FAQ

Ozone is a natural element found in the upper layer of the atmosphere. It filters out harmful UV light.

Ozone is one of the most effective oxidants on the planet. Ozone is a 50% stronger oxidizer than chlorine and is 3,000 times faster. Ozone will kill 99.9% of bacteria nearly instantaneously. Unfortunately the effectiveness of ozone is not well known by the general public or by hot tub and pool service technicians. The technicians have been taught that chemicals such as chlorine or bromine are the only methods to sanitize a hot tub or pool. Promotion of heavy chemical sanitizers enforce their livelihood. When the chemicals are maintained by a professional they will minimize most dangers. Unfortunately, most hot tub owners do not have the knowledge and experience to maintain the chemicals. When not properly maintained they are not effective at providing sanitation of the water. The widespread application of ozone is relatively new and has not been recognized by the EPA as a stand alone sanitizer for hot tubs. Therefore, the EPA recommends maintaining at least 1 PPM of residual santizer such as chlorine or bromine as a backup sanitizer for ozone. An employee of the EPA has documented the effectiveness in an articled titled an overview on the application of ozone. Until the EPA or other regulatory body recognizes ozone as a stand alone sanitizer for hot tubs we will defer to their recommendation of at least 1 PPM residual chlorine when using the Aero-Spa™ system.

Our customers have been using the Aero-Spa™ system as the primary water treatment process for years with limited use of harsh chemicals. Because we cannot control how your hot tub is used/maintained and according to the EPA we must recommend maintaining at least 1 PPM minimum of an approved residual sanitizer, preferably chlorine, to minimize cross contamination of users. To put this into perspective, the EPA recommends 4 PPM residual chlorine in drinking water, so the concentration of chlorine will be 4x less than the water you drink or bathe in. Water care and sanitizing is the sole responsibility of the owner. To obtain a 1 PPM ratio in a 500 gallon hot tub, you would need to add about 0.63 OZ (1.25 tablespoons) of regular household bleach (6% sodium hypochlorite). If you substitute swimming pool chlorine (10% – 15% sodium hypochlorite) you would need about half as much.

In a hot tub without ozone, much of the chlorine reacts with compounds such as body oil, perspiration, etc to form chloramines. Chloramines have no sanitizing ability and produce the harsh “chlorine” smell. Because of the superior oxidizing ability of ozone, these compounds are quickly reduced and filtered out. The keeps the chlorine free to work as a sanitizer if needed in adverse conditions.

The Aero-Spa™ system can be installed in less than 15 minutes without tools.

Our Aero-Spa™ basic & complete kits are designed for hot tubs & spas up to 2500 gallons. Our Aero-Pool is intended for swim spas & pool applications. The ozone output of the Aero-Spa™ is significantly higher than UV light or built-in corona discharge ozone generators. To handle higher loading and clarification, simply increase the run time. A typical system requires only 1 hour of running per day. The system has the capability of running 24 hours per day.

The Aero-Spa™ system uses only 60 watts of power while running. That is only pennies a day.

The ozone generator that is built into your hot tub cannot be directly controlled by the user. These ozone generators typically run anytime any of the pumps are operating. Therefore, every time the hot tub is used you are exposed to ozone.

These built-in ozone generators typically produce about 50 mg/l of ozone. Because the ozone generator is very low output the hot tub can pass a UL off gassing test and the hot tub can be certified to the UL standard. Because the Aero-Spa™ system has direct user controls and can be turned off while the hot tub is being used there is no concern about off gassing.

Therefore, the Aero-Spa™ system is designed to produce 5 times more ozone to treat the water without the concern of ozone exposure.

The hot tub should be kept free of debris by vacuuming or netting from the water regularly. Depending on the frequency of use you will need to brush the interior surfaces weekly. If your hot tub is generally uncovered and exposed to sunlight, you should maintain a residual concentration of chlorine at 1 – 2 PPM to control algae growth. According to the EPA, in some cases a residual sanitizer must be present to minimize cross contamination. Hot tubs are not intended to treat infections. Never allow use of hot tub if you are unable to verify the condition of open sores, wounds, lesions, cuts, sores, abrasions, boil, etc. or infections of any type exist. If any of the aforementioned or similar conditions exist, the best industry practice is to maintain a minimum of 4 PPM residual chlorine or equivalent sanitizer in the water at all times. The best industry practice will minimize the possibility of cross contamination; however; will not eliminate the possibility.The filter should be cleaned at the same frequency as prior to installing the Aero-Spa™ system. Ozone is pH neutral so you will not need to make adjustments.

Ozone has an insignificant affect on the pH of the water in your hot tub. Over time it may increase the pH slightly.Essentially, what ever the pH of the water used to fill the hot tub will remain. If a residual sanitizer is added it will tend to increase the pH. We recommend the use of dichlor (stabilized granular chlorine). It has a pH factor of 6-7, so the small amount added to maintain 1 PPM free chlorine will have little effect on the pH. The best practice is to adjust the pH after the initial fill of the hot tub. Using the Aero-Spa™ hose filter will minimize unwanted contaminants in the water.

Depending on the location of the enclosure, you will need to check and clean the cooling fan intake monthly. The high output ozone cell will operate without maintenance for approximately 5 years or more in typical applications. The diffuser stone may change in color/appearance over time but will continue to function. Inspect for damage to the stone monthly.

The Aero-Spa™ system is modular so you can purchase all components directly from Aero-Spa™, LLC. The enclosure and the internal components are not serviceable by the consumer, however, Aero-Spa™, LLC can provide factory refurbishment of the ozone cell, fan and air pump.

Yes, ozone reacts with many compounds that cloud water including soaps, oils, perfumes, etc. Ozone acts as a flocculent allowing the reacted compounds to clump together so they can be efficiently filtered out.

Ozone will not harm the components from which your hot tub is manufactured.

Ozone has been used since the 1800’s to purify water and freshen the air. Most bottled water and many municipal water treatment facilities utilize ozone.

When used properly ozone is safe. Ozone concentration is regulated by OSHA in the workplace. The 8 hour exposure limit for ozone is 0.1PPM inside a building. If ozone concentration levels increase beyond this limit it will typically create a discomfort such as coughing, throat irritation, shortness of breath, etc. In extreme cases, inhaling ozone can result in a number of health effects that are observed in broad segments of the population. Some of these effects include: induction of respiratory symptoms, decrements in lung function, and inflammation of airways.

Ozone has a distinctive odor. The smell after a thunderstorm is a result of the ozone presence created by lightning.