These are some of the most frequently asked questions

Ozone  FAQ’S

What Is Ozone

What Does Ozone Do

Is Ozone Safe for the Environment and my new Equipment

Is Ozone Convenient in Pools and Spas

Will Ozone hurt me

Can Ozone damage my pool or spa equipment

Can I now do away with chlorine or other conventional water treatments

Do I still have to filter the water as often

Will Ozone affect my pH

Will Ozone reduce scum lines and foaming in spas

If I use Ozone in my pool or spa, will I help replenish the ozone layer

 Ozone  FAQ’S

What Is Ozone?

Ozone is an unstable and reactive gas with a short lifespan, created naturally during lightning storms or by ultra violet radiation converting two molecules of oxygen O₂    into three molecules O₃.  Ozone is also referred to as activated oxygen, allotropic oxygen or triatomic oxygen.

Ozone is second only to fluoride as the most powerful oxidizer or oxidant in the world for sanitation. It will break down most chemicals into that chemicals basic naturally occurring component parts.  It is commonly used to purifying drinking water, the first water purification plant using ozone was built in Nice, France in 1906.

With advances in technology and cost reductions Ozone sanitisation in pools and spas is becoming more and more popular.  Compared with Chlorine, Ozone purifies water 3,000 times faster and leaves no by-products except pure oxygen, where as chlorine produces hypochloric acid and other salts in water applications. In the quantities needed for water purification, ozone does not irritate people or equipment or have any noticeable smell, taste or colour and it eliminates much of the routine maintenance because it does such an effective job keeping the water clean.

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 What Does Ozone Do?

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Is Ozone Healthy?

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Is Ozone Safe for the Environment and my new Equipment?

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Is Ozone Convenient in Swimming Pools and Spas?

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Will Ozone hurt me?

However, you should never breathe concentrated ozone gas.

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Can ozone damage my pool or spa equipment?

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Can I now do away with chlorine or other conventional water treatments?

We prefer that you continue to use a soluble oxidizer such as chlorine to maintain a total protection against bacteria, viruses and algae. Although extremely efficient ozone in a pool or spa environment needs the background disinfections that chlorine or bromine can give.

Many people are worried about the use of chlorine in their swimming pool water. When asked why, most people will answer that they don't like the smell. Actually chlorine is not the culprit here, at least not directly, Most problems with chlorine occur when the water chemistry  is not correct, Here is why.

When any type of chlorine is added to water, it usually forms hypochlorous acid (HOCI -the most powerful killing form of chlorine in water) and hypochlorite ion (OCI), a relatively weak form of chlorine in water. The percentage of HOCI and OCI is determined by the pH of the water. As the pH goes up, less of the chlorine is in the killing form and more of the chlorine is in the weaker form. The total of HOCI and OCI is the free available chlorine.

Chlorine can combine with ammonia and nitrogen compounds in the water to form chloramines, sometimes called combined chlorine. By combining with ammonia and nitrogen, free chlorine in the water is disabled. Chloramines are 60 to 80 times less effective than free chlorine. Chloramines are formed any time ammonia and nitrogen are in the water. Some of the ammonia and nitrogen compounds are introduced into the water by swimmers and bathers in the form of perspiration, urine, saliva, sputum etc.

For example an active swimmer sweats ½ litre per hour, the average person sweats 1½ litre per hour in a heated spa.

Chloramines smell bad. This is the smell most often associated with pools and spas in Sports centres, Health clubs and Hotels. Chloramines are eye and skin irritants, and they cloud the water.  

Chloramines can be removed from the water by the following three methods: 

I.             By adding a mega-dose of chlorine. Usually 3 to 6 times more chlorine than a normal dose is added to the water, or the level of chlorine is raised to 5 to 10 ppm and held there for 4 hours. This is called super chlorination. To remove chloramines, the ratio of chlorine to ammonia must be at least 7.6 to 1. If this ratio is not obtained, then more chloramines will be produced. Swimmers and bathers should not enter the water until the level of chlorine has dropped to  below 3 ppm or less.

 II.        By adding a non-chlorine shock to the water. The most common chemical used for this is potassium peroxymonosulphate. This shocking requires the addition of 10 grams of shock for each 7500 litres of pool water.

III.        By adding ozone to the water, oxidation of the ammonia and nitrogen compounds will take place whenever the ozone system is operating. Ozone takes care of the big job of oxidizing all these organic contaminants.

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Do I still have to filter the water as often?

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Will Ozone affect my pH?

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Will Ozone reduce scum lines and foaming in spas?

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If I use Ozone in my pool or spa, will I help replenish the ozone layer?