Mica Dielectric Plates:
There
are three types of dielectric plates used in residential ozone
generators. They are ceramic,
glass and mica.
Ceramic
plates are widely used due to their low cost and inexpensive
construction. They are fairly
shock resistant and easy to manufacture.
The problem is that
ceramic is a slightly porous material and absorbs greases
and oils from fingertips. This
alters the dielectric constant resulting in an uneven corona producing
less than optimal ozone outputs. This
also results in higher burn-out rates for transformers.
Glass
plates have become very common the last few years replacing most of
the ceramic plates on the market. Glass
plates are more difficult to clean due to their low shock tolerance, but do
not have the contamination problem of ceramic plates.
Extreme care must be used when cleaning glass plates due to their
sudden tendency to break. Clients usually have to replace glass
plates after a few months.
Mica
plates offer several advantages over the glass and ceramic plates.
They are much more shock absorbent therefore easier to transport.
This high shock absorbance makes them easier to clean.
Due to their high shock tolerance, they can be cut into thinner
sheets. This results in a lower voltage from the transformer
making the ozone generator inherently safer than their glass or ceramic
counterparts (4,200V vs. 5,000V or higher). Lower
voltage means less potential for arcing and therefore safer for consumer
use.
Reliable Transformers:
The transformer
is specifically made for the OMZ product line.
Most ozone generators use transformers with much lower reliability.
An Actown transformer is the most common type.
It is usually the first component to fail since it undergoes the
greatest stress. Most transformers will fail within a
few hours when directly shorted (i.e. high
voltage leads directly touching). (Remember that
corona plates are modified shorting mechanisms.)
Our transformers can have the high voltage leads completely shorted
for 48-hours and will perform as new after the leads are separated.
This durability results in a four year warranty on all ozone
generators.
Stainless Steel Components:
All fabricated metal components are made of stainless steel ensuring corrosion-free panels and
rivets. The high voltage
leads connecting to the ceramic posts are also stainless steel ensuring
long life.
Adjustable Control:
Last but not least, the most important part of our units is the addition
of the adjustable control. Ozone is a very powerful gas and if not
used properly, can cause short term harm. We put a variable control on
ALL of our residential units. This allows the user to turn up
or down the ozone level based on his, or her, preference.
