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DIY (kind of) Ozone Generator
- Thread starter Chuck Spyropulos
- Start date
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Description
The ozone generator, along with an air dryer, was placed outside the humid room. Ozone is pumped through tubing and the check valve at the top right (no, the other right).
The ozone enters the bottom of the reactor chamber (the one on the left ).
Water enters the same chamber at the top through the small fluidized bed channel inside the reactor and meets the ozone inside the chamber at the bottom of the chamber. The input wter flow is adjustable via the the red gate valve and is set to around 60 gph. The water/ozone level rises in the chamber and passes through bioballs to maximize dwell time. The water then exits at the top of this chamber. The ozone gas pressurizes the reactor chamber and the pressure can be increased by slightly closing the output water valve at the water exit port provided by the FB900. In a future mod I will add a needle valve to adjust air pressure into the chamber. The ozonized water then enters the second chamber (the one on the right), filled with GAC, at the top. This chamber is NOT pressurized and there is an air gap at the top where the water enters this reactor (FB600). The water exits at the bottom of this chamber into the sump.
I did not want to spend time building the reactor from scratch. I had the FB600 laying around and I purchased the FB900 from marine depot. So far the reactor works great.....the ozonizer is another story. It is dead after only 1 week in operation. There were burn marks on the inside cover. I decided to get a Sander 200 mg unit since this experiment at least ran long enough to convince me that ozone was worthwile.
I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding this reactor.
The ozone generator, along with an air dryer, was placed outside the humid room. Ozone is pumped through tubing and the check valve at the top right (no, the other right).
The ozone enters the bottom of the reactor chamber (the one on the left ).
Water enters the same chamber at the top through the small fluidized bed channel inside the reactor and meets the ozone inside the chamber at the bottom of the chamber. The input wter flow is adjustable via the the red gate valve and is set to around 60 gph. The water/ozone level rises in the chamber and passes through bioballs to maximize dwell time. The water then exits at the top of this chamber. The ozone gas pressurizes the reactor chamber and the pressure can be increased by slightly closing the output water valve at the water exit port provided by the FB900. In a future mod I will add a needle valve to adjust air pressure into the chamber. The ozonized water then enters the second chamber (the one on the right), filled with GAC, at the top. This chamber is NOT pressurized and there is an air gap at the top where the water enters this reactor (FB600). The water exits at the bottom of this chamber into the sump.
I did not want to spend time building the reactor from scratch. I had the FB600 laying around and I purchased the FB900 from marine depot. So far the reactor works great.....the ozonizer is another story. It is dead after only 1 week in operation. There were burn marks on the inside cover. I decided to get a Sander 200 mg unit since this experiment at least ran long enough to convince me that ozone was worthwile.
I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding this reactor.
Last edited:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Details, details....
Yes, I saw that and edited the post. Now the post says that the primary chamber is on my other right (left). Thanks Dennis.
Yes, I saw that and edited the post. Now the post says that the primary chamber is on my other right (left). Thanks Dennis.
denvig said:No Chuck your other right
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Hmmmm, already my ORP dropped below 300 to 270 and my water clarity is beginning to degrade. Gotta have that ozone...I am already in withdrawal. The stuff really does work well!
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Picky
I think the withdrawal symptoms include loss of attention to fine detail
I think the withdrawal symptoms include loss of attention to fine detail
denvig said:Well I don't want to be picky but the check valve is on the other right to.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Delivery
Tomorrow! The UPS Ground was $20 and the next day UPS Air Saver was $30 so I sprung for the extra $10. I don't think I will leave it going while we are up north though....don't want to make a change to anything and then leave.
Tomorrow! The UPS Ground was $20 and the next day UPS Air Saver was $30 so I sprung for the extra $10. I don't think I will leave it going while we are up north though....don't want to make a change to anything and then leave.
denvig said:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
FWIW, Enaly answere my email and will replace the unit free of charge. If I can get it to them cheaply, maybe I will send it back for a new one and then sell it to recoupe some of the cost.
shark bait100
Non-member
They are suppose to be decent units, I read on other forums that Eric Borneman used one. I scan the net for anyone complaining about the units, the only problems is with a certain controller. Maybe you just got a lemon. If mine goes bad, than there might be a quality issue.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
The Enaly was disconnected last week and will shortly be packed and sent to Canada for a replacement. Tonight I connected the Sander 200 mg unit. I am now using an extenal pump as opposed to the internal Enaly pump. The external pump sucks air through an air dryer and pushes it through the ozonizer. The pump is considerably stronger and I installed a plastic air valve between the output of the air pump and the input to the ozonizer so I can adjust the air pressure into the ozonizer. Gotta play this adjustment by ear since the trade off is ozone injection efficiency versus air dryer silica bead dessicant exhaustion / regeneration time. But now I can see air bubbles rising in my reactor (most if it is air that contains a small amount of ozone, 200 mg / hr).
