Ozone shock treatment for house

[Switter]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

[manaboutown]

"Concerns
Critics point to a 1997 study which found exposure to high levels of ozone ineffective at mold decontamination, and to the lack of studies showing high ozone shock treatment to be effective. They also point out that killing mold inside walls does not remove the mold, and that dead mold may continue to have adverse health effects on building inhabitants.

The Federal Trade Commission ruled in 1996 against a manufacturer of an Ozone generator, ordering them to cease representing their product's ability to "eliminate, remove, clean or clear any indoor air pollutant from a user's environment" [6]

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent which could damage rubber and other materials,[7] and ozone reactions with other material present in buildings could lead to increased levels of noxious chemicals such as formaldehyde.[8]"

High-ozone shock treatment - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-ozone_shock_treatment#:~:text=High%20ozone%20shock %20treatment%20involves,between%20one%20and%20seve ral%20hours).

In the last year I had two chain smoking couples move out of apartments I own. In one case the painters had to scrub the walls, ceiling and cabinetry thoroughly before applying any paint as the tars from the cigarette smoke had coated all surfaces. I had all painted surfaces primed and then painted with two coats of paint as the drywall is no doubt saturated with smoke products and I wanted them to be sealed inside. I had the ductwork all scrubbed out with brushes and solvent. They had been there 19 years. I also removed all the carpeting and window covering fabric. The husband of the new couple smokes but he goes outside to do so.

The couple in the other apartment was there just three years but they had to have been spending upwards of $1,000 per month on cigarettes at $8/pack. I never saw them without lit cigarettes, ever. Walls scrubbed, a coat of primer followed by two coats of paint, ducts scrubbed out, pretty much the same drill. Turns out they had a pot farm in the bedroom, too.

In another case after a couple I knew passed away their house was to be sold so the executor had a crew come in to conduct an estate sale. A meth pipe was found in a dresser. One of their kids had been smoking meth in the house. The whole house was contaminated and had to be professionally cleaned.

Stench from pet waste is another matter. If urine has soaked into concrete it needs to be treated and likely sealed. Years ago a tenant was breeding small dogs in an apartment I own. It was second storey and had plywood flooring which I had to rip out and replace. Fortunately it was just one corner of a room.

3 Ways to Remove Urine Odor from Concrete - wikiHow (https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Urine-Odor-from-Concrete#:~:text=If%20you%20don%27t%20want,to%201% 20part%20water)%20instead).

[retiredguy123]

There is no way I would pay $1,350 to a contractor unless they guarantee that it will remove the odor. If there is carpet, remove it. If there is left over furniture or curtains, remove them. Paint the walls and ceilings. If that doesn't work, buy another house.

[Switter]

"Concerns
Critics point to a 1997 study which found exposure to high levels of ozone ineffective at mold decontamination, and to the lack of studies showing high ozone shock treatment to be effective. They also point out that killing mold inside walls does not remove the mold, and that dead mold may continue to have adverse health effects on building inhabitants.

The Federal Trade Commission ruled in 1996 against a manufacturer of an Ozone generator, ordering them to cease representing their product's ability to "eliminate, remove, clean or clear any indoor air pollutant from a user's environment" [6]

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent which could damage rubber and other materials,[7] and ozone reactions with other material present in buildings could lead to increased levels of noxious chemicals such as formaldehyde.[8]"

High-ozone shock treatment - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-ozone_shock_treatment#:~:text=High%20ozone%20shock %20treatment%20involves,between%20one%20and%20seve ral%20hours).

In the last year I had two chain smoking couples move out of apartments I own. In one case the painters had to scrub the walls, ceiling and cabinetry thoroughly before applying any paint as the tars from the cigarette smoke had coated all surfaces. I had all painted surfaces primed and then painted with two coats of paint as the drywall is no doubt saturated with smoke products and I wanted them to be sealed inside. I had the ductwork all scrubbed out with brushes and solvent. They had been there 19 years. I also removed all the carpeting and window covering fabric. The husband of the new couple smokes but he goes outside to do so.

