FountainRX - Ozone

Ozone

Ozone was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in the 1840s when he identified a unique odor during electrolysis and electrical sparking experiments. He recognized the scent as the same odor found after a lightening flash and named the substance ozone. 


Ozone is created when…  

oxygen molecules are split, by a high-energy electrical discharge, resulting in two individual oxygen atoms and those individual oxygen atoms unite with remaining oxygen molecules to produce a three-atom molecule of ozone. 

The weak bond holding ozone’s third oxygen atom causes the molecule to be extremely unstable and thus, very effective as an oxidizer.  

An oxidation reaction occurs upon any collision between an ozone molecule and an organic molecule, such as bacteria, viruses, fungus and algae, where the oxygen atom held by the weak bond splits off and only oxygen is left behind. 

Ozone Benefits  

It’s a natural purifier as no harmful chemical by-products are created during purification, making it environmentally friendly. 

Eliminates chloramines, chlorine by-products that can cause skin irritations and illness, and their off-gas odor. 

Oxidizes hydrogen sulfides, iron, manganese, arsenic and most chlorinated hydrocarbons found in water. 


Ozone Facts  

In 1906, the city of Nice, France built the first water purification plant to utilize ozone and ozone has been used to purify drinking and municipal waste water ever since. 

Safe for mammals and marine life, ozone is used in zoos and aquariums. 

Ozone has been purifying bottled water since 1982. 

Since 1984, all Olympic Games competition pools have been sanitized with ozone. 

In 2001, the FDA allowed the use of ozone as a direct food additive and ozone can safely be used as on food equipment surfaces during the manufacture of food products. 

In the pool and spa industry, ozone has been used for more than 65 years as its the most powerful oxidizer that can be safely used in a swimming pool or spa. 
 
Ozone and its drawbacks

Ozone is a very powerful oxidizer, and in a perfect world no chlorine would be needed as Ozone is a far more powerful oxidizer than chlorine. However ozone only lasts a few seconds and will only oxidize what it will come into contact for those few seconds. The key with ozone is the longer its runs the more effective it will be. We suggest using SpaRX non chlorine oxidizer 2-oz once per week. This oxidizer just boosts the oxidization in the spa and gases of in 15 minutes leaving with natural, healthy water.

Ozone needs small Oxidizer backup to work effectively

Problem with both chlorine and Ozone

Algae is resilient to both chlorine and ozone.

Solution- FountainRX- unit and minerals is the best algaecide nature has to offer. The FountainRX minerals are one thousand times more effective in eliminating algae and bacteria which drastically reduces the need for oxidizer like chlorine and ozone. However does not eliminate organics (leaves, debris) which make the water cloudy. That’s what ozone and chlorine do

With a combination of the 3 elements working synergistically together, you will have the most complete system available with the best quality water at 1/3 rd of the price 
 

How ozone works

 
Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen which consist of 3 oxygen atoms (O3). It reacts with other gases changing their chemical structure. As ozone oxidizes/disinfects, it destroys odor-causing and toxic gases, and then reverts to normal oxygen.

 
Ozone being created via Corona Discharge.

At the heart of a corona discharge ozone system is the dielectric. The electrical charge is diffused over this dielectric surface, creating an electrical field, or “corona”.

Critical to CD ozone systems is proper air preparation. The gas feeding the ozone generator must be very dry (minimum -80 degrees F), because the presence of moisture affects ozone production and leads to the formation of nitric acid. Nitric acid is very corrosive to critical internal parts of a CD ozone generator, which can cause premature failure and will significantly increase the frequency of maintenance.  The chart below shows that relative ozone output decreases as moisture content increases.