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Frequently Asked Questions About Ozone Systems

(1) Q. What exactly is ozone?
A. Ozone is a pungent gas naturally produced in the Earth's upper atmosphere by the action of UV sun light on oxygen molecules. Ozone can be created for water treatment purposes by sending air through a special chamber containing a high-voltage "spark," which creates a blue plasma corona; it is also produced by sending air through a chamber of ultraviolet light.

(2) Q. Why use ozone in water treatment or purification?
A. Ozone is a powerful oxidizer similar to chlorine. Many of the same benefits we get from chlorinating water (disinfection, oxidation of metals, etc.) is also realized by using ozone gas, except that with ozone, there is no chemical residual left in the water. Chlorine can combine with organic material in water to produce toxic compounds, such as "THMs". Many municipal water utilities have turned to ozone as a way to disinfect with reduced THM's.

(3) Q. Will ozone soften or desalinate water?
A. No. Ozone does not soften (remove calcium) or substantially desalinate water. In some cases, with proper contact time, slow aeration, and settling time, we have seen a 2% to 10% reduction of these inorganic minerals due to the effects of coagulation and settling.

(4) Q. Is ozone harmful or toxic?
A. Yes. Ozone gas should not be breathed, and water to be used for household purposes should be filtered of ozone if present. Ozone gas is very corrosive and should not be used with galvanized piping, copper piping, mild-steel storage tanks, pumps or pressure tanks unless corrosion-proof. In some cases, very-low-output UV ozone generators can be used as aeration or recirculation systems in mild-steel pressure tanks without much corrosion.

(5) Q. Does ozone remove iron or manganese?
A. Ozone does not remove iron or manganese. It changes these elements from one form (dissolved) to a particulate form (oxidized). Once they are oxidized, they can be more easily filtered. In some cases, these metals can settle in a storage tank after ozonation.

(6) Q. Do these ozone systems remove bacteria or parasites?
A. Ozone can be used for disinfection and elimination of parasites, but only if there is sufficient contact time with a measurable residual of ozone dissolved in the water. Since this typically requires a contact-column and a more elaborate system, most of our residential installations use ozone as pre-treatment for iron, manganese and odors only. If bacteria is present, we typically install a UV sterilizer after the water has been ozonated and filtered.

(7) Q. What is the difference between a UV sterilizer, and UV ozone generator?
A. UV Sterilizers are used to disinfect water by allowing the UV rays to shine directly into a passing water stream; UV Ozone generators work by shining the UV rays into air, where a small percentage of the oxygen (O2) in the air is converted into Ozone (O3)

(8) Q. Can I get assistance in choosing an ozone generator or system for my application?
A. Yes! You should first have your water tested, and then contact our technical staff for help.

See drawings on how to install ozone systems!