Ozone systems are supplemental sanitation systems that work by injecting ozone gas into pool (or spa) plumbing to oxidize water contaminants. They work by using electrical energy to break down oxygen molecules in a reaction that results in the production of ozone. It is important to note that they do not replace the need for sanitizers such as chlorine or bromine and they should be considered as a supplement and not a primary sanitizing method.
There are a few things that are important to understand when using ozonation with your pool (or spa).
- An ozonator doesn’t sanitize as fast as chlorine or bromine because water has to circulate through the plumbing to be subjected to the ozone gas which means that it has to make a complete trip each time to be subjected to treatment.This is why it’s important to use ozone treatment in conjunction with a primary sanitizer.
- Ozone generators inject air into the water which results in aeration and pH rise.
- Dichlor has a pH of 7.0 and it helps control the increase in pH but it also causes CYA to rise.
- An ozonator used in a bromine pool (or spa) can reactivate the bromide and reconvert it to bromine.