Are Ozone Generators Safe For You?

Ozone Generators

Ozone generators are a miracle to some. They enjoy the benefits of ridding cigarette smoke damage from a home for sale. Or they get a bit of reassurance that their filtered tap water is clean. They can also wash most pathogens and chemicals off of their store-bought vegetables. When Nikola Tesla invented the ozone generator, one of the things he peddled it for was ozonated oils. Today, safety depends upon choosing the right ozone generator for the job and following a few safety rules.

Which Ozone Generator to Choose?

It’s important to determine which type of ozone generator is best for your needs. If you’re using it to remove some kind of smell from the air, then an Air Series product is the choice. For water, a personal ozone generator like an Aqua-Series, a light-duty MP-Series, swimming pool SP-Series, or spa Aquatic-Series will fit your needs.

Air Series

There are three Air Series units that can work for you. The A7K Ozone Generator produces 7000 mg/hour and is the most powerful air ozone generator of the bunch. It has a repeat timer that allows you to set it for 12-hour or 24-hour intervals. You can adjust the fan speeds, too. It also has a remote control.

 

The A-7000 also produces 7000 mg/hour and has almost as much reach as the A7K Ozone Generator. It has a simple dial for a timer and no other buttons or knobs.

The A-3500 Ozone Generator produces 3500 mg/hour and has a simple design similar to the A-7000 Ozone Generator.

Removable/Replaceable Plates for the Air-Series

All three air ozone generators have the same removable ozone plates that you can clean and extend the life. The ozone plates are replaceable after 2,000 hours or 2 years, whichever comes first.

Water Ozone Generators

Not to go into too much detail, I want to introduce each series to you and a little bit of what they can do.

The Aqua-Series is made up of two small ozone generators that allow you to make a glass of ozonated water, wash vegetables, and more.
	The MP-Series of ozone generators can handle ozonating well water.
The (Swimming Pool) SP Series ozone generators and the (Spa) Aquatic ozone generators are made specifically for those purposes.
	Then, for tougher duty ozonation, meet the S-Series (industrial ozone generators) and the Z-Series (commercial ozone generators).
The Lab Series is the final series of the bunch, and of course they are for laboratory research.

What is Ozone?

Add another “O” molecule to oxygen, and ozone is the chemical result. You see O2 on things like compressed tanks carrying oxygen. Ozone is O3 with the extra molecule. So that extra oxygen molecule is the molecule that attaches to odors or spores in the air and breaks them down.

Do you know that sharp, crisp smell right after a thunderstorm? That is usually caused by very small traces of ozone present in the air. It comes from lightning strikes.

Ozone is a natural gas that forms in the stratosphere and protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays. That is the good ozone according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

But, there is also bad ozone that forms closer to the ground. This is when air pollutants react to sunlight and this gas is harmful to breathe in. 

Then why use an Ozone Generator?

Air ozone generators at a strength of 7000 mg/hour are useful in removing strong odors. They are effective in removing even the toughest odors, such as cigarette smoke. As long as you follow the safety precautions outlined below, it is a smooth process. Ozone will leave your living space feeling fresher and cleaner than before.

A Simple, Fast Removal Process

 When using an air ozonator, the air turns into a harmful gas while the ozone generator is running. Ozone then reverts down into oxygen. This is a natural occurrence that doesn’t require a separate machine or process.

Water ozone generators such as our Aqua-Series or MP-Series remove particles within water. Some of these ozonizers produce less ozone and are not dangerous for most of us to be around. Others are as strong or stronger than air ozone generators. We recommend using those with the same caution as with the air ozone generators.

How Does an Ozone Generator Reduce Odors?

Ozone eliminates odors in the same way that is dangerous to our bodies. Ozone molecules are extremely reactive so they attach to anything in the air. Nothing is safe from ozone. Then the ozone dissipates. It breaks down whatever it’s attached to and the rest turns back into breathable oxygen.

Safety Precautions

Absolutely with ozone, there are precautions to take, and cannot be circumvented! Our bodies have tissues that ozone can harm. Ozone can harm the eyes. It is especially harmful to the lungs, and those with respiratory issues or lung disease. We recommend that those patients leave ozone machines alone altogether. That recommendation includes personal water ozone generators.

See the bullets below for cautionary statements:

Air Ozone Generators

• No People, Pets, or Plants in the area during ozone treatment
• Remove to fresh air immediately if exposed
• Do not breathe in ozone
• Return after 12 to 24 hours to allow ozone to revert to oxygen completely
• Ventilate the area after ozonating
• As with all appliances, keep away from water and flammable items
• Do not ozonate fresh paint, new carpet, or other chemical-type odors, as a reaction can occur
• Read the manual thoroughly and follow the instructions

Personal Water Ozone Generators and the MP-1000

• Do not inhale ozone
• Leave the room if ozone is strong (smaller rooms)
• Make sure the ozone diffuser stone is in the water
• Remove to fresh air if any reaction occurs
• Read the manual thoroughly and follow the instructions

MP-3000, MP-5000, MP-8000 Light-Duty Water Ozone Generators or Industrial Ozone Generators

• Ventilate outside of the building or, leave the building while ozonating
• No People, Pets, or Plants in the area during ozone treatment
• Do not breathe in ozone
• Keep machines out of water, away from flammable items
• Keep away from chemicals such as fresh paint, new carpet, chemical-type smells
• Remove to fresh air if exposed
• Read the manual thoroughly and follow the instructions

 

Conducting an ozone treatment

It’s also important to know how long to conduct a treatment. I want you to have a successful experience. Sometimes, even if you run it according to the directions, you will need to do a repeat ozone treatment. That is in the case of a strong odor.

Let’s say you are trying to get rid of that pesky pet odor. It’s important to follow the safety tips above by removing all living things by following the 3 Ps. Always use the timer found on the generator to ensure that it turns off when you plan it to. Then to wait the appropriate amount of time before reentering the room. Once you are certain the generator has shut off and the 12 to 24 hours have passed, then the process completes.

For the water ozone generators, say you are removing a bad taste from your water. Just follow the safety tips for water ozone generators above, and I have confidence you will be fine. Read the manual, too!

Reference and Further Reading:

The Story of Ozone. Dr. Saul Pressman.
https://www.bodyrevival.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ozone-story-saul-pressman.pdf

 https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution