Ozone

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent with remarkable water disinfection properties. When dissolved in water, ozone rapidly eliminates waterborne bacteria, inorganic contaminants like herbicides and pesticides, as well as iron, sulfur, and manganese. 

Ozone, comprised of three oxygen atoms, is highly reactive and capable of removing bacterial contamination thousands of times faster than typical disinfection systems, like chlorine. Ozone is generated organically in the environment by electrical discharges (like lightning and thunderstorms). However, through the use of generators, this process can be replicated in residential and commercial drinking water faucets and ice machine filtration systems.  

What are the advantages of ozone disinfection of water?

1. No Chemical Additives. Ozone handily eliminates waterborne pathogens, bacteria, and viruses from water without the addition of any chemical components. Chlorination, a water industry standard for bacteria elimination, accomplishes water disinfection through the addition of chlorine and chloramines. These chemical compounds oxidize bacteria present in the water. The ozonation process works via a generator that incites a reaction without adding any extraneous chemicals to the water. 

2. Speed. The ozonation process works incredibly quickly. With a very short reaction time, ozone is able to eliminate bacteria and viruses from the water, making it ideal for point-of-use applications like ice machines and drinking water faucets. In mere seconds, the addition of ozone can purge waterborne bacterial contaminants from the water. The rapid disinfection speed of ozonation is one of the most attractive qualities of the water treatment method. 

3. Highly effective water disinfection. The addition of ozone to water can eliminate a wide swathe of bacteria, microorganisms, viruses, protozoa. This maintains a high degree of water quality and ensures water safe from harmful, disease-causing contaminants. It also prevents mold and algae from setting into ice machines, causing discolored ice and slime-coated ice machines. Ozone also attacks ethylene gas, which cause fruits and vegetables to prematurely perish and droop. This means produce washed in ozonated water is crisper and healthier. It also means that all silverware and dishes washed in ozonated water are given a more vigorous clean. 

Where can I use ozone filtration? 

• Restaurants & Commercial Kitchens
• Hospitality 
  
• Grocery Stores & Produce 
• Hospitals
• Businesses & Offices
• Bars
• Seafood Processing
• Vending
• Cruise Ships
• Ice Machines & Ice Production
• Residential Applications

How does ozone work?

Ozone is a powerful and unique water disinfectant. Ozone is extremely germicidal, and rapidly destroys any waterborne viruses and bacteria with nearly unmatched speed. Like chlorine, ozone oxidizes the bacteria an d protozoa upon contact. The ozone penetrates the cell walls of the microorganisms, rupturing them on a structural level. Unlike UV disinfection, there is no reduced flow rate or extended contact time required. After shocking a well with chlorine, the chlorine must sit overnight to ensure that it has properly dismantled all the pathogens present in your water supply. Ozone, commonly seen in the house as ozonated faucets, works in a matter of minutes. Ozone is also capable of handily eliminating inorganic matter, as well as micro-pollutants like pesticides and herbicides. Ozone can also eliminate other water contaminants like iron, sulfur, and manganese.

Ozone water treatment uses a generator (or ozonator) to dissolve low concentrations of ozone into your water, usually around 3-5ppm. Ozone (O3) is an oxygen compound with a loosely-bound additional oxygen molecule. Ozone has remarkable oxidation properties, allowing it to quickly and effectively break down bacteria and organic contaminants like iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide. Ozone is created naturally in our stratosphere and on the earth, like when lightning strikes. These ozonators simulate this process through electrical discharges that create O3 molecules and release them into the water. 

Ozone has proven to have greater disinfection capabilities than even traditional chlorination, in addition to disinfecting water much faster than chlorine. However, ozone is unstable. Ozone breaks down over the course of around 30 minutes, making it difficult to use city-wide for water treatment. The house at the very end of the municipal water main needs to receive water that has been as thoroughly disinfected as the house closest to the treatment plant, so the lasting stability of chlorine and chloramines make them a more obvious choice.

Ozone is best suited for point-of-use, both in homes and in commercial kitchens. Ozone destroys ethylene gas, which causes fruits and vegetables to wither away, making it ideal for washing produce. It also neutralizes germs found on silverware, plates, and glasses, providing a more thorough cleaning of your dishes. Most important, ozone can destroy over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and waterborne pathogens upon contact. If you are using a private water source with elevated total coliform levels or a strong bacterial presence, a more drastic treatment option is required to eliminate the source of the problem. However, an ozone faucet is an extremely effective residential choice for ensuring the water you drink, cook, and clean with is entirely disinfected. 

Ozone is also a remarkable water treatment method for ice machines. Ice machines can be breeding grounds for bacteria, yeast, and mold within the machine. This can lead to pink slime coating the bottom of the machine, discoloring the ice, and risk bacterial exposure to those enjoying the ice. Ozone ice machine sanitation systems treat all water incoming into the machine. This ensures that all of the ice produced by the machine has been treated by O3, completely neutralizing any bacteria present in the water. This leads to a pristine ice machine environment, protecting the ice, the machine and its internal compartments, and even the air within the ice machine's storage bin. Treating ice with ozone will drastically reduce the amount of time devoted to cleaning ice machines.