What is the difference between an ozone generator and a hydroxyl generator?
Both are utilised by restoration technicians to remove odours, usually following smoke damage or sewage perils. Rather than mask the odour, they will both nuetralise them, but which is better?
Ozone generator
The ozone generator has been the only real odour removing solution available to the restoration professionals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has dedicated much time and effort detailing the harmful effects of ozone generators and the health risks associated with exposure for any length of time.
Ozone generators create ozone molecules which find and neutralize odour. It carries out this by using an electric current or ultraviolet light to break apart oxygen (O2) and recombines it into ozone (O3). some ozone generators will aslo convert the O3 back into O2 allowing the restoration technician safe entry to the treated area.
Ozone is extremely caustic and could damage many items within the treated area including rubber, leather, plants, pets & humans alike or react to other chemicals eg glues in carpets.
Rooms can be treated in hours or days depending on area size
According to EPA studies, ozone is a potent lung irritant, which can cause a variety of respiratory ailments, even in low amounts. This is why all federal agencies, including the EPA, require ozone to only be used in unoccupied spaces.
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Hydroxyl Machines
Hydroxyl generators use UV lights to convert airborne water into oduor neutralizing “radicals.” They are a much safer alternative to ozone generators but can take upto three times longer to treat an area.
Dependent on the brand and how they work, some hydroxyl machines can produce harmful ozone, so ensure you do your research before purchase.
The hydroxyl generator is considered to be safer for use around people, but still requires monitoring
The machines are generally safe for use around most items.
As the radicals react extremely fast, you might have to move the equipment around to fully utilise the hydroxyl’s effectiveness.
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How to use a Hydroxyl generator
Conclusion:
Ozone generator vs Hydroxyl generator
Hydroxyl generators react much faster than ozone, remove thousands more contaminants, do not damage natural rubber and certain adhesives that concentrated ozone can, and require no wait time to reoccupy a treated area. However, since contaminated air has to move through a chamber, hydroxyl cleaning takes a longer period of time and has a limited effect on surface contamination.
Ozone can spread quickly throughout a room, saturate porous materials and attack surface contamination over a shorter period of time. However, concentrated ozone can damage sensitive materials such as natural rubber, nylon and adhesives. An ozone treatment also requires an unoccupied area with all living things removed and a wait time for ozone to revert back into normal oxygen before re-entering an area after a treatment.
Ozone Generator
- Slower reaction as compared to hydroxyls
- Floods room, more cleaning of the surfaces
- Contacts all areas, Ozone is heavier than air
- Harmful to humans, plants and animals
- Harmful to natural rubber, some adhesives
Hydroxyl Generator
- Instant reaction
- More cleaning of the air
- Cleans air as it passes through chamber
- Safe for humans, animals and plants
If the question is which odour removal technology is better — ozone or hydroxyls, the answer is neither because both methods remove odours from the air very well.
If the question is which technology is safer, then a hydroxyl generator clearly wins.
If the question is which technology saturates and disinfects surfaces the best, then the answer is an ozone generator.
The truth is that neither technology can claim superiority over the other and results will vary based on the type of use and the environmental conditions.
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