O-Zone

Obi-Wan

Hello all. I was wondering what everyone's opinion was on O-Zone air treatment for residential applications.

BillW

Ozone

Ozone generators are used by restoration companies to remove the smoke odors after a fire.  These are powerful, commercial units used by professionals only.  Over the years, there have been many claims by people selling supposed ozone generators, most of which are highly exaggerated and/or unproven.  Consumer Reports has tested many such contraptions and you can find out the results by logging on to their website.(www.ConsumerReports.org)  Elevated ozone levels are irritating to everyone...why do you think the environmental agencies publish ozone alerts in metropolitan areas when stagnant air masses remain in place for a long time?  People with allergies and respiratory diseases often are more sensitive than others, and can be harmed by elevated ozone levels.

What kind of a problem are you trying to solve?

Jim Davis_3

Ozone

Bill,  I am wondering what your personal experience with O-Zone generators might be.  Consumer Reports stated they don't rate or test them and only print hearsay.

Of course if it comes from California it must be right.

I have sold O-zone generators for 20 years and recommend them highly.  O-zone has been proven to be an effective treatment for many diseases including cancer.

My personal experience is that everyone that has had one installed in their home has seen a major improvement in their health.  From lung disease, asthma and even cancer I have gotten nothing but positive results. 



Not every one is sensitive to o-zone!  Probably less than are allergic to peanuts or penicillen.  The medical field is against o-zone because it would cost them a major decrease in income along with pharmceuticals that would lose millions if everyone had one. 

I have never read so much false information about an item as O-zone.  The outdoor alert for o-zone is not for o-zone itself, but all the pollutants that are in the air.  When there is smog(grey in color) the sun produces more o-zone(colorless) to clear it up.  Because it is impossible to measure what the pollutants might be, o-zone became a method to measure how great they were.  Somehow over time it became the pollutant instead of the cure.

Ozone levels in the mountains and near the ocean are the greatest.  Much higher than the recommended indoor levels.  Why does everybody feel so refreshed when they vacation in the mountains and near the ocean?  Why don't they warn people not to vacation at these places???

O-zone kills mold.  I had had to use many times with 100% success in killing the mold and reversing people's health issues.  I can't even count the number of times o-zone has been effective in solving indoor air quality problems. 

When I hear people say ckeck out the EPA site on the Internet to find out about o-zone I have to laugh.  Lets see, the government and the internet, two of the most trusted sources of the truth.  NOT!

Some, very few are sensitive to o-zone but for the rest of us it can make ours lives considerably more healthy.   I use it all the time and feel great.

BillW

Ozone

Ozone is controversial.  It has its proponents and detractors.  I used to get the ozone objection when I was proposing electronic air cleaners and ultraviolet germ killing lights to potential customers.  While the products I was involved with produced very little ozone, I still had cases where customers either opted to use mechanical filters, or had them removed, citing irritation from ozone.  If a customer had severe asthma,and such people are very sensitive to even minute levels of ozone, I recommended that electronic units not be used, and hepa filters installed  instead. 

The EPA is not infallible, but the guidelines from them, OSHA and ASHRAE are all we have to work with.  Ozone damages rubber and plastics, and is a concern with air handlers, furnaces and ductwork, especially flex.

As for Consumer Reports, about 4 years ago, they evaluated many air cleaning devices, ranging from tabletop units to professionally installed systems.  I do not have the magazine in question to reference, I passed it on to management at the time.

As for the "clean air after a thunderstorm" observation, in my opinion, the violent mixing of atmospheric levels by the tremendous up and downdrafts will dilute pollutants, and the torrential downpours wash smoke and other particulates out of the air.  Ozone from lightning may have some effect, following the logic that  ozone is used effectively by professional restoration companies to get rid of smoke odors after a structure fire. BTW, I am not a meteorologist

I don't know what problem the poster is trying to solve, I need some more info.  Maybe the house has fire/smoke damage, or he's trying to get rid of odors left from a previous owner who was a heavy smoker.

Jim Davis_3

O-zone

EPA has more stupid rules than I can count.  They never reverse their mistakes.

Consumer Reports often contains bias regardless of what they say.  Someone has to tell then how to test items and I seen reports on other products I have recommended and they absolutely had no clue what they were doing.

I am not sure what level of o-zone damages rubber but it has to be more than most o-zone generators produce.  Yes, air cleaners with excessive voltage produced uncontrolled high levels of ozone but that should not be compared to actual o-zone generators.  I have never had a customer say the generator I sold them ever damaged anything. 

Lightning is the second largest producer of ozone next to the sun and a heavy rainstorm without lightning still lets it be stinky outside versus one with lightning. 

Every time I sold an ozone generator to solve a problem I told the customer to bring it back if it didn't work or if they were sensitive to it.  Never got one back.

Like I said the medical field does not want anyone to have them and will berate them as long as it takes.

BillW

Ozone

Yes, I can agree that the EPA has become politicized, and that there does often seem to be a bias against American brands by various consumer groups.

  I have often noticed and appreciate your work with carbon monoxide, but when I visited your website, I didn't see anything about the O-Zone unit.  Do you/they have a website?  I'm interested in more info on this product, since you feel so strongly about it. 

The original poster, Obi Wan, hasn't responded with what kind of issue the Jedi Academy is trying to address. I know...the humor was lame, but irresitible.

rlaggren

Ozone restoration

I learned a little about this 10 years ago when my parents had a fire with extensive smoke damage. The building itself was restored with hammer and nails but the contents were more difficult. There were dozens of pieces of old furniture, hundreds of pieces of unique and irreplaceable clothing and misc personal possesions, all with a noticeable smoke taint.



The restoration company did not use ozone on the building; for that most of the walls came off and the structure was coated with Kilz where smoke had got into the attic and wall spaces.



Ozone was offered as a last chance hope for the personal stuff that would not respond to just cleaning or refinishing. Commercial machines were used to create a very high concentration in a room or large box and objects were exposed for a period of hours up to a day or two. As it was explained to me, high concentrations of ozone greatly accelerate the aging (oxidizing) of whatever the air touches. The smoke smell is connected to chemicals on the surface which lose their smell naturally over time; so making them age faster often got rid of the smell. HOWEVER, every part of the item in contact with the air experienced accelerated aging and in the case of clothing there was a real trade off between what smelled and what fell apart when you put it on!



So there are side affects to the use of ozone and it takes some experience to balance the good against the bad.



Rufus