Nik Ingle: You just installed Harvest? Now what?

In our third and final segment with Nik Ingle, we talk about what happens after a Harvest system is installed. What to expect in those first few hours with Harvest? How do you maintain your Harvest system? And what happens if something goes wrong? Find out how remote monitoring make 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.

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