https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/installing-an-eos-ozone-generator-in-a-bullfrog-r7-hot-tub.267293/
Thank you, @CanadianSpaTech ! Post #14 by JoyfulNoise (TFP Expert) on the thread you linked speaks very specifically to how ozone should and should not be used in a hot tub. Since I literally just put $17,000 cash down on the counter of my Bullfrog dealer to buy my A6L Select trim level with Bullfrog's EOS (Enhanced Ozone System). I have been asking on this forum and PSF forum for specifically how long one should run 'regular ozone generator vs. the EOS ozone which mixes ozone with the water in an enclosed chamber, at a MUCH higher concentration than the standard ozone generators that just blow the ozone bubbles into the spa and only react with the spa water for as long as it takes for the bubbles to rise from the bottom to the surface. Then that ozone bubble hits the surface and creates the 'ozone cloud' which is I assume what causes deterioration of the cover and headrests.
Part of JoyfulNoise's comments in that thread, post #14:
"There are right ways to use ozone and very wrong ways to use it."
"Ozone should be applied as a supplemental oxidizer to chlorine or bromine. It should be applied for only a period of time that it has an actual effect (removal of CCs) and then it should be stopped. Ozone is a very powerful oxidizer that will quickly degrade plastics, cause corrosion of metal parts and is a powerful respiratory irritant that can trigger asthma attacks in vulnerable people. It’s something that should be used sparingly and with proper engineering controls to ensure that people aren’t breathing it in. "
"
The EOS system mentioned above actually uses ozone the correct way - it utilizes a contact tank to treat water slowly and then any residual ozone is released through a blow off valve attached to an active charcoal filter that will neutralize the ozone and turn it back into harmless oxygen gas. In this case, only water in the contact tank gets treated and sent back into the spa.
The unit generates 100 grams per hour of ozone, which is actually quite high. It [EOS] only needs to be run for a few hours to destroy bather waste, and then it can be shut off and a chlorine residual can be reestablished. This is the correct way to apply ozone to a hot tub. In the past, tub makers would simply put an ozone generator on one of the recirculation lines and then just power it up when the tub was in standby mode and presumably covered. That method over utilizes ozone, which then will destroy chlorine as it builds up. It also causes rapid wear and tear on the CD ozone generator, which will quickly fail within a year from constant use. "
That part in red answers the question that remained unanswered after days of asking in forums and Googling the question. THANK YOU CanadianSpaTech!!! Now I feel great that the default 2 hours, 2x/day will give the A6L's 310 gallons of water plenty of ozone treatment. It goes without saying that I will still be diligent about testing and balancing w/ my Taylor kit, but now feel great about not spending another $2k to order a New Bullfrog to get their programmable Circ. Pump. Woo Hoo! I need to figure this chemical and balancing stuff out soon. It is possible my tub might be able to be delivered in two days!!!
Question: What chemical do I need to use to lower the hardness after I fill the tub (and before I turn the heat on)? I think that is lowering the calcium?? A recommended brand and name of the chemical, or even a link would be most helpful.
Thanks in advance,
Dave