System Operation
Unlike traditional gas furnaces which often deliver heat via short intermittent blasts of hot air, your Harvest Thermal Battery System™ provides gentler and longer heating runs to better match your heating needs. The first difference you may “notice” is the noise reduction since the system is much quieter. The second difference is that you may feel warmer. Due to the more continuous heating cycle and stable temperature, many Harvest users find that they feel comfortable at a lower thermostat setting.
The remaining difference is that the system heats more gradually than gas furnaces, so it is best to keep your home at a fairly constant temperature (e.g., just 2-3°F lower at night but no more). This approach maximizes home comfort while minimizing energy use (similar to how it is better to drive a car at a constant speed rather than cycle through periods of acceleration and hard braking).
- Do not change the thermostat setting more than 2-3°F when you expect to be absent or asleep or if you come home at a different time than usual. Refer to the Heating section below for more information.
- When heating begins, it may take a few hours for your home to reach the set target temperature.
To use Heating mode, set your thermostat to Heat.
Smart thermostats often have a built-in smart recovery algorithm. For example, on the Ecobee thermostat, this is called "Smart Recovery", and on a Nest thermostat it is called "Early-On".
This feature ensures the temperature in your home reaches the desired setpoint at the beginning of each scheduled change by having your heat or cooling start early if required. This is a great feature to use, if available to you.
Many users lower or completely shut off their thermostats at night and other times to save energy. This can reduce your Harvest System’s performance because it takes more energy to heat a cold home than to maintain a comfortable temperature. It also takes a lot of time to warm up a chilly home, so keep your thermostat at relatively level settings to ensure your comfort. Additionally, having a smaller separation between daytime and nighttime temperatures makes the home's heating load less "peaky", allowing you to get more use out of the system's thermal battery during peak times of the day.
When adjusting thermostat settings, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and these guidelines:
- Set the temperature down (“setback”) only by 2 or 3°F at night and during the day when no one is home.
- If you are not using a smart thermostat with a smart recovery algorithm, start reheating 1 hour per degree F setback before target time. For example, if using a 2°F setback, program the thermostat to start heating at 5 a.m. for a 7 a.m. wake up time.
Time | Temperature |
|---|---|
7 a.m. | 69°F |
9 a.m. | 67°F (away) 69°F (home) |
5 p.m. | 69°F |
10 p.m. | 66°F |
Time | Temperature |
|---|---|
4 a.m. | 69°F |
9 a.m. | 67°F (away) 69°F (home) |
3 p.m. | 69°F |
10 p.m. | 66°F |
When going on vacation, set the thermostat to your normal nighttime temperature to ensure that your home does not take too long to reheat upon your return. For those with connected thermostats, you can turn off the heat and remotely start reheating your home 1-2 days before returning.
Harvest Thermal integrates with many different separate air-to-air heat pumps and air handlers to provide cooling. The system works the same as a traditional air conditioner and uses the same thermostat settings. Just set to “Cool” to enjoy filtered, cooler air any time.