Powr-Flite® Powr-Zone PFPZ Ozone Generator, 1.5 g/hr, Up to 60,000 cu ft, 12-Hour Timer

The last tenant smoked for ten years, and the unit turns over on Friday. Cleaning gets the residue off the walls and the carpet, but the smell lives in the drywall, the ducts and the air. The Powr-Flite Powr-Zone produces 1.5 grams of ozone per hour to break down the molecules that cause odors instead of covering them, in spaces up to 60,000 cubic feet.

Set the 12-hour timer, close the room and leave. There are no plates or UV tubes to clean, it weighs 7.3 lbs, and the units stack. It is for empty rooms and vehicles only: ozone at these levels is unsafe for people, pets and plants.

These steps come from Powr-Flite's manual. Read it before the first job.

1. Remove the source first. Clean, extract or throw out whatever causes the odor, and dry any wet or flooded area completely.

2. Clear the space. Get all people, pets and plants out. Close windows and doors, and post a sign on the door: Ozone in use, do not enter.

3. Place it high. Set the unit on a shelf or table, near the AC return if there is one, and at least 6 inches from walls. Run the AC on constant fan at a cool setting, or aim an air mover at a wall at 45 degrees to keep the air moving.

4. Set the timer. Plug into a grounded 3-prong outlet, turn the dial to 12, then back to the time you need.

5. Leave right away. Don't go back in until the set time plus 20 minutes has passed.

6. Air it out. Open windows and doors for at least 20 minutes, and longer if you can still smell ozone.

How long to run it: Powr-Flite's formula is cubic feet divided by 100, times 2, in minutes. A 10 x 12 ft bedroom with an 8 ft ceiling is 960 cubic feet, so about 19 minutes. Heavy smoke, warm rooms and high humidity take longer.

I tell every customer the same thing: ozone is a finishing step, not a cleaning step. If the tar is still on the walls or the urine is still in the pad, the smell comes back. Clean or extract first, then ozone. Used that way, the Powr-Zone is how turnover crews, hotels and restoration companies get rid of the last of the smell in rooms and vehicles.

Two honest notes. Ozone is a strong oxidizer, and Powr-Flite warns that long exposure can wear on rubber, plastics and wire insulation, so run it for the time the job needs, not for days. And it is strictly for unoccupied spaces: OSHA and the EPA classify ozone as a respiratory irritant, and this unit produces levels above the limits for occupied rooms.

• 1.5 grams of ozone per hour. Rated for spaces up to 60,000 cubic feet.

• 12-hour timer. With an on/off light and power supply overload protection.

• No plates or UV tubes to clean. Gas-filled arc module electrodes make the ozone.

• 100 CFM ball-bearing fan. Spreads the ozone through the room.

• Rooms and vehicles. Hotel rooms, apartments, basements, meeting rooms, cars, buses, boats and aircraft.

• 7.3 lbs, 13 x 13 x 13 in. Carry handle, and the units stack.

• Ultra heavy-duty poly housing. Built for commercial use.

A good fit: property managers and turnover crews, hotel and motel housekeeping, restoration contractors after smoke, mold or mildew problems, and auto detailers and fleet managers clearing odors from vehicles.

Not the best fit: anyone looking for an air purifier to run while people are in the room. The Powr-Zone is not that, and it isn't safe to use that way.

Keep the air moving. Powr-Flite recommends an air mover aimed at a wall at 45 degrees during treatment. The Powr-Flite Hybrid runs on 2.8 amps, from $270, and the Powr-Flite F5 moves 3,000 CFM for large spaces, from $449.

Get the source out first. For smoke film, pet accidents and spills in carpet and upholstery, see our carpet extractors and carpet spotters.

Not sure how long to run it for your space? Send us the room sizes and the odor, or call (855) 601-5678.