the prevaling view of the experts to just disable the Ozone
Depends on the "expert". I swear by them, but not for the reasons you think.
If you want it to save you chlorine, or think it means you don't need it at all, get rid of it as that's not what it does. This is where most "experts" say to get rid of it. It does not signifigantly reduce the need for chemical sanitizers or the amounts you will use, in fact it increases the amount I use, and it can be expensive to replace, so it is worse than useless in their eyes. It was originally marketed as a chlorine alternative, as it is used in closed water treatment facilities. This is no longer effective sanitation when people jump in the tank, so it was not approved as a sanitizer in a pool or spa. It is, however, still a stronger oxidizer than chlorine and does have sanitizing capability when maintaining a closed spa, with few contaminants able to get in with the cover on.
If you like not having to shock, keep it, and run it 24/7.
If you like the smell of chlorine, definitely get rid of it.
If you like being able to heavily chlorinate after heavy use and not have fc too high to use the next day when you get in, keep it, and run it 24/7.
It seems to me that those who dislike ozone are looking at what it doesn't do, not what it does.
In a pool it's useless. Low bather/volume ratio means your fc almost never goes low from use, and complete depletion (normal in a spa) is rare. Reducing fc in this case is counter-productive.
In a poorly designed spa or on a short timer, it's useless. Ozone exposure occurs in the pipes, so the more water moving through the ozone injector for longer periods, the more effective ozone is. Masters has a 24/7 circulation system and can benefit greatly from ozone.
In a spa that is often used, heavily used, or infrequently used it is worth it's weight in gold in my opinion. I have kids, and my fc is going to be "negative" by the time they're done in there even if I start with 10ppm. I can't test my chlorine demand, I just know I have 0 fc and an unknown level of contaminants waiting to use up my chlorine. I might "raise" it by 10ppm and end up at 9 or 2, or maybe still zero if they brought in a dog or three when I wasn't looking. And telling them they can't use it today because fc is too high, or I need to shock, or etc. is an inconvenience to say the least. But with good ozone on 24/7 I can hit it hard after use and still have 0.5fc and 0.0cc the next day. Everyday. Regardless of specifics. And if we don't use it, I just ignore it. I add chems when I use it, with weekly balance, and don't even test chlorine frequently as I know what it will be (0.5fc, 0.0cc unless I went too crazy on the bleach). I won't keep a spa without it, and every one of my top brands has 24/7 ozone. So, the way I use it, getting rid of the chlorine in the water is the whole point. I don't want or need it there. If you want a higher fc during use, add some when you open the cover.
In case you were wondering, I've been fixing spas for a living, including flipping used tubs, for 26 years. I've owned more spas than I can remember, and am no chemistry guru who likes playing with a test kit. I want it simple. That's what I get with ozone.
