Getting Ready for Harvest with Nik Ingle

‍Nik Ingle is a materials scientist and team leader with a deep background in the development of energy storage and climate technologies. As Harvest’s Director of Field Operations, he’s been inside a lot of basements, closets, garages, and crawlspaces – on a mission to delight homeowners with the most sustainable and cost-effective HVAC and hot water. In this interview, we explore how Nik prepares homeowners for their journey with Harvest to ensure it fits seamlessly into their lives. 

David: What are some of the things people come to appreciate about Harvest after installation that they didn't know before? 

Nik: Well, I think one of the things that people are surprised about is how quiet the heat pump is. I normally get them to come over when it's turned on and they’re like, “Oh, wow. Okay.” 

The other thing is the amount of sound inside the house. A lot of people have switched from a gas furnace which often sounded like a jet engine. With a good duct system and a Harvest setup, it's really quiet. They may not even know that the heating is on.

David: What should people do to prepare for the installation process? 

Nik: Well, it’s going to be a little intrusive for a few days. There’s no way around it, these are two major systems of the home being replaced. Most of the time, there will be crews, usually between two to five people crawling throughout the house. Three days is probably the shortest, four or more is often the case. 

The one thing I would say is just hang in there, because when you get to the end, you’ll have a pretty nice system that should last you 15 to 20-plus years. 

David: Often, homes need additional measures before an installation to stop drafts and leaks. What does that process look like?

Nik: I like to break this down into three steps.

1. Understand what is working and what is not. This involves looking at the house envelope — the combination of surfaces that separate the conditioned space inside the house from the unconditioned space outside. Assess how leaky it is and how much insulation is on the envelope in different places.

2. Prioritize what can be done. There will be a huge list of possible actions. Identify which ones are most cost-effective and which are easiest to do. Some actions might be too complicated, so we find alternatives that are manageable.

3. Get the work done. The HVAC system installer might be able to handle some tasks. There are insulation companies that can get in and out quickly and do impressive work. Some tasks might be simple handyman jobs. Often, sealing might be a DIY operation like weatherstripping around doors or caulking.

This third step — the execution — is always the hard one, but you can imagine doing these over time. Not all tasks need to be done simultaneously.

Understanding the situation and making a plan is definitely a good place to start.

David: So if you're spending $500- $2,000, in that range, what do homeowners get from that?

Nik: Comfort, comfort,  comfort. People find they are comfortable throughout the house. There aren't any cold spots. You won't find yourself sitting on a couch and feeling uncomfortable because of the temperature in one area.

It also impacts energy bills. While the return on investment for these improvements tends to be over the long term— you could save 20-30% on your energy bills over the life of the system by sealing up your house and ensuring proper insulation.

David: You've been in a lot of homes. You've crawled into crawl spaces and looked behind places that typically are not visible to the naked eye. What's the grossest thing you've ever seen?

Nik: Wet spaces under a house are very unpleasant. These conditions are also bad for the house. If there's water in a damp crawl space, it impacts the house and everyone living there. For me, the grossest thing was opening a closet and finding mold growing up the walls. The homeowner cleaned it repeatedly, but it kept coming back.

We immediately sussed out what was going on. There was a small gap where moist air was coming from the crawl space into the closet. Two walls of the closet were on  the outside of the house and were cold because they weren’t insulated. That moisture condensed and caused mold to grow.

It was gross but really fixable.  A strip of caulking and a good cleaning, and they were good.

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The Installation Journey

In Part 2 of this interview, Nik explains how Harvest’s advanced technology and contractors work together to support the homeowner’s electrification journey.

‍David: How does Harvest work with the contractor during the installation process?

Nik: For a contractor who hasn’t done many Harvest systems, we usually go out and do a job walk with them. We help them understand where the Harvest Pod should be placed and where the pipes should go. This helps them visualize the installation. Normally, it only takes one installation for them to wrap their heads around it. 

We also consider the space for the tank, exploring options for its placement and orientation.

We’re available by phone or video call to answer any questions. I always tell them not to waste time guessing; give us a quick call. We can show you the diagram or whatever you need. Many contractors take us up on this, calling for a quick question and they’re off working again.

At the end of the installation, we commission the system, ensuring all components are correctly connected and working together. As contractors install more than one system, they quickly learn the process.

We’re now at a point where we can assist remotely and make sure everything is set up correctly. We have installers who can put in the system without us ever needing to go on-site. They can get the system up and running on their own, which is fantastic.

David: Harvest is connected to the cloud and monitors the system remotely. What are the benefits of remote monitoring?