The couple in the other apartment was there just three years but they had to have been spending upwards of $1,000 per month on cigarettes at $8/pack. I never saw them without lit cigarettes, ever. Walls scrubbed, a coat of primer followed by two coats of paint, ducts scrubbed out, pretty much the same drill. Turns out they had a pot farm in the bedroom, too.

In another case after a couple I knew passed away their house was to be sold so the executor had a crew come in to conduct an estate sale. A meth pipe was found in a dresser. One of their kids had been smoking meth in the house. The whole house was contaminated and had to be professionally cleaned.

Stench from pet waste is another matter. If urine has soaked into concrete it needs to be treated and likely sealed. Years ago a tenant was breeding small dogs in an apartment I own. It was second storey and had plywood flooring which I had to rip out and replace. Fortunately it was just one corner of a room.

3 Ways to Remove Urine Odor from Concrete - wikiHow (https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Urine-Odor-from-Concrete#:~:text=If%20you%20don%27t%20want,to%201% 20part%20water)%20instead).

Thanks for the info. That was my initial plan, just buy a 5 gallon bucket of kilz oil base primer and paint the whole house. Maybe I'll try that first. That's only a couple hundred bucks and some elbow grease. Unfortunately, they had already painted the walls so I'm not gonna be able to do any scrubbing. I'm only going to be able to spray a couple coats of primer on the walls and ceiling.

[Switter]

There is no way I would pay $1,350 to a contractor unless they guarantee that it will remove the odor. If there is carpet, remove it. If there is left over furniture or curtains, remove them. Paint the walls and ceilings. If that doesn't work, buy another house.

Yeah, I don't so much mind the price tag as long as it actually works. The carpets all new and I don't smell any odor in it so when they ground down the concrete, it must've worked. I assume it's on the walls in the ceiling so I think I will try the painting first.

I just wanted to see if anybody here had had it done before.

[villagetinker]

Double check the baseboards, these are typically only painted on the outside surface, and it is possible that these boards have soaked up various liquids and odors, repainting these will not work (IMHO), and I would expect these would need to be removed, the drywall behind these checked for staining and odors, and new materials installed.

[Byte1]

I had the same situation when I purchased a "real good deal" here in the Villages. Most of the smell in the empty house was one single carpet in the living room that had not been thrown away. Before we moved in, I threw the carpet out, had a cleaning service come in and clean EVERYTHING and then set about painting everything in the house, including the garage. I even had the cement floor of the garage cleaned and painted. No problem with smell now. Opening the windows for some fresh air from time to time helps also. I also had a guy with a big machine come in and clean the laminate floors that seemed to have an accumulation of some sort.

[RICH1]

Carpet , drapes, duct work , ac evaporator, ac blower fan.... you can't clean the tar and nicotine off everything ... very sad to hear about your problem..we knew another person that had this issue, she ended up selling her place to a " smoker" and moved away..,

[BrianL99]

Yeah, I don't so much mind the price tag as long as it actually works. The carpets all new and I don't smell any odor in it so when they ground down the concrete, it must've worked. I assume it's on the walls in the ceiling so I think I will try the painting first.

I just wanted to see if anybody here had had it done before.

If you already got rid of carpets, you probably only need to paint everything else. Kilz might not be your best option, there are other products out there.

Ozone treatments work. You can buy machines on Amazon or somewhere else, for $150-$200. Close the house up and let 'em rip for a few days. The commercial treatments are no better than you can do yourself.

Yes, I've done it numerous times.

[frayedends]

I agree with Brian ^^^^

Ozone does work from what I hear. I believe that's what hotels use when someone smokes in the room. They charge the person for special cleaning with ozone.

[It's Hot There]

Buy your own machine.

The Best Ozone Generators of 2024 - Top Picks by Bob Vila (https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-ozone-generator/)

[villageuser]

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

As a REALTOR®, there was a house my customer loved that reeked of cigarette smoke. The sellers insisted they never smoked in the house, but it was apparent that wasn’t the truth.

We let them know the buyers were very interested, but not with the smell of the smoke. Apparently others also protested because they did that ozone treatment. With two different companies at two different times, because the smell did not go away.

After the second treatment, my customer had already purchased another house by that time, saw that the house was back up for sale and asked if we could see it. Maybe she could buy it for her son. We could still smell a tell tale sign of the smoke, and she decided against it.

