How Do You Know if Ozone Generator Is Working
Adding an ozonator to your hot tub is easier than you lot might think, and can relieve yous money, time, and frustration past reducing your expenses while keeping your water sparkling and good for you.
Ready to click your heels together and go ozonating? Once yous understand how your ozonator works, which style is right for your spa, and how to install and maintain it properly, it might merely whisk y'all away to a new land of hot tub satisfaction.
How Much Sanitizer Do I Need With An Ozonator?
If y'all're using a hot tub Ozonator, maintain your chlorine levels at 0.5 PPM (compared to the typical i-3 PPM) and your bromine levels at 1.0 PPM (compared to the typical three-5 PPM). Because ozone frees up your sanitizers and breaks up the chlorine and bromine molecules bonded to contaminants, y'all need less sanitizer in your spa.
However, a trivial sanitizer is a adept backup to preclude severe water chemistry issues. Be sure to test your h2o regularly to assist maintain the right chlorine and bromine levels.
What Is a Hot Tub Ozonator?
While it sounds similar a frankly astonishing modification to a hot tub balloon basket, a hot tub ozonator is actually a device used to generate and inject ozone gas into your spa water.
Doing so helps scour impurities from the h2o and reduce the amount of chemicals you demand to keep your hot tub running clean and serene.
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Now You're Cleanin' with Gas
You're probably familiar with proficient former oxygen, or O2. Information technology'south abundant in our air supply, and our bodies need it to exercise fun stuff similar transfer nutrients and, y'know, stay live. Think of ozone, or O3, as oxygen's burly big blood brother.
This gas has serious sass. Ozone kills bacteria and other contaminants in your hot tub, even without strong chemicals. It has 3 oxygen atoms per molecule instead of two, and it's a existent social butterfly.
It'll adhere itself to all sorts of gross and grimy contaminants in hot tub water, including lotions and potions like soap, makeup, cologne, sunscreen, and hair spray. It even tackles bodily fluids like saliva and urine.
What Does Ozone Do?
When used in conjunction with your regular hot tub sanitizer (e.g., chlorine or bromine), ozone helps kill pathogenic bacteria, germs, and viruses. That means you can utilise less sanitizer, cutting your spa spending while making your hot tub a happier place for anyone with chemical sensitivities.
Ozone non merely destroys microorganisms, but also breaks down harmful chemicals, and causes total dissolved solids to clump together for easier removal past your filter cartridge. You get cleaner and clearer h2o that feels smooth and silky on your skin.
Because it'southward so reactive, ozone also breaks upwards chlorine and bromine molecules that accept bonded to contaminants. You won't have to shock your hot tub equally oft, since the ozone frees up the sanitizers and allows them to be reused continuously. This tin can boost your savings even farther.
Notation: Despite its many virtues, ozone'southward reactivity can wreak havoc on the vinyl interior of your hot tub cover. Add together a hot tub thermal blanket, and you'll non only protect your embrace, but heave your energy savings by further reducing oestrus and moisture loss.
How Ozonators Work
It might seem like sorcery, but at that place's no night magic involved in making O3. Ozonators split oxygen molecules into 2 complimentary oxygen atoms in one of two means: intense ultraviolet (UV) light or by using what's known as a corona discharge (CD) unit.
When these freed oxygen atoms collide with existing oxygen molecules nowadays in the water, they create ozone.
Ultraviolet Light or Corona Belch?
While their functions are identical, UV and CD ozonators each bring their ain gear up of pros and cons to the table.
Ultraviolet Low-cal Ozonators
These bad boys are the OGs of O3. They use ultraviolet light to dissever oxygen molecules into costless oxygen atoms that recombine with ambience oxygen to create ozone.
They're not every bit powerful as CD units, have a shorter functional life, and may cost more than to run if y'all've got a large hot tub. Likewise, their bulbs inevitably succumb to solarization, or reduced UV output over fourth dimension, and have to be replaced every two to 3 years to regain their ozone-making power.
On the plus side, UV systems aren't affected by ambient humidity, and will produce ozone equally efficiently in the swampy Florida summertime as they do in an arid Colorado autumn. They're as well easier to clean than their CD counterparts.