Nik:  One of the most exciting aspects of Harvest is its advanced monitoring system, which is unique among HVAC systems. We collect data from sensors every 64 seconds. This allows us to ensure the system operates smoothly. For instance, when the thermostat calls for heat, we can verify that the blower is running and drawing power and that the pumps are circulating water at the expected flow rate.

If there’s a problem—like the heat pump not drawing power—we get alerts right away. Sometimes it’s something simple, like a flipped breaker. These alerts help us quickly identify and address issues, ensuring the system works efficiently.

Additionally, we use this data to calculate energy efficiency metrics. We track how much electricity the house uses, how much heat is consumed and delivered, and whether the system is meeting the heating demand efficiently.

David: Do you have any favorite installation stories?

Nik: I get excited about every installation because it's taking gas out of somebody's home. Air quality is going to improve. Safety is going to increase. And they're going to be way more comfortable. 

In the end, I love it when I see the installers are happy because they are really proud of the work that they've done. That's why they're in the business. They love building things, constructing things, and being able to stand back and say, "I did this. It's great." 

And the homeowners are happy because it's a big step to change two major infrastructure pieces of your home. A lot of them feel quite proud and are doing it for real reasons around climate change. Seeing them really happy about that, and proud of themselves for taking that change, also gets me excited. 

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You just installed Harvest? Now what?

In Part 3 of this interview, Nik explains what to expect in those first few hours with Harvest, how to maintain the system and how remote monitoring makes everyone’s life easier. 

‍David: What should new customers know about the first 48 hours after a system is installed? 

‍Nik: When the water tank first gets filled, it takes about one to two hours of running the heat pump to get enough hot water as you’d expect. That's pretty quick.

In terms of heating the house, if the system is installed in mid-winter and the house has had no heating for a few days, it can take at least 24 to 48 hours to get the house up to temperature and keep it there. Unlike a gas furnace that dumps a ton of hot air instantly, this system is more gentle. It takes a bit to warm up, but beyond that initial period, the system provides a slow, steady, constant heat that maintains the set temperature.

All your furniture and walls, especially interior walls, hold a lot of heat. Once you get the house to a comfortable temperature, you want to keep it there, allowing that thermal mass to stay warm. What you experience in your rooms is the temperature of all the objects around you, so keeping those at a nice constant temperature is beneficial.

This is different from a gas system where you might heat the air quickly, then shut off, leaving objects cold and cooling down quickly. 

With a heat pump system, including Harvest, you don't want to drastically lower the temperature at night and then raise it sharply in the morning. You should be more gentle with heat increases and decreases, leveraging the thermal mass in your home to keep you warm consistently.

‍David: What about after the system is installed? What does a homeowner need to consider regarding maintaining the Harvest system?

‍Nik: Luckily, not a huge amount. The main thing is going to be replacing air filters. Since the system runs for longer periods due to its gentle heating, it pushes more air through air filters than a gas furnace. These filters are likely higher quality, possibly MERV 13, capturing more dust and particulates from the air. Depending on usage, they'll need to be changed every few months to a year. We'll be able to provide homeowners with indicators when filters start to clog. We’ll see a decrease in heat output or changes in motor power.

Another consideration is ensuring vegetation doesn't grow around the heat pump, which needs airflow to extract heat from the air. Spiders, webs, and debris can also accumulate outside, so keeping the heat pump clean is essential. Maybe hose it down occasionally.

Every 5 years or so, you may want to do a descaling operation on the hydronic coil – the unit that gets heat into the air. Depending on the hardness of the water, the efficiency of the unit might decline over time. Hose bibs are specifically designed for this descaling operation.

‍David: So, it's mainly about changing filters every 3 to 12 months, keeping the heat pump clear, and potentially servicing the hydronic coil every five years?

‍Nik: It's a relatively low-maintenance setup – "set it and forget it." Stating the obvious, we’re not burning anything in the house. That removes safety concerns. And a lot of maintenance like cleaning burners, doesn’t apply. 

David: The Field Ops team is the backstop for Harvest homeowners. When something goes wrong, what does your team do? How are those situations addressed?

Nik: Because we see all the data, we often see problems before a homeowner knows anything is going on. We may reach out to the homeowner and say, "It seems like your heat pump isn't turning on,” even though they still are receiving hot water from the tank. 

And, if something goes wrong, we can provide good information to the installers. We help diagnose the system so the installer can have a plan. They don't need to do a truck roll just to figure out what's going on. We help them upfront. If there is a problem, it can be solved quickly and easily.

This is the transcript of the May 3, 2024 interview with Nik. It has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

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