A couple of weeks after that, I met a vendor who says he does remove all smells, mold, etc etc. He has a good reputation with the group I am in. I wish I had met him before so I could have seen what he could have done with that house. I have yet to come across another situation where I could use him, but in case you want to try him, his name is Franklyn Duporte, with AllDry, based out of Ocala. Send me a message if you need the contact information. If you do use him, I would really appreciate getting feedback on his services.

[msilagy]

I had a couple from Peru in one of my rentals in Il. Clean as clean could be. However she cooked with a spice I thought permeated the home. I checked into a company that would put a machine in the home for a few days when they moved out but I can't remember the name of it. Anyway as time went on the smell dissipated and when I sold the property it was just fine. They were there 7 years. Good luck!

[Happytails057@gmail.com]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.


We had a house fire in 2005 and the restoration company wanted to use the ozone machine for $1000 a day. Instead we actually purchased our own brand new machine for $500 and it worked like a charm. Look into purchasing your own.

[BoatRatKat]

It works. When we moved my Father in law into an assisted living there was an awful smell in the bathroom. No amount of cleaning worked. They finally put the generator in the bathroom and closed the whole room off for several days. When we went back in the smell was gone and never came back.

[MandoMan]

"Concerns
Critics point to a 1997 study which found exposure to high levels of ozone ineffective at mold decontamination, and to the lack of studies showing high ozone shock treatment to be effective. They also point out that killing mold inside walls does not remove the mold, and that dead mold may continue to have adverse health effects on building inhabitants.

The Federal Trade Commission ruled in 1996 against a manufacturer of an Ozone generator, ordering them to cease representing their product's ability to "eliminate, remove, clean or clear any indoor air pollutant from a user's environment" [6]

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent which could damage rubber and other materials,[7] and ozone reactions with other material present in buildings could lead to increased levels of noxious chemicals such as formaldehyde.[8]"

High-ozone shock treatment - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-ozone_shock_treatment#:~:text=High%20ozone%20shock %20treatment%20involves,between%20one%20and%20seve ral%20hours).

In the last year I had two chain smoking couples move out of apartments I own. In one case the painters had to scrub the walls, ceiling and cabinetry thoroughly before applying any paint as the tars from the cigarette smoke had coated all surfaces. I had all painted surfaces primed and then painted with two coats of paint as the drywall is no doubt saturated with smoke products and I wanted them to be sealed inside. I had the ductwork all scrubbed out with brushes and solvent. They had been there 19 years. I also removed all the carpeting and window covering fabric. The husband of the new couple smokes but he goes outside to do so.

The couple in the other apartment was there just three years but they had to have been spending upwards of $1,000 per month on cigarettes at $8/pack. I never saw them without lit cigarettes, ever. Walls scrubbed, a coat of primer followed by two coats of paint, ducts scrubbed out, pretty much the same drill. Turns out they had a pot farm in the bedroom, too.

In another case after a couple I knew passed away their house was to be sold so the executor had a crew come in to conduct an estate sale. A meth pipe was found in a dresser. One of their kids had been smoking meth in the house. The whole house was contaminated and had to be professionally cleaned.

Stench from pet waste is another matter. If urine has soaked into concrete it needs to be treated and likely sealed. Years ago a tenant was breeding small dogs in an apartment I own. It was second storey and had plywood flooring which I had to rip out and replace. Fortunately it was just one corner of a room.

3 Ways to Remove Urine Odor from Concrete - wikiHow (https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Urine-Odor-from-Concrete#:~:text=If%20you%20don%27t%20want,to%201% 20part%20water)%20instead).

Well said. There are companies that clean houses after corpses have been in them for weeks, after house fires, etc. you might contact a couple. Smoke actually permeates paints and can release smells for years. Oil based KILZ primer actually does seal over the paint and the smells for good. Then you can repaint with whatever you like. No more smell. Don’t bother simply having the house repainted, as most paints won’t do this.

As for the ducts, it’s hard to clean them adequately after years of smoke. You might be wiser to apply that money to the cost of having them replaced. A team can do that in a day.

