+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 16

Thread: Ozone smell

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Posts
    870

    Default Ozone smell

    Every once in a while there is an odor of ozone hovering about 5" or so above the water surface of our pool. Why is that? Where does it come from? I use chlorinating liquid and the water is about as perfectly balanced as I can get it:

    pH 7.5
    FC 5
    CC 0
    TA 80
    CYA 40


    I don't notice this smell all the time but when it is there, it's kind of annoying. Is it just part of the pool chemistry?

    AnnaK
    Oval 12.5K gal AGP; Hayward 19" sand filter; Pentair Dyn 1 HP 2sp pump on timer
    [URL="http://www.ellerbach.com/Pool/"]My Pool Pages[/URL]

  2. #2
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    What does ozone smell like?
    Carl

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Posts
    870

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    Uh . . .

    Like a bad lightening storm. Like liquid metal. Kind of like a stink bug.
    Silvery-green—I tend to assign colors to smells.

    Anna
    Oval 12.5K gal AGP; Hayward 19" sand filter; Pentair Dyn 1 HP 2sp pump on timer
    [URL="http://www.ellerbach.com/Pool/"]My Pool Pages[/URL]

  4. #4
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    Quote Originally Posted by AnnaK View Post
    Uh . . .

    Like a bad lightening storm. Like liquid metal. Kind of like a stink bug.
    Silvery-green—I tend to assign colors to smells.

    Anna
    Sounds metalic--like hot metal when there's an electrical short or something burning up.

    I'm just guessing, wildly: What is your copper content?
    Carl

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Posts
    870

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    I've never had the water tested for copper. How would copper get in there? There isn't any in my fill water which was tested at Wilkes-Barre University.

    Do pool stores test for copper? I could take a sample down there.

    Anna
    Oval 12.5K gal AGP; Hayward 19" sand filter; Pentair Dyn 1 HP 2sp pump on timer
    [URL="http://www.ellerbach.com/Pool/"]My Pool Pages[/URL]

  6. #6
    Poconos is offline SuperMod Emeritus Whizbang Spinner Poconos 4 stars Poconos 4 stars Poconos 4 stars Poconos 4 stars Poconos 4 stars Poconos 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Honesdale PA
    Posts
    1,812

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    As I remember from years ago ozone had a somewhat sweet smell. I also remember that if the concentration gets anywhere near the hazardous level you wouldn't be able to stand the smell. I used to use an electrostatic filter in my Jersey house and there were occasional smokers and I could crank up the voltage and generate lots of ozone and get rid of the smoke odor.
    Al

  7. #7
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    Ozone, true ozone at a certain level is toxic. It's a weird oxygen molecule. Oxygen usually bonds in pairs, O2, but Ozone is 3 atoms, O3.
    Carl

  8. #8
    aylad's Avatar
    aylad is offline SuperMod Emeritus Burfle Ringer aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Northwest Lousiana
    Posts
    4,757

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    If you don't have copper in your fill water, then it would have to have been added, but I'd be surprised if you inadvertently added enough to create the smell. Possible sources could be copper-based algaecides, copper-added trichlor, heater coils reacting to low pH, possibly hardware like screws and stuff degrading?

    Janet

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Posts
    870

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    I had the water tested at the store. No copper. They were very concerned about my low level of calcium though and thought I should add 18 pounds of something right away.

    No heater, no dissolved hardware though the white paint on the hand rails of the steps is coming off below the water line, it's been doing that for a couple of years now.

    And I realized the other day exactly what this smells like: a busy photocopy machine. It seems I notice the odor more on really humid days.

    Odd.
    Oval 12.5K gal AGP; Hayward 19" sand filter; Pentair Dyn 1 HP 2sp pump on timer
    [URL="http://www.ellerbach.com/Pool/"]My Pool Pages[/URL]

  10. #10
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Ozone smell

    Of COURSE they said you need calcium in an above ground pool! That's what they do. You buy and another $50 goes in the register. Ask them what the calcium actually DOES in your AG pool and you'll get a lot of waffling.

    Calcium is used to protect the calcium carbonate in pool walls in the cement, mortar, shotcrete, plaster, etc. It keeps it from leeching out. Therefore it's useless in vinyl pools.
    Carl

+ Reply to Thread

Similar Threads

  1. Foul Smell
    By elyders in forum Pool Chemicals & Pool Water Problems
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-17-2012, 12:30 PM
  2. smell
    By Ga. puddle in forum Pool Cleaning: Manual or Automatic
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 06-10-2012, 01:17 PM
  3. I Smell A Big Anniversaryyyy!
    By tenax in forum Salt Generators (SWCG) & other Chlorine Feeders
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 06-04-2007, 09:25 PM
  4. Smell chlorine w/ 0 cc?
    By Madty in forum Using Chlorine and Chlorinating Chemicals
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 07-08-2006, 02:00 AM
  5. Musty Smell...
    By Elias in forum Pool Chemicals & Pool Water Problems
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 05-29-2006, 08:29 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts