question on cover treatment

[96SC]

I have a brownish spot on my floating bubble blanket, right above the ozonator.

With our spa, the ozone discharge is also heated water.  If you put your foot into the ozone bubble stream it will sometimes be very hot.  Could be your brown spot is a result of heat from the rising water. :-/

[tinybubbles]

Ozone can cause things to turn brown.  I know this is true of CD ozonators, I am not sure if it's true about UV ozonators.  It is because of nitric acid that is present.  When I was shopping, I only got the "ozonators are junk" pitch from Jacuzzi dealers.  My sister has owned a spa for 6 years with an ozonator, she still has the original cover and pillows and all are in fine shape.  I have noticed that the plastic cover on the intake that is right over my ozonator injector has brown places on it.  So far, nothing above that shows any discoloration.  Phil makes a good point about how quickly ozone breaks down in hot water.  It should dissapate before it reaches the cover or headrests.  Only time will tell, I guess.

[tony]

I read that over /mis-use of dichlor is more apt to discolor and damage your cover than ozone.

Misuse of chlorine will damage your cover as will bromine but IMO ozone does the most damage.  The benefit of ozone is not measurable in a spa and no one knows for sure if its doing anything or if its even being absorbed by the water.  The only evidence ozone is doing anything is that users find their water management easier.  The distinctive smell of ozone when you open the cover would suggest it is not being totally absorbed by the water.  The damage to the cover would be ghosting (bleaching) if you have a light gray underside...maybe nothing if it is pure white.  Pillows fade and plastics discolor.

I found that ozone with a silver cartridge and my dichlor routine was better than dichlor alone or dichlor with just ozone or dichlor with just silver.  

[sonofsail]

I use dichlor, ozone and N2 cartridge.  It works great.  I haven't had tub long enough to experience any damage due to ozone.  If it does help keep the nasties away, it is worth it IMO.  After all that is the most important consideration.  My dealer (sundance) said the ozonators are really only "necessary" if tub is left without daily maintenance for extended periods of time.

[tony]

I use dichlor, ozone and N2 cartridge.  It works great.  I haven't had tub long enough to experience any damage due to ozone.  If it does help keep the nasties away, it is worth it IMO.  After all that is the most important consideration.  My dealer (sundance) said the ozonators are really only "necessary" if tub is left without daily maintenance for extended periods of time.

I think this is very true.  I have found that ozone and silver with dichlor extend the days I can leave the spa unattended.  With just dichlor I can go two days max, but with ozone and silver I could double that.  I did find no value to dichlor with just ozone or just silver but all together I found a benefit.  Since I soak almost every day, I find no value in ozone and/or silver so I don't use them anymore but that is because of my soaking frequency.

[tinybubbles]

I've been researching the benefits of using ozone recently.  I use it in my spa, but I didn't know why.  So far, the best reason I've heard for using ozone is this:  The ozone removes ammonia and nitrogen from the water.  If left in the water, these would combine with dichlor to form chloramines.  Without them, chloramines can not form.  This means your chlorine remains in the tub longer as a sanitizer.  So, I get to use less chlorine and I don't need to shock.  Without adding as many chemicals, my TDS will stay lower.  With low tds, I should be able to maximize the time between water changes.  BTW, the ammonia and nitrogen are added to the water through sweat, urine, feces, saliva, etc., another words, soaking.  I've read differing opinions about ozone being a sanitizer or oxidizer in water.  I've seen it said that it's only an oxidizer.  I've read that it is a powerful sanitizer in water and kills germs, viruses, and fungi.  I'm a germaphobe, so I feel better knowing it's there, even if it ends up degrading my cover.  

[tony]

I've been researching the benefits of using ozone recently.  I use it in my spa, but I didn't know why.  So far, the best reason I've heard for using ozone is this:  The ozone removes ammonia and nitrogen from the water.  If left in the water, these would combine with dichlor to form chloramines.  Without them, chloramines can not form.  This means your chlorine remains in the tub longer as a sanitizer.  So, I get to use less chlorine and I don't need to shock.  Without adding as many chemicals, my TDS will stay lower.  With low tds, I should be able to maximize the time between water changes.  BTW, the ammonia and nitrogen are added to the water through sweat, urine, feces, saliva, etc., another words, soaking.  I've read differing opinions about ozone being a sanitizer or oxidizer in water.  I've seen it said that it's only an oxidizer.  I've read that it is a powerful sanitizer in water and kills germs, viruses, and fungi.  I'm a germaphobe, so I feel better knowing it's there, even if it ends up degrading my cover.  