[Eclas]

When I bought my house (almost didn't because of cig smoke) the odor was pretty overwhelming. They offered to take 2 grand off to have the entire inside painted.
It worked! No more cig smoke.

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

[JRcorvette]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

The smoke smell gets into anything that is porous especially the drywall. If it was me I would have a painting contractor come in and use Kilz Sealer on all the walls and ceiling first ant then give it two coats of finish paint. It is not going to be cheap but if the odor was so bad that they had to grind the concrete then you will need to do this. This is exactly what they do after a kitchen fire that fills the house with smoke. Also the Flexible ducts in the attic may need to be replaced but I would start with the painting.

[Proveone]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.
The smoke is probably in the drywall, including the ceilings. Try painting the interior, including the ceiling. Also, turn the heat on and it may cleaning the duct system.

[Switter]

Carpet , drapes, duct work , ac evaporator, ac blower fan.... you can't clean the tar and nicotine off everything ... very sad to hear about your problem..we knew another person that had this issue, she ended up selling her place to a " smoker" and moved away..,

Everything in the house had basically been replaced when I bought it except the actual drywall and the furnace. New cabinets, new light fixtures and ceiling fans, new vinyl planking floor, new carpet, etc. Because the furnace is 21 years old I negotiated the price down so that I could replace it, which I plan to do pretty soon.

I ended up buying a 5 gallon bucket of kilz oil base primer and I'm just gonna primer and repaint the whole house. It's a pain (I hate painting) but it's only a couple hundred bucks.

The smell isn't unbearable or anything. I've had people stay here and nobody's complained about it. After you're in it for a little bit you don't even notice it. It's only when you come in from being away for a while. I suspect it was a lot worse before it was remodeled. I'm thinking that once I primer it and replace the furnace it should be good.

I'll maybe come back after I'm done and share my results, but it might take me a while

[Bill32]

You can have Matt of Airquo 352 552-5577 video inspect your A/C system and see if they were cleaned professionally. He did our home about a year ago, he is very through, neat and uses professional equipment designed for duct work, also can install UV lights to your A/C system to continually purify the air...

[trishaf]

Yes I have done this and it is amazing. I rented the unit in Orlando over a weekend giving me extra time (sunshine equipment). About 100$.
Remove all living items, eg plants people and pets. You have to stay some place else as it removes all oxygen from the house. No residual cigar/ cigs/ other odors returned!

[BlackHarley]

Ya' sure somebody didn't croak in it? Happens all the time.

[Lea N]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

I haven't read everything others have written yet. We had a cat once who started to urinate on the floor in one of the bedrooms. Long story short we replaced the flooring. We were going to do this throughout the whole house anyway. We pulled up the carpeting in that bedroom ourselves. Then washed the cement and scrubbed it with pool bleach, not regular bleach. It's stronger. Then my husband painted Kiltz (cover stain) over the cement. And finally professionals replaced the flooring. This worked.

[kingofbeer]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.
I purchased a home which had smoke odors in it. The home was less than 4 years old. We did rent one of these oxygen devices, not sure if this really helped. First thing we did was remove the carpets. Then cleaned all the cabinets and doors and anything else you could think of. Then we painted all of the walls with a special primer to seal or remove the odors from the walls. The paint was very expensive. We where worried that that odors got into the ceiling paint too. We had professional painters paint the walls. It took a few months but eventually the smell was not noticeable. In retrospect, I would never buy a home which has smoke odors. It is too dangerous to risk your life and health. You can see the yellow nicotine stains all over the house. Keep in mind, this house was only 2 years old.

[xkeowner]

We bought the Enerzen Ozone Generator 11,000mg Industrial O3 Air Purifier Deodorizer (11,000mg - Black) on Amazon currently selling for $75. We didn't have odor problems, but I run it for about three hours every time we are going to be away for the weekend just to purify the air. I also run the air handler fan to circulate the ozone throughout the house. Be aware that high ozone levels can be harmful to people and pets which is why I run it when we will be away for a period of time.

