Ozone Generators - pros/cons

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by timb7734

I wouldn’t use ozone. What I can say is that Simple Green makes a food grade deodorizer, and a degreaser, which they sell by the gallon, and one gallon may well last the rest of my life as a tablespoon of each in a 16 ounce sprayer will clean most everything. What sold me on these two happened a few years ago when a busy fuel attendant pumped 15 gallons of diesel into my water tank. After purging the contaminated water we used the degreaser then the deodorizer, and no diesel smell was left.

Hmmm. I've used Simple Green. Still have some left. I don't really find it an effective cleaner for anything.

[SpringHollow]

I forgot to mention that there is also an amazing product sold under names like Cease, Halt, Stop, mostly commercially to maintenance people. One drop in a bucket of water left in a room will remove the smell of fresh oil paint. I have used larger amounts to remove skunk odor. It does not cover up the odors but somehow reacts with and eliminates them. I have used it for musty smells. A little goes a long ways so I have not bought any in many years.

I am not sure if this is still the same product or not:
https://www.amazon.com/MOSTOP8EA-Sto...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Ken

[RSH]

Originally Posted by fivecapes

This is a claim from OzoneSolutions, they make ozone generators and monitoring equipment.

Yes, but that doesn't mean they're wrong. It was just the quickest link to give you because I don't want to spend all day beating a dead horse.

But here you go, another one from Quora. They all say the same thing-ozone is unstable and breaks down very rapidly.

https://www.quora.com/Does-ozonated-...way-eventually

Oh, here's another on from Nasa. They love ozone! Is that enough?

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/fe...ne/ozone_2.php

[RSH]

Originally Posted by McRobbie

One additional question - I don't think anyone has touched on it yet because it's not normally an 'inside the boat' item. There was a spinnaker down in that locker and it smells like something died in the bag......we've flown the spinnaker once this year and I've aired it out a half dozen times in sun, wind, etc.....better - but not good. Thoughts on whether the ozone and the nature of it attacking rubber/plastic/organics would destroy the sail?

Odoban works really well for me for smelly fabrics-we had a diesel spill in our boat earlier this year from a valve that was damaged, and that stink really penetrates .

A lot of people like the eucalpytus version, but I prefer the cotton one.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Follow the directions for getting the stink out of fabrics.

Ozone only harms virgin organic rubber, a compound not used often nowadays.

https://www.noai.org/does-ozone-damage-rubber

[fivecapes]

Originally Posted by RSH

Yes, but that doesn't mean they're wrong. It was just the quickest link to give you because I don't want to spend all day beating a dead horse.



But here you go, another one from Quora. They all say the same thing-ozone is unstable and breaks down very rapidly.



https://www.quora.com/Does-ozonated-...way-eventually



Oh, here's another on from Nasa. They love ozone! Is that enough?



https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/fe...ne/ozone_2.php

I added the source to your quote for context, I didn’t confirm or reject their claim.

Unfortunately it is not enough. I tend to be skeptical of marketing material and I try not to get my research from Quora. OTOH I cannot find anything credible to back up the “quick break down” in AIR and half life in AIR in the space of hours claims under normal conditions.

What I can find are
https://www.oxidationtech.com/ozone/o3-half-life.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...22474X13000659

The latter found the half life at over 25hrs at 24C in still air.

I’m sure NASA loves stratospheric O3, as do I, and a lot of Kiwis too I suspect, not so sure what they think of atmospheric O3.

I’m not saying O3 doesn’t work. But the EPA and other health organizations consider O3 a pollutant and it’s a component in air quality calculations.

https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives.../health-risks/

As others have pointed out, don’t be around when the generator is on, air thoroughly after.

[CapnCrunch]

I use an ozone generator to remove diesel odor after doing anything with the fuel system. I usually run it for 2 hours while away from the boat, the air the cabin out a bit upon return.

It works great (according to the Admiral) and the only "damage" I've noticed is that all the bright brass fixtures are now badly tarnished. However, I first noticed this shortly after the first ozone treatment but have no proof that ozone was the cause.

[timb7734]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Hmmm. I've used Simple Green. Still have some left. I don't really find it an effective cleaner for anything.

Obviously you did not read the post, “Simple Green makes a DEGREASER and DEODORIZER, but you refer to the generic product.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by timb7734

Obviously you did not read the post, “Simple Green makes a DEGREASER and DEODORIZER, but you refer to the generic product.

