A funny story about the REME HALO

This is a good one, and honestly kind of a funny story. When I first heard about a REME HALO, I said get out of here with that nonsense, that sounds way too good to be true. We got involved because we are a Home Depot dealer and they were starting to push them. I demanded a few for free to try out. They said absolutely not. Eventually we bought some and started putting them in, and man, they are just a phenomenal product. I stand behind it 1,000,000% today.

For bang for your buck, it is right up there with my other favorite indoor air quality product, the Aprilaire media cabinet. Those two together are a powerhouse for dramatically changing the quality of air in your family’s home. You can see more on our Aprilaire media air page.

What the REME HALO actually does

The REME HALO works on a couple of mechanisms, and once you understand them it stops sounding like magic:

• Bipolar ionizers send off molecules that carry both a negative and a positive charge. Dust particles in the air stick to them, grow heavy, and fall out of the air, where they get trapped in your media air cleaner like they should. The payoff you can actually see: when the sun shines through the window, you stop seeing all that dust floating in the beam.
• Ionized hydrogen peroxide and zinc get released into the air, which kills bacteria and viruses in the air and on surfaces.
• Odor and VOC control. It breaks down VOCs and helps tremendously with cooking smells, smoke, and paint smells.

That is why I pair it with a media cabinet. The HALO knocks the particles down and the media filter catches them. They work together.

Where UV lights fit

UV lights have their use and they are good products. A UV light above the air-conditioning coil will definitely keep it disinfected and mold-free, which is a real benefit. But here is the key distinction people miss: the REME HALO is the next generation of this technology. It does have a UV bulb inside it, but the UV is used to activate a catalyst. The UV light itself is not the thing sanitizing your air.

So UV can be a good supplemental piece, especially right at the coil. But if I am choosing where to put a homeowner’s dollar first, the REME HALO is the better purchase. If the budget is unlimited, then we can layer in other options.

What about the iWave?

The iWave is another good product. It simply puts off bipolar ions, the same particle-clumping effect, without the hydrogen peroxide and zinc piece. It is a solid choice in two situations: when you want additional bipolar ionization on top of what you already have, or when your ductwork layout makes it tough to install a REME HALO. It is a really solid product and it can be part of a comprehensive plan.

So what is a gimmick?

Honestly, none of these three are gimmicks when they are applied correctly. The mistake is throwing one in without a plan, or expecting a single gadget to do everything. The right approach is to look at your whole home and your air quality goals, then build a plan. For most families, that plan starts with a REME HALO and a good Aprilaire media cabinet, with UV at the coil and iWave as supplemental ionization where it makes sense. You can see the full lineup on our REME HALO page.