. Since the Barcelona Olympic Games all Olympic swimming pools must use Ozone instead of chlorine. The reason for it was that there has been the observation of increased risks of sigmoid colon cancer in people who train extensively in chlorinated water. In our house all tap water is ozonated. It disinfects foods faster and more efficiently than chlorine and is the best mouth rinse compared to the chemicals in mouth washes.
    Mixing generated Ozone efficiently into the water is the secret of all good ozone swimming pools. Bubbling ozone into water is a total waste of time. The Olympic swimming pools have separate mixing chambers were ozone is mixed by force into the water were it rapidly disinfects the water which is then pumped further into the pools. The residual Ozone in these pools is indeed very low, but definitely the best water you can ever swim in. Chlorinated pools are cheaper, but if you don’t change your pool water every second year you start to swim in a chemical concentrate you get from all the chemicals you put in there after each pool water test. If you talk pool water ozone, you must do it right, its expensive but the best water you can ever swim in.

    Reply
    1. cotedazur Avatar
      cotedazur

      Are you able to give some link of good installations of ozoned pool, because here in europe it is hard to find good systems. Most of them for residential pool they just put ozone via a venturi tube before the pump and after this there is air left in the circuit and potential ozone in the pool especially if it is a internal pool.

      Reply
    2. Bib Avatar
      Bib

      I too would love to know a maker or vendor of ozone pool, a good one.

      Reply
  18. Sean Avatar
    Sean

    Charlie and many others are clueless! When the Ozone dissolves in water, it forms hydrogen peroxide, like the brown bottled hydrogen peroxide solution sold in the drug stores. There would be no free ozone. Hydrogen peroxide is not poisonous at low concentrations. Most of the highly pure water systems use UVC and Ozone generate to sterilize the water as nothing left behind.
    Ozone systems work perfectly for the swimming pool.
    I am not a salesman for ozone systems but a Ph.D. scientist in life science.

    Reply
    1. Jim8888 Avatar
      Jim8888

      Spot on. The above comments about adding chlorine or bromine to an ozone pool is a catastrophe in the making. Hydrogen peroxide and chlorine based products cancel each other out leaving your water unprotected from either. If you have an insufficient ozonator you can dose 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to catch up to adequate levels.

      Reply
  19. Ozone Newbie Avatar
    Ozone Newbie

    Hi, I just installed a new ozone pool. Just curious, I know I need to check chlorine, pH and alkalinity levels but do I need to balance the calcium and cyanuric acid levels? Can’t find anything online or in the manual about this. Thank you.

    Reply
  20. Pro Ozone Pools Avatar
    Pro Ozone Pools

    We had our pool installed as an Ozone/Chlorine pool almost 5 years ago. I did not understand how nice the system was until the ozone generator broke down late last year towards the end of the season as the weather was cooling down. Being the cheap person I am I decided to simply turn up the chlorine and not replace the ozone generator. Once the weather started warming up this year, I noticed that the chlorine was not doing its job. Algae was forming on the sides of the pool and my kids were complaining that the water was giving them rashes, red eyes, etc.. I went to the pool store and they recommended a slew of steps and procedures and chemicals to resolve the problems. All of these recommendations were the reason we went with a ozone pool to begin with. Needless to say I have ordered a new ozone generator. We can definitely tell the difference.

    Reply
    1. Jimmy Avatar
      Jimmy

      where did you order your ozone pump from, having trouble finding one, thanks,

      Reply
  21. David Gum Avatar
    David Gum

    The Best System.

    1) Have a salt chlorination – Its important to have a “low” level present – if you meet steps 2 & 3 then great, no need to have more than the minimum.

    2) Rig in an ozone generator. Make sure the ozone output is sufficient for the size of the pool and make sure the flow rate is working as expected so you can actually “hear” the bubbles of ozone.

    3) if you want to go a step further, get silver/copper anode floating around or better if you can aford tghe extra get an automatic one that controls the output.

    Cheers

    Reply
  22. Lindsay Hunt Avatar
    Lindsay Hunt

    Your pool has a phosphate problem and probably your water balance is out in other areas as well. Is your chlorine stabilised? Sunlight will breakdown 90% of the chlorine in a pool within a couple of hours without cyanuric acid. Also, clean or backwash your filters. Check your total alkalinity, it buffers the system and prevents wild swings in pH. Without it, maintaining your water balance is virtually impossible.

    Reply
  23. Tom M Avatar
    Tom M

    Wow….I thought scientists could only violently disagree on climate change and COVID-19 Vaccines!! Who would have thought a simple thing like Ozone treatment of a pool would be so hard to gain consensus on….or even closer views. These comments are all over the place and I am so confused.

    Reply
    1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
      Matthew Simmons

      On the list of things not to bring up during Thanksgiving, the top three are politics, religion, and ozonators.

      Facts

      Reply

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