Which did you use then?

Simple Green Original, Simple Green Crystal, or Extreme Aviation

They don't make anything else. https://www.simplegreen.co.uk

The Original is a cleaner and degreaser, that is what I used.

[boatpoker]

My wife, since passed, had a life threatening allergy to mold. For our 42yrs together including 16yrs living on our boat, we ran an air filtration unit that included hepa, charcoal, uv, ion and ozone pretty much daily whenever we left the house or the boat. Never had mold oboard, never had any smell and never saw any damage to rubber. Even the smell of frying bacon soon disappeared.

I don't doubt that continual exposure to some level of ozone will damage rubber but Have never been able to quantify level or time. I suspect that it may be decades at very high levels.

[timb7734]

Simple Green Industrial Degreaser & Deodorizer
Www.simplegreen.com

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by McRobbie

First post here guys - be kind!

Picked up a new to me boat this spring - 2004 Hunter 36. Love it.
In a past life it was in salt water, had an A/C unit and a generator in the sail locker......both were removed 2 owners ago. The last owner used the boat mostly as a day sailer and didn't spend a lot of time cleaning. I've spent a good many days over the summer scrubbing anything I can get access to with a citrus based degreaser, detergent and cleaner and each of those holds/storage spaces is now visibly cleaner and smelling a LOT better.

What remains is a really funky smell coming out of that sail locker (or from below it where I can't get easy access) and when the wind direction is right the smell makes its way through the rest of the boat. Not as strong as directly in the locker but that appears to be the origin.

In that locker I stripped out the old insulation, etc...scraped and scrubbed everything back to fiberglass or wood and it's much better - but still strong and nowhere near gone.

I've read about ozone generators a little here on these forums and more extensively on forums about things like removing smoker smells from used cars, as well as removing human scents from hunting gear, etc....

Does anyone have significant experience with them (on boats or other)? I'm interested in the pros and cons.

Apparently it will kill any organic smell......but stay the heck out of the boat while it's operating.

The process used is basically oxidation - and I'm not a huge fan of speeding up any oxidation process on the boat - I've read that it's not good on electronics in particular. Anyone have experience? Any thoughts on how to keep things like autopilots, radios, tank guages, etc.....out of harms way?

I'm thinking about running it in the sail locker specifically for 'a while' to get rid of that smell, then the boat in general to take any residual odours out of things like boat cushions, etc....

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences - sorry for the short novel.....
Thanks in advance.

Just picked up this thread. Sorry if I repeat other replies.

Ozone, O3 is a highly reactive oxidizer. It will attack your mucous membranes and most anything organic especially rubber. It has no place on a boat or wherever else stuff important to you exists.

If you want to kill mold, spores, fungus then clear out the locker and spray with bleach. Use an all plastic pump garden sprayer. Wear a chemical respirator if enclosed. Keep ventilation high. It will kill all living micro organisms and leave the formerly blackened paint pristine. Rinse with fresh water.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Just picked up this thread. Sorry if I repeat other replies.

Ozone, O3 is a highly reactive oxidizer. It will attack your mucous membranes and most anything organic especially rubber. It has no place on a boat or wherever else stuff important to you exists.

.

Of course it does and those of us with the units love them!

[senormechanico]

This is not the only thread on CF where people say,
"I haven't bothered to read...but here's the way to ...."


rant over.

[Lepke]

I have an ozone generator, but the best way to beat mold is keep your boat dry. Vent cooking, showers and some venting for your breath.
Venting my bilge areas has defeated the "boat" smell in a wood boat. It also keeps the smell from clothes and other cloth or absorbing items. Even with constant low volume venting, but a combustion stove running, my interior relative humidity runs 35-40% in the PNW when the outside is 85% or more.

[Thuyann]

Originally Posted by Johnniegee

I was in the car business for 44 years and ozone generators works like magic.
Your stinky car one day to smell fresh. A employee have a gallon of milk soak the carpet of their SUV. Two days in the sun later you could not sit in the car.
That one took 2 days. I do not think my exposure will shorten my life. Get on and seal up the boat and go fishing for a couple of days.

Hello I have car business as well. I use the ozone machine on one car. After that it caused a chemical small in the car. I don't know what to do. Anyone experienced this can help? Thank you.