ozonator

[clayboy]

I recently bought a pool and through a bit of research bought an ozonator. I was wondering if by using this I have to approach things a little differently as far as my chemicals are concerned. I have read quite a bit on here and would like to use the "BBB" method of chemicals. Can anyone give me some useful input on the ozonator?

[aylad]

The majority of the input you're going to get through here is--ignore the ozonator and use the appropriate amount of chlorine. The equipment gurus will be along shortly to hopefully discuss this further with you, but basically the ozone-treated water within the unit itself is sanitized--until it then flows into the pool, where it is no longer sanitized if there's any bacteria, viruses, algae, etc in the pool. So it then isn't sanitized again until it reaches the unit, requiring you to maintain chlorine levels in the pool adequate enough to keep it sanitized--and if you have to do that, why use the ozonator in the first place?

[PoolDoc]

your membership is upgraded.

[chem geek]

An ozonator usually doesn't make much sense for an outdoor residential pool or for a low-use (once a week or less) residential spa. The reason is that ozone destroys chlorine so if there isn't a lot of bather waste to get rid of then it just ends up using more chlorine than it saves. An ozonator is useful in more heavily used residential spas (used every day or two) and in most commercial/public pools and spas where the bather load is much higher than typical residential pools. It also is useful for indoor pools though usually UV is used in that situation. It is also useful (as is UV) in commercial/public pools and spas to handle killing Cryptosporidium parvum which is chlorine-resistant but that's not something you'll find in your residential pool or spa unless you invite someone over with diarrhea that is carrying the pathogen.

For outdoor residential pools, chlorine handles bather load just fine and the UV in sunlight even produces the same hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide that ozone can produce.

[clayboy]

Thanks, based on the info I've received here I am trying to return the ozonator I just bought, but the pool company is giving me problems and trying to tack on a 24% restocking fee and other charges that add up over $100 for a %278.00 item. They say they have never had one returned and they stand behind their product but their policy also says returns are no questions asked if not satisfied for any reason. The restocking fee is not even stated in the return policy. I am glad I found this forum so I can cut out all this malarkey with the pool companies. Keep up the good work

[Watermom]

Re-stocking fees are pretty common. You may not be able to get out of that one.

[PoolDoc]

Better to look at it this way: we saved you over $150 that you would have wasted otherwise!

[BigDave]

Plus all the chlorine the Ozone would have destroyed and the electricity to run the ozonator.