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Five myths about ozone systems you need to know

March 2, 2018

March 2, 2018 – Ozone can be a powerful assist for hot tub owners to keep their water crystal clear. Over the years, several folks have called our Service Center or visited one of our showrooms to discuss water care. It’s clear that not everyone is quite “in the know” about ozone systems, what they can do, and how long they last. Here are five answers to our most often-asked questions.

  • Ozone is not a stand-alone sanitizer for hot tubs. In fact, it’s not actually a sanitizer at all—although we run into folks all the time saying their tub is staying clean with just ozone and they don’t have to use any other water care products. Ozone is an oxidizer. It can help rid your tub of some contaminants, but it cannot kill the range of bacteria that can thrive in 100+ degree water. You need to team ozone up with other products that are designed to either kill or neutralize the “stuff” we end up leaving behind after a soak. Mineral (or silver ion) cartridges help neutralize bacteria with the help of non-chlorinated shock; chlorine kills bacteria.
  • Ozone systems do require some maintenance. It’s not much, but it’s incredibly helpful to clean your ozone system yearly. On Hot Spring Spas, this is a relatively simple process, requiring only about a cup of white vinegar. This helps rid your ozone system of acid build up that could prematurely shorten the life of the ozone system.
  • Ozone in a Hot Spring Spa is not harmful. A good ozone system is powerful; a good hot tub manufacturer makes sure to make the most of that powerful ozone on the water before it gets released to the body of the tub. Hot Spring Spas mix ozone with water in an 8-10 foot contact chamber so it can work on the water. By the time the very small remaining ozone is released into the tub, it’s not harmful to anyone.
  • If I see ozone bubbles in my tub, it must be working. The bubbles are the side effect of the contact chamber mixing the ozone with the water. You’ll see bubbles released into the tub whether ozone is working or not. (UNLESS your filters are old or too dirty to allow good flow to the overall system…but that’s another topic!)
  • Ozone systems last forever. Well, there’s an ad on this about diamonds, but I’ve never seen one on ozone systems. That’s because the typical lifespan of a good ozone system is about 3-4 years (with the maintenance performed mentioned above). Given what they do to help reduce your overall need for water care products and keeping your water clean and balanced, it’s well worth the investment to replace it. If you’re unsure if your ozone system is still working, you could use an ozone detection kit to answer that question.

If you have additional questions about ozone, consult your local hot tub dealer. If you’re in our service area in greater Puget Sound, our Service Center team can assist you. Our Valet Team can also perform ozone cleaning for you if you’d prefer expert assistance.

Keep you and your water healthy for soaking! It’s the smart thing to do.