How Does the NovusAer Air Filter Compare to PCO/PHI Devices Like the Reme Halo and Air Scrubber?

By Dan Dearden, CAFS(Certified Air Filtration Specialist)

When homeowners begin looking for whole-home air purification, two categories of products usually appear: high-efficiency air filters like the NovusAer, and active chemical purifiers such as Photocatalytic Oxidizers (PCOs) and Photohydroionizers (PHIs), best known by popular brands like Reme Halo (RGF) and Air Scrubber (ActivePure/ActiveTek).

While all of these devices fall under the general umbrella of “whole-home air purification,” they work in dramatically different ways—and understanding that difference is essential when choosing what’s best for the air your family breathes.

Filtration vs. Chemical Oxidation: Two Very Different Approaches

The NovusAer system purifies your indoor air through high-performance filtration. Air passes through a large extended-surface filter and harmful particles—dust, allergens, smoke particles, mold spores, bacteria, and many viruses—are physically removed from the air you breathe.

PCO/PHI devices work completely differently. They create airborne chemical compounds—such as hydroxyl radicals, oxidizers, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide ions—intended to react with chemicals in the air or damage the cell walls of microorganisms.

In other words:

• NovusAer removes contaminants from your home’s air.

• PCOs/PHIs attempt to alter, neutralize, or destroy contaminants by releasing reactive chemicals into your home’s air.

This is a fundamental difference, and it informs every comparison that follows.

What About the Good Bacteria We Rely On?

PCOs and PHIs are non-selective—they don’t distinguish between harmful pathogens and the beneficial bacteria that live on our skin and in our bodies. Humans are symbionts—we rely on healthy bacteria for digestion, immunity, and skin health. Completely sterilizing the air isn’t realistic… or healthy.

A passive, capture-based system like NovusAer removes what shouldn’t be in the air without introducing chemicals and without disrupting the natural microbial balance of your home.

Quick Comparison Table

Here is a simplified at-a-glance comparison:

What the Research Really Shows

Here are the key insights behind each comparison point:

1. Ozone Production

Neither the NovusAer nor most modern PCO devices intentionally produce ozone, but several oxidation-based systems on the market still do. Homeowners should read product disclosures carefully—ozone is a regulated pollutant and lung irritant.

2 & 3. Filtration vs Chemical Reactions

NovusAer uses filtration only—no chemistry, no byproducts.PCOs/PHIs depend on chemical reactions that have only been tested in sealed laboratory environments.

4. Proven in Real Homes, Not Just Test Chambers

NovusAer was tested for five years in actual homes before undergoing ASHRAE-certified laboratory testing.

PCO/PHI products are not tested in real homes. Their results come from small sealed test chambers, usually the size of one room in an average home. Some have been tested in chambers as small as a picnic cooler—sometimes as little as 1/10,000th the size of an average American home. Results from such artificial environments simply don’t translate to real-world houses with air leakage, open rooms, sunlight, airflow, and normal family activity.

5. VOC Removal

NovusAer cannot remove gaseous pollutants (no filter can). PCOs can break down certain VOCs in controlled test environments—but are not proven to work in real homes.

6. Chemical Byproducts

Filtration produces no harmful byproducts.PCOs have been shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies—including research from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)—to generate formaldehyde and acetaldehyde during operation.

7. Humidity Control

Neither system affects humidity.

8. Pathogen Neutralization vs. Removal

PCOs can speed up the decay of microorganisms 10–20% in sealed chambers.NovusAer physically removes pathogens from the air it filters—nearly 100% of bacteria and 80–90% of many viruses.

9. Contaminant Removal

NovusAer removes particulate pollutants—including mold spores—at extremely high efficiency.PCOs and PHIs do not remove particles from the air.

10. Odor Removal

The NovusAer air filter does not have any activated carbon so it does not remove any odors. PCO’s and PHI’s claim to remove odors. Owner reviews have mixed results. Some say the PCO’s and PHI’s do a great job at removing odors while others see no effect.

11. CO, CO2, NO2 and Radon Gas removal

Neither the NovusAer or PCO/PHI products remove CO, CO2, NO2, or radon gas.

12. Air Borne Mold Spore Removal

The NovusAer will capture 100% of the mold spores out of the air passing through it. PCO’s PHI’s have been proven to reduce mold growth in laboratory test chambers.

13. Homeowner Testing and Verification

You can measure NovusAer’s performance in minutes using a $39 laser particle counter.There is no consumer device capable of verifying whether a PCO or PHI is working.

14. Replacement Parts

NovusAer uses a filter-life indicator that measures actual airflow resistance—meaning you replace the filter when it is truly full.PCOs and PHIs rely on a time-based reminder, whether the device needs replacement or not.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a whole-home air purification solution shouldn’t feel overwhelming. The key question is simple:

Do you want to physically remove pollutants from your air—or do you want a device that releases reactive chemicals into your air in hopes of neutralizing them?

For homeowners who want measurable, safe, and scientifically validated results, high-efficiency filtration is the proven choice.

If you have additional questions about how the NovusAer compares to PCO or PHI systems, feel free to email us at info@essentialairproducts.com. We’re happy to answer you directly—or, if your question may benefit others, we’ll feature it on our “You Ask, We Answer” page.