An ozone generator produces ozone where it is needed, because ozone cannot be stored or delivered: it decomposes back to oxygen within minutes. In water treatment that means a small appliance running continuously alongside the system, and how it makes the gas determines what it costs to run and what it needs from you.
Corona discharge and ultraviolet
Corona discharge generators pass air or oxygen through a high voltage electrical field that splits oxygen molecules, which then recombine as ozone. They produce a higher concentration and are what serious water treatment uses. Ultraviolet generators produce ozone by exposing air to a specific ultraviolet wavelength, which is simpler and produces far less, and turns up in small air and consumer units. For a household water system, corona discharge is generally the type in question.
The air feed decides performance
Whatever the generator draws in determines what it puts out. Damp air reduces ozone output substantially and, worse, the nitrogen in air combines under corona discharge to form nitric acid, which corrodes the generator internally and shortens its life considerably. That is why serious installations feed the generator with dried air or with concentrated oxygen. A unit sitting in a humid basement drawing ambient air will underperform and degrade, and the owner will blame the design rather than the feed.
Getting the ozone into the water
Producing ozone is only the first step. It has to be dissolved into the water, normally through a venturi injector that draws the gas into the flow, and then given contact time in a retention tank so it can act. Undissolved gas has to be vented safely rather than allowed to accumulate, because ozone is harmful to breathe. And because ozone oxidizes iron, manganese and sulfide into particles, a filter has to follow the contact stage to remove what it has created.
Where it makes sense
The EPA notes private wells are not federally regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, so the disinfection choice is the owner's. Ozone suits a well where organisms and oxidizable metals both need treating and the household would rather not store chemicals. It is more equipment and more complexity than ultraviolet, and it leaves no residual, so nothing protects the plumbing downstream. For a straightforward bacteria problem on clear water, a lamp is simpler. Our quote page covers specifying from a test result.
Questions people ask about what is an ozone generator
Why can ozone not be bought and stored?
It decomposes back to oxygen within minutes, so it has to be generated on site and used immediately.
What is the difference between corona discharge and ultraviolet generators?
Corona discharge produces much higher concentrations and is used for water treatment. Ultraviolet units produce far less and suit small consumer applications.
Why does the air feed matter?
Damp air cuts output and forms nitric acid inside the generator, which corrodes it. Dried air or oxygen feed gives better output and longer life.
Does ozone protect the plumbing downstream?
No. It leaves no residual, so anything entering the plumbing after the contact stage is untreated.