Corona Discharge Ozonators
These models use much newer applied science than their older cousins. The "corona" in "corona discharge" is a sail of plasma created when a usher is ionized by electricity. This purplish curtain resembles a halo or a crown (corona is the Latin word for crown).
CD ozonators have a long working life, high efficacy and efficiency, and lower costs than UV units. They can likewise handle much larger volumes of water, despite being by and large smaller than UV models. They don't accept cartridges, chips, or bulbs to replace, and their plate ionizers tin can final equally long as ten years.
The drawback is that, much like static electricity, conductor ionization is hampered by loftier humidity. So if you lot live in an expanse with very high humidity (60% or college) during the flavour(s) you'll exist using your spa, a CD unit might not be the best pick for you.
When Should You Run Your Ozonator?
Depending on bather load (the number of people your hot tub using your hot tub, and how frequently), y'all'll demand to run your ozonator anywhere from 3 hours during a 12-hour period to 24 hours a day to see maximum performance.
For best results, turn information technology on and go out it running, especially if you use your hot tub on a regular basis.
What You Need to Add an Ozonator to your Spa
You'll find that many of today'due south spas are sold equally "ozonator prepare," which means they already accept a hook-up for the unit of your selection. All y'all really need is your ozonator and a properly primed hot tub.
Annotation: While calculation an ozonator is straightforward for most, we recommend you consult a professional if yous're uncomfortable with installing hardware, don't have time, or just want a little extra quality assurance. Water and electricity might exist a recipe for success when making ozone, but it's as bad for humans as information technology is Wicked Witches.
To get your hot tub set up for your ozonator:
- Verify that your hot tub will have an ozonator by consulting your owner'southward manual. If there is room and a power hook-up for your device, you're good to go.
- Determine the proper voltage (120v or 240v).
- Cheque your electric arrangement to brand sure your timer works properly and your entire hardware system is protected by a footing-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
- Find and repair whatever leaks in your spa plumbing.
- Check the filters, and clean them if necessary.
- Drain your hot tub and make full it with fresh h2o to give your ozonator a clean start.
- Balance and sanitize your hot tub water. Retrieve: ozone reduces the amount of chemicals needed and improves water quality, but it won't replace your sanitizer.
- Verify the plug type y'all volition demand to connect the ozonator to your hot tub's control pack.
Ozone-ready hot tubs normally have a small ozone jet well-nigh the bottom of the tub. This jet volition have a water port, and an air (ozone) port. When no ozonator is present, the jet acts as a h2o jet only.
You'll oftentimes find a capped, clear, ¼" interior bore (ID) air suction tube hanging in the equipment bay of your spa if it doesn't already take an ozonator.
How to Install an Ozonator in Your Hot Tub
You might be surprised past just how easy it is to add an ozonator to your spa. Gather your courage, center, and scarlet slippers, and get to it.
ane. Mount the Ozonator
Physically install the unit under the spa cabinet or about the hot tub depending upon your tub and your setup. Mount the device firmly, and make sure it has plenty of room for airflow.
2. Install The Bank check Valve and Connect it to Your Spa
If your hot tub has an ozonator jet, simply connect it to your unit. If non, you may need to do a bit of plumbing. Consult your hot tub manual (or hire a pro) earlier you go along.
Locate the ozone suction connection. This is typically ¼″ inner diameter (ID) × ⅜″ outer bore (OD) vinyl air tubing. If the tubing has a cap, you lot can snip it off to adjust the one-style check valve included in the ozonator kit
Notation: The check valve is designed to prevent water backflow from ruining your ozonator. Later you connect your ozonator to your hot tub, cutting the tubing at effectually vi inches, and install the check valve. Remember, you want air to be able to travel from the unit of measurement to the spa, but water needs to exist stopped before it reaches the ozonator.
Attach the ozone cheque valve to i cease of the vinyl tubing supplied with your ozonator kit. Attach the check valve's other cease to the hot tub's suction tubing.
