Exploring how ozone generators work by understanding what ozone is and how it can be harmful, as well as what an ozone generator is and how it works.
In the event that you are looking to get yourself an ozone generator to get rid of airborne pollutants and odours from your home or other spaces such as offices, it is important to understand what ozone is.
More importantly, what an ozone generator is and what it is meant to do in order to determine if you will need it and whether it is worth the investment.
What is ozone?
It is important to understand what ozone actually is before resorting to buying an ozone generator, to give you a sense of the purpose of an ozone generator and what it is actually doing when it is operating.
Ozone is basically a gas and has three oxygen atoms as opposed to the oxygen in the air that you breath and sustains life on the earth. Ozone is regarded as powerful, as the additional oxygen atom is able to escape and connect to other matter.
Since ozone is capable of doing that, it can potentially change the chemical makeup of some substances that are in the air and affect our cells if you are to inhale it.
When referring to ozone, one may think of the ozone layer which defends life from the harmful UV radiation emitted by the sun. This is known as good ozone that is in the stratosphere, but the ozone that is at ground level is considered as bad because it can be dangerous to your health and is considered as an air pollutant by the EPA.
Ozone at ground level is formed in nature by sunlight coming together with certain chemicals that are released in the environment, such as motor and industrial plant secretion in the air.
Ozone is also formed when there is lightning, hence you are probably smelling ozone after a storm, but whatever the case may be for the creation of ozone, know that it is not good for your health at all.
What is an ozone generator?
Ozone generators are machines that are said to be highly efficient in eliminating airborne pollutants and unpleasant smells form your home and spaces. An ozone generator will generate ozone gas on purpose.
Some argue that when they are sold as air purifiers for using indoors, ozone generators are advertised as safe and effective which can be untrue. It is said that the same molecular process that makes ozone generators work is also what makes the generators hazardous.
So, how do ozone generators work and how would you need to use one properly?
As mentioned above, ozone generators work by producing a little bit of ozone and they do this by de-constructing oxygen molecules and turning them into single atoms that then stick to the other oxygen molecules in the air to produce ozone.
According to the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (InterNACHI), they are able to achieve this in two different ways.
One of the ways they work is through silent corona discharge. This is the process whereby the machines use an electric discharge to generate ozone by separating the normal oxygen molecules in the atmosphere into single atoms. These atoms will then stick to other oxygen molecules in the air, and ozone is created.
The second way that ozone generators work is through ultraviolet radiation. This is a process almost the same as how the sun’s ultraviolet radiation separates oxygen to develop individual oxygen atoms. This is the process that InterNACHI considers to not be as effective when compared to the silent corona discharge process.
The ozone will then get released from the ozone generator which will then work to find a way of defusing any unpleasant odours in your home and spaces. In order to use an ozone generator properly and safely, you would need to follow certain steps to implement.
These steps include making sure you have shut the doors and windows around the house. No one should be in the room as the ozone generator is at work and this is also including pets.
You will need to set the timer to get the ozone generator to start working and then just allow the ozone process to take place for about three to six hours, which can vary on the size of the space you are treating. Let the timer stop and turn off the machine and allow the ozone to stay for one to two hours.
There are mixed feelings on the safety of ozone generators, but they can be used safely to work effectively.