Ozone as Pond Algae Destroyer

UV sterilizers are not the same as UV clarifiers. Johnnie Schwarz again posed an interesting question about ozone as a bactericide and as algae destroyer. A question on UV's not related to a pond. I understand how they work in a pond and agree on your audio as you described it. My Hot Tub (spa) has a UV system. They say it does kill harmful bacteria. The also say by using the UV in the hot tub I will use less chemicals which is always good. This UV is called an O3 Ozinator. Water does not pass over it. They say it lasts for 5 years not 1 year like a pond UV.

They call pond ones throw-aways because they are less expensive. This O3 Ozinator costs $700.00. The other week I told you how I hooked up a pump to a jet with an extra tube and it blow bubbles in to the pond. This is how this system works. They say the O3 Ozinator that does not get passed by water instead sucks the O3 dry air zipped down the tub and blows O3 bubbles in to the pond. Does this sound like a fairy tale to you. Do you understand any of it's logic. It is surly not like a pond UV and with the chemicals and a top cover that is all way put on then not in use I surely do not get algae!

Johnnie, thanks for interest.

I am not sure how an Ozinator works. However in principal if ozone really is produced by this unit then it will certainly work to kill bacteria. Just sucking air in will not produce ozone and tiny amount that naturally exists in normal air will do no good. Ozone (formula is O3 and hence name of your unit) is a very special and unstable form of oxygen which lasts only for a very short time before it reverts to normal oxygen.

Ozone is far more powerful as a bacteriacide than chlorine ... but as I said it does not last long ... and for it to be effective you would need almost continuous generation in pond water.

UV sterilizers are used in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry and salt water aquariums extensively. These units have far stricter engineering designs. In practice water flow rate is much lower to enable UV to be exposed to bacteria etc for long time. Also when used as sterilizer reliability MUST be 100% so systems come with sophisticated controls, back up, spare capacity etc

To give you a feel ... an 8 watts clarifier could handle say water flows up to 1000 galls/hr and algae would be killed. An 8 watts sterilizer would probably only be able to handle about 60 galls/hr to be effective in killing bacteria ... these are estimates only but they serve to show dramatic difference in wattage between clarifier and sterilizer to handle same volume of water. One other difference is that furthest point water is away from UV source in sterilizer is probably no more than 1/3rd inch whereas in clarifier it could be 1 inch or more and still be effective.

All the best, Tony Roocroft