Ozone Generators for Automotive Use

bswombaugh said:
The price point and the reviews look great on that unit. I think I will purchase one myself. Are there any dangers of damaging any interior surfaces by using the machine ?
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I wouldn't expect that output level to damage anything. My ozone generator (which puts out over twice that) can oxidize rubber if run full-blast for a long time, but I dunno if that ~350mg output would do that and I kinda suspect "not".

That unit sure is affordable...but I do question the "no filters" and I wonder about replacing the elements (some are a *LOT* easier than others and if you can't replace them then it's a "disposable").
 
Accumulator said:
I wouldn't expect that output level to damage anything. My ozone generator (which puts out over twice that) can oxidize rubber if run full-blast for a long time, but I dunno if that ~350mg output would do that and I kinda suspect "not".

That unit sure is affordable...but I do question the "no filters" and I wonder about replacing the elements (some are a *LOT* easier than others and if you can't replace them then it's a "disposable").
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Thanks Accum.!

I wondered the same thing about replacement, so I checked the Q&A section and the distributor stated that you'll get thousands of hrs of use and there are replacement plates available for about $18 or so, so it seems like this one can be opened up and have the plates replaced once worn out. Should last me a long time before needing to replace any of those. I figured that for the price, if it doesn't end up working out it won't hurt me and it'll be worth a try .
 
Mique- Ah, OK...you've done your homework! For basic deodorizing that oughta be good for the $. Ozone Generators don't always do everything people expect, but they still have their uses.
 
I've used a MaxBlaster for several years with really good results, even on some very bad cars. I have not tried any other brands but I would recommend the MaxBlaster.
 
Oh, and I've run my Ozone Generator, at full-power (890mg/hour), in the '93 Audi for hours without damaging the leather or anything else (far as I can tell, and I'm confident that I'm not missing something). I just covered up some rubber bits and no problems. At that Ozone level, it did take a while for the Ozone-smell to dissipate...and I don't mean just a few hours.

No, it didn't solve the problem (same "the Connolly Leather is aging"-smell issue that many older Jags have), but it was an OK test of Ozone exposure-and-auto interior, at least for my purposes.
 
Yeah i see a lot of the complaints come from the people who expect them to just work by themselves. I plan on using it as a final step(after vacuum/shampoo/Apc clean up and wipe down/Steam) in deodorizing/sanitizing the interior for those tougher jobs that will require an extra charge for the specialized service.

Accumulator- what interior parts have you covered in your vehicles during use? i know you mentioned my unit will not be as potent as yours, but i'd like to know the methods/media you used (masking tape?plastic sandwich bags?paper?) for additional knowledge and to be extra careful for added peace of mind.
 
Migue said:
Accumulator- what interior parts have you covered in your vehicles during use? i know you mentioned my unit will not be as potent as yours, but i'd like to know the methods/media you used (masking tape?plastic sandwich bags?paper?) for additional knowledge and to be extra careful for added peace of mind.
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I covered soft rubber bits by putting some plastic-wrap over them and covering that with a towel to hold it in place. No big production or anything.

One more thing- Ozone "sinks", as in it "travels down" rather than "going up/down/everywhere" (well, how the unit disperses its output will factor in..), something you might want to keep in mind when you position/aim it. Like, to deodorize the headliner it'd be a *LOT* more effective to point it up towards that rather than just having it straight (let alone pointed downwards as when treating the carpet). Yeah, the Ozone does "go everywhere" to some extent, just not as much as one might think so think "directional positioning" to get the best results even if that means repeating the process after repositioning the unit. In the Audi, I ran it several times, changing how it was aimed, even though mine sure did seem to *really* fill up the interior with Ozone each time. Necessary? I dunno...but it seemed worth doing. (This aiming thing can be pretty important when killing black mold, which is how I realized that my unit's instruction manual wasn't BSing about the topic.)
 
Got my unit today, beware that Amazon did not put mine inside a shipping box, so it arrived exposed in its original box .

