Ozone generators and mildew

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Don, you are looking for a cure or medicine for a problem. Why not tackle it the other way, remove the problem permanently with lots of ventilation, then some more ventilation and finally ventilate.


Pete

Thanks for the suggestion. But the only problem I have is that the boat is sealed up all winter. The boat is dry inside. In fact this past winter it wasn't even covered, except by a couple feet of ice/snow; and it still is dry inside (no leaks).

No way to run enough fans and heaters in the winter when the boat is in the middle of the storage yard with no way to have power to it for 5 months.

[osirissail]

The reason for getting the "industrial/hotel" models of the ozone generators is that the "consumer" version will not kill anything. They are deliberately set not to or there would be a lot of dead customers lying around. You can smell the ozone a long time before the concentration gets strong enough to kill anything.
- - Ozone is very good at killing anything living - Hydrogen Peroxide liberates ozone to kill bacteria in a wound.
- - So you must use it carefully and seal up the boat or area of the boat and elevates cushions, mattresses, etc. to allow the ozone to get to the under-surfaces. Fans are very important to circulate the ozone to all areas and behind stuff to let it do it lethal work.
- - Mold and such are very difficult to remove mechanically (by hand) for the reasons posters have already mentioned. Just like ants or cockroaches - it take 5 minutes for the stuff to make a home in the boat but 5 months or more to get rid of them.

[svHyLyte]

Don--

Open her up, ventillate her with a couple of box fans drawing air out of the overhead hatches, close her up and run an ozone generator over night, then air her out again. Take the cushions up on deck to air and sit in the sun for awhile and while that's happening, wipe her woodwork down with a little lemon oil and you'll be good to go. The oly boats that I know of having serious problems are those with leaks and standing water in the bilge. A dry boat is usually a sweet boat.

FWIW...

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by Therapy

WHOA!

Not me.

There’s a long list of data to support what’s being presented here. Research performed by both the U.S. and Canadian governments, as well as others, all agrees with this. Ozone up there is a good idea. Down here, it’s a bad thing. Even in a best case scenario, even “safe” levels of ozone will to little or nothing to provide helpful benefits. Once the concentration is high enough to be killing off harmful or offensive aspects, it has become dangerous to our health. There is no practical effective way to use an Ozone generator safely in your home.

Ozone Generators, Snake Oil of the Modern Age

Gibson's Repair - Ozone Generators - Beware!!!

Danger: Air Purifier and Ozone Generator Health Effects

Dangers of Ozone Generators | eHow.com

There is lots.

I couldn't have put it better myself! This is the consensus of scientific opinion, and should be taken seriously...

Mark

[SabreKai]

We have a fellow at our club who builds industrial units. I bought one in December and will be using it as soon as it gets a tad warmer. Right now the cover is on the boat so airing it out completely isn't doable.

I didn't think I had a mold problem til the first night I slept aboard. Went to bed around 11:30pm woke up at 0200 with a slight cough, and by 0600 I had to get out. Took me most of the day to recover. I've taken all the cushions out, and will be sending the covers to a dry cleaning place locally that will sterilize things. They do Air Canada's seat cushions for them. The foam will be replaced. All surfaces were wiped down with strong detergent, guess that didn't do it. Anyway, the fellow who built the generator told me to only leave it on for 20-30 minutes.

Sabre

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

. . . Anyway, the fellow who built the generator told me to only leave it on for 20-30 minutes.
Sabre

The 20-30 would probably work fine for surface stuff but for getting back and under and into the areas commonly found in a boat it takes a lot longer. Also remember I said to use additional fans to blow the ozone air in the boat or compartment all around to get into these nooks and crannies. Opening locker doors, raising the covers of underberth/bunk/settee lockers is also needed so that the ozone air can get into these areas. When you go to all the trouble of getting an industrial machine you don't want to just do a "quickie" - you want a good and thorough job that reaches all the underside and inside areas where mold and other critters make their homes.
- - The warning about ozone and rubber, etc. not be very friendly to each other is certainly true which is another reason to do a thorough job - once - rather than having to repeat it several times.

[SabreKai]

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you, I just mentioned it in passing. When I get to do it in a month or so I'll be putting fans all over the place, opening up everything and leaving it on for a good 24hrs. I figure with the boat being 33 years old, any hoses need to be replaced as a matter of good maintenance. I have to trace out all the plumbing anyway so it will all be changed during inspection. I may even pull down what ever interior paneling I can get down. Its all plywood screwed to wood battens that are bolted to the steel stringers. A goodly number of the screw heads are readily accessible. The boat was insulated with styrofoam sheets.

Hmmm does ozone break that down too?


Sabre

[osirissail]

Is the insulation "white" with the look of large "beads" and when broken scatters white little plastic beads everywhere? This stuff should not be used as it allows moisture and mold to migrate into it.
- - Or is it blue or pink and has a smooth "skin"? Polystyrene comes in the famous "blue board (occasionally pink)" and does not let moisture and mold into it.