Oner thing I did that might be helpful to others considering an external air pump is modifying the air pump to include an air intake that can be connected up to an air dryer. I just removed the lid and screws from the air pump, drilled a hole and cemented and sealed a nipple in the pump cover. Then I reassembled the pump and taped up the seams and any air spaces with electrical tape so that the intake air only enters the pump housing through the added nipple and hence is sucked through the air dryer.
Oner thing I did that might be helpful to others considering an external air pump is modifying the air pump to include an air intake that can be connected up to an air dryer. I just removed the lid and screws from the air pump, drilled a hole and cemented and sealed a nipple in the pump cover. Then I reassembled the pump and taped up the seams and any air spaces with electrical tape so that the intake air only enters the pump housing through the added nipple and hence is sucked through the air dryer.
Last edited:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
1/9/2006 12:00 midnight ------> ORP = 291 mV
Shallowwaters
Non-member
I have two questions on this pump concept.
1) Chuck, given your past experience with Aerofoamer skimmers, do you think their beckett has enough suck to pull through a dryer and the generator?
2) If I used a Luft pump, and drew air in from outside my house, would it generally have a lower humidity - except on rainy days? Bad idea or good?
1) Chuck, given your past experience with Aerofoamer skimmers, do you think their beckett has enough suck to pull through a dryer and the generator?
2) If I used a Luft pump, and drew air in from outside my house, would it generally have a lower humidity - except on rainy days? Bad idea or good?
Aquaman_68
too many gadgets to fail
Mark, I can answer this one!!! It won't matter if it's inside air or outside. You will still exaust your dryer beads quick. If you bring cold air into a warm house your likely to add more moisture to it.Shallowwaters said:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
Ozone
The Aerofoamer has more than enough suction to draw in ozone.
Don't think you need a pump. I would also recommend using an air drier to get the most efficiency out of the ozone generator. I also use a contoller to turn off both the pump and the generator. The problem with feeding a skimmer with ozone is that you will exaust the air dryer silica beads quickly because you can't turn the air off even when your ORP reaches the setpoint on your controller.
Shallowwaters said:
The Aerofoamer has more than enough suction to draw in ozone.
Don't think you need a pump. I would also recommend using an air drier to get the most efficiency out of the ozone generator. I also use a contoller to turn off both the pump and the generator. The problem with feeding a skimmer with ozone is that you will exaust the air dryer silica beads quickly because you can't turn the air off even when your ORP reaches the setpoint on your controller.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
With the new Sander ozone generator unit up and running my water is once again more clear than I have seen it in the last 5 years! Also, hair algae is gone, cyano on the top of the sand is gone and my ORP was around 310 mV this morning and stays near this level most of the day. Before the ozonizer was added, the ORP was around 270 during the day and just under 300 at night.
This is great but begs the questions:
What is fouling up the water and why do I need ozone to clean it up?
Have I not done enough water changes?
Too much light?
Too many fish (nah...never too many fish)?
MH bulb spectrum gone bad?
Skimmer not at optimum performance level (clean more regularly) or undersized (ASM G6)?
Undersized refugium (50 gallons)?
Not enough water flow (I doubt it with 4 Tunze Streams 6100's and a wavebox)?
This is great but begs the questions:
What is fouling up the water and why do I need ozone to clean it up?
Have I not done enough water changes?
Too much light?
Too many fish (nah...never too many fish)?
MH bulb spectrum gone bad?
Skimmer not at optimum performance level (clean more regularly) or undersized (ASM G6)?
Undersized refugium (50 gallons)?
Not enough water flow (I doubt it with 4 Tunze Streams 6100's and a wavebox)?
Shallowwaters
Non-member
Chuck Spyropulos said:
Thanks Chuck. Good tip.
What are your first impressions of the Sander O3 unit with regard to quality, value, setup, etc?
About your other post - I like Brian's supposition that skimmers and bacteria do not eliminate certain organic compounds that persist in a system and color our water. My guess would be they don't come from feeding, but are rather waste and/or chemical products produced by our inhabitants. Consider that a noxious bio-warfare or defense chemical produced by our clams, anemones, or softies, would have a natural resistance to bacteria and would also be good at staying in solution such that they do not skim away easily.
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
You are welcome
The Sander unit is much higher quality than the Enaly, but much more expensive. Easy set up. Value assessment will have to wait but I hope that the higher cost translates to longer life
As far as water color etc., no matter what size skimmer or other filter reeftanks employ, carbon is usually required once per month or so to get that yellow color out of the water. Ozone for me with a large tank, is an automated, and hopefully more economical, way to accomplish the same thing and it produces even clearer water than using carbon.
The Sander unit is much higher quality than the Enaly, but much more expensive. Easy set up. Value assessment will have to wait but I hope that the higher cost translates to longer life
As far as water color etc., no matter what size skimmer or other filter reeftanks employ, carbon is usually required once per month or so to get that yellow color out of the water. Ozone for me with a large tank, is an automated, and hopefully more economical, way to accomplish the same thing and it produces even clearer water than using carbon.
Shallowwaters said:
Chuck Spyropulos
Non-member
For the last few days, ORP is staying above 300 both day and night after only a week of ozone.
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