[Donegalkid]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

From personal experience: I suggest you might try and zero down the exact causes and locations of the bad odors. Some detective work required; it may be a bit time consuming but likely will save you money and time in the long term. For example, if there is urine contamination, exactly where? Baseboards, flooring, certain areas of certain rooms (?). You need to know. It seems you had the “vents cleaned”. How throughly? If the ductwork from the furnace to the ceiling vents uses flexible ductwork there is no way to effectively clean it so that it is free of accumulated smoke tars and nicotines. It probably needs to be replaced. And the walls and ceilings accumulate tars and nicotine into the paint from long term exposure to smoke. Painting over them does not remove the substances. Painted surfaces exposed to long term smoke typically need to be sanded down and painted with a special primer to REMOVE the substances and prepare the walls and ceilings for new paint or they will continue to bleed through the offensive substances that give off odors. Good luck. No easy solutions. Some hard work required.

[kkingston57]

There is no way I would pay $1,350 to a contractor unless they guarantee that it will remove the odor. If there is carpet, remove it. If there is left over furniture or curtains, remove them. Paint the walls and ceilings. If that doesn't work, buy another house.

Tough to sell that house. Would need to tell perspective buyers about the problem which leads to the next question to the writer. Did the seller inform you about the issues you discussed?

[Hoosierb4]

I agree with the recommendation that you buy your own ozone generator and let it run for a couple of hours a few times. We are snowbirds and bought one for about $75 on Amazon to use on our house up north when we return. It helps get the musty odors out, and is about the only way you might get the stink out of the air ducts. I usually place it near a return duct. Of course, you should only do it when you're going to be out of the house for a few hours...maybe playing golf.

If you can localize the source, you might want to try using "Pooph", which you can buy at Walmart or Amazon. It's mostly for odors on (or created by) pets. But, I've used it with pretty good results on stinky garbage bins. It probably wouldn't be much help if you can't find a fairly localized source.

[CarlR33]

We bought the Enerzen Ozone Generator 11,000mg Industrial O3 Air Purifier Deodorizer (11,000mg - Black) on Amazon currently selling for $75. We didn't have odor problems, but I run it for about three hours every time we are going to be away for the weekend just to purify the air. I also run the air handler fan to circulate the ozone throughout the house. Be aware that high ozone levels can be harmful to people and pets which is why I run it when we will be away for a period of time. Most newer modern homes are pretty air tight so I would be concerned with this practice because where does the ozone your adding to your indoor air go if you do not air out the home when your return? The HVAC fan is just recirculating the indoor air through the (inexpensive) air filter (usually not HEPA) and getting any outdoor fresh air from? You would better off using a HEPA type of HVAC filter to purify your indoor air vs. constant ozone treatment, IMO. Ozone | Indoor Air (https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/ozone)

[Hoosierb4]

Most newer modern homes are pretty air tight so I would be concerned with this practice because where does the ozone your adding to your indoor air go if you do not air out the home when your return? The HVAC fan is just recirculating the indoor air through the (inexpensive) air filter (usually not HEPA) and getting any outdoor fresh air from? You would better off using a HEPA type of HVAC filter to purify your indoor air vs. constant ozone treatment, IMO. Ozone | Indoor Air (https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/ozone)

You certainly don't want to use "constant" ozone treatment. Just a couple hours when needed. We do air out the house when we return after running the machine.. The ozone dissipates fairly quickly after each treatment. It isn't perfect, but works better than anything else I've tried.

[BrianL99]

....

[BrianL99]

You would better off using a HEPA type of HVAC filter to purify your indoor air vs. constant ozone treatment, IMO. Ozone | Indoor Air (https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/ozone)


HEPA filters generally do not remove odors.

Can an Air Purifier Remove Odors from Your Home? - Molekule (https://molekule.com/blogs/all/air-purifier-for-odors-in-your-home) [There are 100's of other sources, also]

[Steban]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.

Limited-time deal: Ozone Generator 15,000mg/h, Commercial Ozone Machine, High Capacity Ozone Machine Odor Removal, Home Ozone Generator for Car, Pet, Smoke, Home, etc (Black)
https://a.co/d/5rZ8HxB

$50 do it yourself following all safety precautions.

