Despite not being able to sell ozone generators in California, Amazon (by far) sells more ozone generators than eBay and all other ozone generator vendors combined. But it seems to be a highly unregulated marketplace. Vendors are making some pretty outlandish claims about their ozone machines’ production capabilities. I’m left wondering why?
You can buy an ozone generator on Amazon for as cheap as $29 these days. The math isn’t mathing, however! The vendor has to pay Amazon a 16% commission. Shipping from China costs (even if brought over in a Container) isn’t cheap. Shipping to the customer isn’t cheap either. And we haven’t even factored in the cost of the machine!
What’s the saying? When something sounds… it probably is. Here is why I believe the prices have gone so low on ozone generators on Amazon. 1) The Chinese manufacturers are dumping their nanoparticle-embedded ceramic plate ozone generators before the US gov outlaws them for putting nano-sized heavy metal into the air. 2) Refurbished units are being liquidated at below-cost prices. You see. Amazon allows its customers to return their products with no questions asked on the seller’s dime. If someone with a serious mold, mite, or chemical problem (think meth lab) has a “one and done” need for an ozone generator and sends it back. Do you really think the mostly Chinese vendors are going to throw those units away? My guess is they just dust them off and ship them out as new to try to cut their losses. A logical conclusion.
Ozone shock treatments are done in areas where mold, mites, or chemicals are an issue. And that’s not even the biggest issue with those machines. The biggest issue is that the 3d printed ceramic plates are embedded with nano metals that become airborne and are toxic to humans. (Ceramic plate electrodes wear down with use; patent US 6,024,930 notes the metal electrodes can vaporize in high heat.) Those nano-sized metals will linger until your lungs filter them from the air over time.
As for the inflated claims of producing 100,000 or even 200,000 milligrams of ozone per hour. A 2″ x 5″ ceramic ozone plate produces 5000 mgh of ozone. Some have two such plates and produce, at best, 10g per hour. Ozone plates convert the available oxygen in the air into ozone (how the science works). Rating a machine far above what its plates can physically produce is misleading, and buyers have no easy way to check it. And to add insult to injury. The companies that sell those machines don’t offer replacement plates. They claim (incorrectly) that they will last a lifetime. They will only last a few uses before the nano metals become airborne and the plates start producing less and less ozone. Over time. The lines on those plates will disappear altogether.
What about the ozone air purifiers with HEPA or UV features? They feature MICA plates with a small 3.5″ x 3.5″ piece of stainless steel. They don’t put nano metals into the air, but they also don’t create enough ozone to perform a “shock treatment” (raise the ozone concentration to 20 parts per million in the air), which is needed to kill viruses, molds, etc. They fob those off as air purifiers that can treat up to 3500 sq. ft. (freshen the air). But if placed in a bedroom, they will elevate ozone concentration to over 3-4 ppm, and that’s enough to harm your lungs, especially if you run it while you sleep. (Not advised!) They advertise those types of ozone plates, by the way, as “ceramic,” but the truth is they’re MICA plates. MICA plates of that size, in the past, were said to create 400 mgh of ozone per hour. Those types of air purifiers don’t move enough air to cause a reduction in dust (run your HVAC fan in the “ON” position during waking hours to do that!) and they don’t produce enough ozone to kill mold, mites, or remove VOCs.
Ozone shock treatments are legal, and they work! Restoration companies, crime scene cleanup companies, and property management companies all perform ozone shock treatments with great success, and they have for many years. There is some consultation and expertise that is needed when a novice or first-timer uses ozone, and that’s where Forever Ozone shines, walking our customers through the process every step of the way to ensure they don’t harm themselves, their pets, or their belongings. No such luck for people who buy from the mostly Chinese vendors on Amazon! Buy from us, and you’ll be supporting a US company that loves providing the best ozone equipment available, at a fair price, and stands behind what they sell with a lifetime warranty! Plus, we’ll help you use your equipment safely and make sure you accomplish whatever it is you’re looking to do. The cost of that? Priceless!
Related Forever Ozone Guides
- Ozone Sizing Guide: how many machines for your square footage
- Quartz Tube vs Ceramic Plate Ozone Generators
- Ozone Shock Treatment Advice: safe, step-by-step