Tub indoors.. is Ozone bad for my health?

[squale]

I have my hottub in my garage, when I take off the cover I get a huge smell of Ozone that fades away after about 2-3 minutes.  Is it bad for my health to be sitting in the tub while it's producing Ozone inside my garage?

[clover]

Goodness golly me, depending on WHO you ask, the concensus of opinion is no.  If you search "ozone" you will come up with tons of information that relate to all of the questions you could ask.

[sonofsail]

Ozone is a strong oxidizer.  It doesn't hang around long but I wouldn't sit in tub while ozonator is on.  It is famous for filtering out UV in the high atmosphere but a well known pollutant at ground level.  As mentioned above, google it and read up on it.

[Tonyf]

We have a portable Ozonator that we use in our house and basement as a sanitizer/odor eliminator. When we shock the basement, it gets rid of any musty odors. In the house, it freshens the rooms and smells like a lightning storm just went through. We only run it on occassion and not continuously. You should be alright. If your throat feels scratchy or you start to cough, you are breathing in too much all at once. I would take the cover off a few minutes before entering the tub so it dissipates.
Tony

[squale]

yes but is it okay to dissipate into a closed garage and then you be in the garage?

[ndabunka]

yes but is it okay to dissipate into a closed garage and then you be in the garage?

Ozone is a fairly unstable compound only sustainable in certain conditions (upper atmosphere is one good example).  When introduced into hot water, it has a lifespan of something like 0.5 seconds.  By the time it is released into the air (i.e. your garage), it dissipates even faster.  In addition, Ozone is fairly light and would rise to the ceiling so unless your 9 feet tall, I don't think you are in any danger in you garage.

Most of us sit in our tubs while Ozone is being dispensed.  There is absolutely NO HARM in it (like I said, it dissiapates quickly).  There are a LOT of online articles.  Just google it

[tony]

Your spa will stop producing ozone when you turn one of your therapy pumps on just for the reason you are asking.  However, if you sit in the spa without the pumps on (in standard mode) ozone will be produced.  Ozone is produced by the ozonator and drawn to the water by the Mazzei injector in the circ pump water line after the circ pump and heater.  The ozonator does not push the ozone into the line.  The ozonator turns on and off by the control board when the main pumps are on.  When the ozonator is on you should see the ozone icon in the LCD topside panel.  The little bubbles you see in the spa are there whether the ozonator is on or off and is no indication of ozone being produced.

I agree with everyone that there isn't enough ozone being produced to be an issue.

[squale]

ah okay so just the circ pump produces those little bubbles I see?  I always thought those little bubbles were ozone because whenever the circ pump was on, the little ozone icon is on in the lcd panel and I can hear the high pitched noise if I put my ear to the cabinent over the ozonator.  now if I'm in the spa with the jets on, those are so loud and disturb the water so much of course I can't tell if those little bubbles are coming up..

[tony]

ah okay so just the circ pump produces those little bubbles I see?  I always thought those little bubbles were ozone because whenever the circ pump was on, the little ozone icon is on in the lcd panel and I can hear the high pitched noise if I put my ear to the cabinent over the ozonator.  now if I'm in the spa with the jets on, those are so loud and disturb the water so much of course I can't tell if those little bubbles are coming up..

The bubbles are actually formed by the ozone system, but not the ozonator itself.  If the ozonator is off, then just air is being pulled through the tubing.  The Mazzei injector creates a vacuum and that is what causes the bubbles.  If you had no ozonator, you would have no Mazzei injector and no bubbles when your circ pump comes on.  Now, I have removed my ozonator but still have my Mazzei injector so I have bubbles with no ozone.

[squale]

wow you really know your stuff Tony... why did you take out your ozonator?  is your tub indoors?

oh btw.. I was having a cloudy water condition.. I use Dichlor everyday, a Sunpurity N2 mineral cartrige and shock weekly with MPS.  I bet you since my circ pump and ozonator really weren't on much at all (just when the tub needed to get heat), that my water wasn't getting properly sanitized and oxidized.. thus it was getting cloudy.  Basically the water was just sitting there stagnent most of the day because the tub being indoors very rarely called for heat, thus the ozonator and circ pump just stayed off..

[tony]

wow you really know your stuff Tony... why did you take out your ozonator?  is your tub indoors?

oh btw.. I was having a cloudy water condition.. I use Dichlor everyday, a Sunpurity N2 mineral cartrige and shock weekly with MPS.  I bet you since my circ pump and ozonator really weren't on much at all (just when the tub needed to get heat), that my water wasn't getting properly sanitized and oxidized.. thus it was getting cloudy.  Basically the water was just sitting there stagnent most of the day because the tub being indoors very rarely called for heat, thus the ozonator and circ pump just stayed off..

My spa is outdoors.  I removed my ozonator because I didn't like what it was doing to my headrests.  I replaced them after three years and when the new ones were showing an oxidizing effect after a year I disconnected and removed the ozonator.  Headrests look great now another year later.

You have a very good routine with dichlor, SunPurity and weekly shock along with ozone.  Filtration is important and needed for clear water.  With over five years of ownership I have come to know my spa pretty well.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Ozone in fact is heavier than air and will sink.

Ozone can be a great irritant to some people respiratory system.

Some people have been known to have asthsma(SP?) attacks caused by ozone..... and they never knew they has asthma(SP?).

Ozone's life is rated as a half life, and while in hot water it may have a half life of seconds, in cooler air that half life can be extended to 1 to 2 hours.

Ozone will destroy some type of plastics. I knew a guy that had a tub indoors and it ruined his plasma TV in less than a year

More, a lot more here;

http://www.rhtubs.com/indoor-ozone-danger.htm

[Rayman]

No ozone indoors, even outdoors you should open the lid for a few minutes before going in.

[loosenupspas]

One word.....ventilation!

[ndabunka]

Ozone in fact is heavier than air and will sink.

Ozone can be a great irritant to some people respiratory system.

Some people have been known to have asthsma(SP?) attacks caused by ozone..... and they never knew they has asthma(SP?).

Ozone's life is rated as a half life, and while in hot water it may have a half life of seconds, in cooler air that half life can be extended to 1 to 2 hours.

Ozone will destroy some type of plastics. I knew a guy that had a tub indoors and it ruined his plasma TV in less than a year

More, a lot more here;

http://www.rhtubs.com/indoor-ozone-danger.htm

Hmmm, I guess I can learn something new today.  I haven't yet read your article but being heavier than air seems contradictory to the concept of an Ozone layer providing UV protection to the earth's current set of inhabitants...I guess I had better go read now before the other foot finds its way into the already partially filled void.