[hvac877]

You may want to have the air unit coil and fan blades flushed and cleaned with HVAC coil cleaner. The problem with smells in the unit are probably from a build up on the internal insulation that really cannot be cleaned it is made of fiberglass. They do make odor eater for that type of problem, HVAC Odor Block Nu-Calgon (https://www.nucalgon.com/products/indoor-air-quality/hvac-odor-block/)

[paulat585]

Thanks for the info. That was my initial plan, just buy a 5 gallon bucket of kilz oil base primer and paint the whole house. Maybe I'll try that first. That's only a couple hundred bucks and some elbow grease. Unfortunately, they had already painted the walls so I'm not gonna be able to do any scrubbing. I'm only going to be able to spray a couple coats of primer on the walls and ceiling.
I used to use flea bombs to get rid of cigarette smell in rentals. There are directions on the package for how to use. It worked, but that was 20 years ago. Not sure if they still use the same formula.

[spd2918]

Ozone machines are cheap and somewhat effective, but urine and smoke smells will creep back.

[nn0wheremann]

I purchased a house here in the villages and there is a persistent smell it. The realtor and the inspector both thought it was because the house had sat empty for a long period of time and that once I moved in the smell will go away. I have been here six months now and it hasn't gone away.

I was talking to the neighbors, and they told me the lady who lived here was a chainsmokers and she had pets but with her declining health she was not able to get the pets out to go to the bathroom

When she passed, an investment company bought the property and basically remodeled it. I heard they had to grind the concrete floor down because of pet urine.

Supposedly before I bought the place they had the ducts cleaned.

I assume the smell that's in the air is because of cigarette smoke. I am thinking about having a company do an a professional ozone shock treatment. It costs $1350.

Based on my research, it looks like this is a pretty effective route to go but I was just wondering if anybody has ever had ozone shock treatment done in their house and what the result was.
Get furnace filters that have an activated charcoal element, and run the furnace fan constantly for a few days.

Seal all painted surfaces with a primer like Kilz. Seal all the concrete with epoxy sealant. Or, call in a disaster recovery service.

Sorry, but you were taken to the cleaners.

[TheWatcher]

Some good suggestions for overall cleaning and retreating surfaces. Do those to get rid of the bulk of the offending odor chemicals and seal surfaces. Specific odors need different treatents to neutralize the molecules causing the smells that are left.Try the 'Pooph' suggested for animals and take a look at the line of Odercide products to neutralize specific odors, smoke, etc.

Odercide:
Home Owners (https://shop.odorcide.com/Home-Owners_c_46.html)

[Freehiker]

Buy your own machine.

The Best Ozone Generators of 2024 - Top Picks by Bob Vila (https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-ozone-generator/)

I have one that we used in a previous home where the owners smoked. They smoked outside, but their clothes made the closets smell. Ozone generator completely fixed it.

[Malsua]

I have one that we used in a previous home where the owners smoked. They smoked outside, but their clothes made the closets smell. Ozone generator completely fixed it.

I am a Home Inspector and I do repairs as well. One of my services is Ozone treatment. It works. No doubt about it, but you need to have enough of it, for long enough for it to work. It requires the home owners to vacate usually at least 6 hours.

If the smell persists afterwards, it is being re-generated by something and there is active mold growth or something going on.

[BrianL99]

I am a Home Inspector and I do repairs as well. One of my services is Ozone treatment. It works. No doubt about it, but you need to have enough of it, for long enough for it to work. It requires the home owners to vacate usually at least 6 hours.

If the smell persists afterwards, it is being re-generated by something and there is active mold growth or something going on.

I bought a Condo that was smoked in for a couple of years. After closing, I went to the Condo, turned on my Ozone machine and left it running for a few days. Smell gone, never to return!

[Malsua]

I bought a Condo that was smoked in for a couple of years. After closing, I went to the Condo, turned on my Ozone machine and left it running for a few days. Smell gone, never to return!

Ozone will degrade plastics, so there's a balance :).

No doubt it works. That said, it is a health hazard, so it needs to be used tactically. I'd be concerned that a condo with a shared wall would experience some spill over into an occupied spaced.

I guess it also would depend on your machine. I have some machines that produce fairly high levels of Ozone. After they run, it's not uncommon to smell it when walking up to a home.