Set up the air (ozone) to menstruation abroad from the ozonator and toward the hot tub. The valve may take a directional indicator for easy setup. If it doesn't, determine the flow management by blowing into one cease of the valve. Be extra careful with this stride, equally installing the check valve astern will keep your ozonator from working properly.
3. Create a Hartford Loop
Your check valve is the first line of defence force against backflow destroying your ozonator. But you tin add together another layer of protection past arranging your ozone tubing into a special fault-protection configuration known as a Hartford Loop.
Originally designed to protect steam boilers from failing if a line ruptured, the Hartford Loop protects your ozonator by keeping water from flowing into it.
Create a Hartford Loop by looping the ozone tubing up equally high as you tin before y'all connect it to the ozonator. Make sure the loop of tubing is above the water line, and it will aid prevent h2o from reaching your ozonator in the effect of a line failure or other problems.
four. Cull Your Ability: Plug and Play or Hardwiring
Depending on your handiness and ambition, yous can either plug the ozonator into a wall outlet for maximum convenience or hardwire it to your arrangement and so it turns on and off when you power on the main breaker for your hot tub.
Important: Over again, if you lot don't experience comfy performing electrical work, exist certain to consult or hire an electrician if you want to hardwire your system.
5. Set the Timers
With your system installed, the only step remaining is to ready the timers. Configure the timers on your ozonator and hot tub and then the system turns on and off automatically and so you don't have to play watchman.
For peak performance and efficiency, yous may have to experiment with the run times of your ozonator based on your water quality and bather load. Start with three hours and increase it as needed.
Maintaining Your Hot Tub Ozonator
You've installed your system. Yous've powered it upwards. Oxygen molecules are being ripped to shreds like so many flying monkeys. All that's left is to go on things running smoothly.
Regular ozonator maintenance is piece of cake. Ensure information technology's making ozone, the ozone is reaching the hot tub, and your cheque valve is holding down the fort.
1. Make Sure It'due south Generating Ozone
No need for divination to see if your system is creating enough ozone—instead, test your hot tub water with ozone test strips or a meter.
You'll get an instant snapshot of the ozone in your water, and adjust (or supersede) your hardware or heave your run time appropriately.
2. Check the Ozone Commitment System
Like a farmhouse dropping on an unsuspecting sorceress, a faulty ozone injector can really put a cramp in your style. No affair how much ozone your unit of measurement'southward generating, it won't thing, because none of it reaches the water without a working injector.
If y'all find your water has depression ozone levels, cheque your ozone injector earlier you supplant the whole system.
iii. Inspect the Bank check Valve
Keeping water out of the ozonator is essential, and your bank check valve is a cardinal role of preventing backflow from ruining your day. If this valve begins to leak or (eep!) fails completely, your hot tub could quickly destroy your ozonator. Make checking this valve a regular office of your hot tub maintenance so you can stop a leak earlier it starts.
Replacing Your Ozonator
Most UV ozonators final between two and three years before they need replacement. In some cases, you might demand to change a solarized bulb before the system itself needs a full replacement. CD ozonator plates can terminal for a decade, but be certain to keep information technology clean and run it when the ambient humidity is low for optimal performance.
How will you know when to repair or supplant? Check your h2o quality. Use ozone test strips or a examination kit to assistance you place problems with your ozonator and determine if it's fourth dimension for a new part or a whole new unit.
Now You're the Magician of Oz(ane)
Sure, you could settle for soaking without that mighty molecule nosotros call ozone. You'd spend more than on chemicals, and probably have to shock more often, as well. Add in the stress of extra budget, and you might as well exist living in a monochrome dust bowl farmhouse.
Life with an ozonator? Now that's a horse of a different color. With one of these handy units installed, you'll save coin on chemicals, savour cleaner, healthier soaks in your spa, and be able to say without a trace of irony, "At that place's no identify like habitation!"
Happy Soaking!
Image courtesy SpaDepot.com. Used with permission.
Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim University® and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Since so, his mission is to make pool and hot tub intendance easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.
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Source: https://www.swimuniversity.com/hot-tub-ozonators/
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