Looks very nice, smaller than i expected, comes with a small manual that includes plate replacement instructions and a spare fuse that apparently is located inside the unit. Let's see how things go tomorrow.

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So i went ahead and gave it a go this morning:

-Vacuumed everything thoroughly
-Steamed whole interior, not intensely since it's a vehicle i've been maintaining , just used the jet nozzle and applied steam to every surface followed with a MF wipe down to dry things up and pick up anything loosened by the steam.
-Removed all personal items from vehicle's interior(including glove box compartment)
-Set the unit on the rear of the back seat's center fold-down seat/console and ran it for 30 minutes.
-Once the timer finished, i removed unit from vehicle, left all doors opened ,set up both of my fans and hit the interior with fresh air for about another 30-40 minutes as i was dressing the exterior trim/wiping LSP off/dressing tires etc...) .

The truck smelled like a fresh new car when i was finished with it, so i was pretty pleased with the immediate results. I explained the process to my client and asked her to give me her honest feedback on the smell of the interior next time she gets in her car to drive it. This was a freebie for her since she allowed me to test this with her vehicle, she's in my same neighborhood and has been a very good happy customer so far.

Next up i'm going to talk to my immediate next door neighbor which has a minivan,2 kids and a large dog :). That one will be fun.
 
Accumulator said:
Heh heh, cynical ol' me thinks "of course it is..." ;) If it has multiple output levels I'd run it full-blast.
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haha it's all good, this little unit will pay for itself after one job so i'm not worried about it. If it ever disappoints down the road then it's not going to bum me out since i got it for cheap.
 
You might find you like using it in the house too. I'm not in the "beware of ozone!" camp as it's never bothered me/Accumulatorette/the dogs and I use mine quite a bit. That "fresh like after a rainstorm" effect.. MIght not want to run it at Max for that though, I use one of the lower settings on mine when freshening in the house.
 
Accumulator said:
You might find you like using it in the house too. I'm not in the "beware of ozone!" camp as it's never bothered me/Accumulatorette/the dogs and I use mine quite a bit. That "fresh like after a rainstorm" effect.. MIght not want to run it at Max for that though, I use one of the lower settings on mine when freshening in the house.
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Yup will keep that in mind. Thankfully both my dogs are well behaved and only one of them has accidents rarely, plus we keep the carpeted rooms closed so they don't go in unsupervised. My curious self turned in on and smelled it on purpose and it's not the smell,but the effect that messed with me haha, it went away fairly quickly in the car though so I was happy about that.
 
Migue- Well, having tried it now you know! Some people are/aren't sensitive to ozone.

Our dogs (who have run of the house) *like* it, they position themselves close to any ozone sources we have running.
 
Accumulator said:
Migue- Well, having tried it now you know! Some people are/aren't sensitive to ozone.

Our dogs (who have run of the house) *like* it, they position themselves close to any ozone sources we have running.
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Interesting, i bet one of my dogs will do that, get high from it then go back for seconds. He's done it when my Lady is doing her nails, sniffs the acetone ,starts geeking out and keeps trying to come back for more.
 
Rather than start a new thread, I`m going to bump this one.

I picked up a UV and Ozone lamp on Amazon. I wanted it mainly for the UV but this thing pumps enough ozone to make it hard to breathe in a small room in no time. I`d say 15 minutes in a smaller bedroom and it`s way too much. I could see just putting it in some sort of box to avoid UV light damage in a car. Best part $21 shipped.

For reference I`ve been around the cheap $30 generators with some kind of electronic element and fan (worthless) and one of those door to door $400 boxes. This light easily out does them both combined.
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I use ozonated water everywhere. It`s great. Yes, dog has been ozonated. Yes carpet, toilet, even wife and kids.

I have this idea that I leave scents on my fishing rigs when I tie them. I`m going to start trying to ozone my fishing stuff before I cast it out. I know hunters spray themselves with ozonated water to kill their scent. Worth a try right?

I like to douse upholstery with ozone water before shampooing it.
 
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