You will get the same or better results with non chlorine shock (MPS), another oxidizer.  The amount of ozone introduced to your spa is not going to oxidize your water unless you are a very infrequent soaker and is not going to sanitize anything.  To sanitize ozone needs direct contact with the water and this only occurs in very controlled expensive setups such as some drinking water situations.  Ozone can't even be measured in spa water.

As an experiment, try not shocking your spa until you measure a combined chlorine level.  Just add your dichlor after use.  When CC reaches .2 ppm you should shock your spa.  If you never reach this level, then your ozonator is oxidizing all of your contaminants.  When I used to shock with chlorine along with my dichlor routine with ozone and N2, I could go two weeks until my CC levels reached shock levels.  With my present routine, I add MPS weekly with dichlor after use and no ozone or N2.  I never register any combined chlorine and my free chlorine levels are lasting longer than ever.

[Cyn]

With my present routine, I add MPS weekly with dichlor after use and no ozone or N2.  I never register any combined chlorine and my free chlorine levels are lasting longer than ever.

So Tony, you really are shocking with MPS each week, yes?  That would be why there is no CC registering.  Dichlor after each use and MPS once a week.  You never use dichlor to shock?

[tony]

So Tony, you really are shocking with MPS each week, yes?  That would be why there is no CC registering.  Dichlor after each use and MPS once a week.  You never use dichlor to shock?

I shock weekly with MPS and that is why I don't register CC.  From what I understand, MPS does a better job of preventing chloramines than of destroying them.  If I ever register CC, I will shock with dichlor but haven't had the need since I started this routine.  I believe in keeping my CYA in an acceptable range so I like not shocking with dichlor and TDS has never been an issue.

[ndabunka]

I have had an ozonator in my jacuzzi since inception.  I have NEVER had ANY pillow nor cover issues related to such ozone usage.  The ONLY issues I have had are with my recent chemical balance issues.  MPS and chlorine (and PH up and PH down and...) is what has now damaged my headrest (they are bubbling and peeling).  So, it's not the ozone that has been at fault but rather it IS the chemical balance.  Quit trying to pin things on Ozone as a deterioration facilitator.  By the way, I've NEVER used MPS UNTIL my recent water balance issues so it's MUCH more likely that  MPS is the solitary contributing factor to the damages those on here are stating.  I am going on five years with my cover and it still shows NO signs of water saturation (maybe I have none because I never used MPS?).  I am starting to see some deterioration on the OUTSIDE of the cover from sun and elements on the outside of the tub but nothing "tub-facing".  I have periodically cleaned the tub-facing surface with a baking soda/water mixture and that also has not done any damage over the 4 years I've owned it and I do this probably about once every 3 or 4 months.

[tony]

I have had an ozonator in my jacuzzi since inception.  I have NEVER had ANY pillow nor cover issues related to such ozone usage.  The ONLY issues I have had are with my recent chemical balance issues.  MPS and chlorine (and PH up and PH down and...) is what has now damaged my headrest (they are bubbling and peeling).  So, it's not the ozone that has been at fault but rather it IS the chemical balance.  Quit trying to pin things on Ozone as a deterioration facilitator.  By the way, I've NEVER used MPS UNTIL my recent water balance issues so it's MUCH more likely that  MPS is the solitary contributing factor to the damages those on here are stating.  I am going on five years with my cover and it still shows NO signs of water saturation (maybe I have none because I never used MPS?).  I am starting to see some deterioration on the OUTSIDE of the cover from sun and elements on the outside of the tub but nothing "tub-facing".  I have periodically cleaned the tub-facing surface with a baking soda/water mixture and that also has not done any damage over the 4 years I've owned it and I do this probably about once every 3 or 4 months.

Well, my cover is over five years old and still going strong.  The cover lifter has deteriorated from under it and has just been replaced but the cover is in great condition for its age.  I have never used a thermal blanket under my cover until very recently.  I have not had issues from chlorine and MPS but I can pinpoint issues to ozone.  You should not have issues with chlorine or MPS unless you are not leaving your cover off long enough after shocking.  Ozone is a known deteriorator of plastics and I know your ozone system is no different than mine.  I can only comment on my experiences.  If your experiences are different that is fine.  I don't recall how you have been sanitizing for four years but I believe I have done chlorine every way that it can be done.  For the record, I believe ozone does help with water management and I have stated this many times...I just don't feel it does a whole lot for me with my routine.  I have switched to MPS lately after reading info regarding the difference in shocking with chlorine and MPS from a poster on a forum who certainly seems to have a lot of knowlege and facts to back it up.

All in all, there are many contributors to failing pillows, etc....chlorine, MPS, bromine is probably huge...and ozone, too.