HarveyArc UK: my first week and a 3–4-day hot-water changeover
I used HarveyArc for a week and found softer-feeling skin, no water spots and easier lathering, while hot water took 3–4 days to change over.
- After ten years of being troubled by hard water in the UK, I finally decided to install a whole-home water softener. After one week of use, the most obvious difference is when washing my face, hands and body: my skin feels noticeably smoother. Whether washing dishes or showering, there are no water spots at all. I have not noticed any obvious reduction in hair loss in such a short time, but shampoo does lather more easily. When doing laundry, I do not need to add fabric softener, and the dishwasher’s built-in softener does not need separate salt. I have not tried it yet, but washing the car should also avoid leaving water spots. The complimentary drinking-water tap is very convenient: I can use filtered water directly for drinking, washing rice and washing vegetables, reducing the wait for a filter jug to finish filtering.
- Installation price: we had the 4b3b HarveyArc installation. The water softener, three complimentary bags of salt, another 15 bags of salt with a referral, a complimentary drinking-water tap and one filter cartridge that can be used for a year came to about £2,000, including installation. The exact price can be seen in the screenshots. The total could be paid over 12 interest-free instalments, at a little under £200 per month. It could be returned free of charge within three months, and the drinking-water tap and filter cartridge could be kept free of charge when returning it.
- Installation: the plumber was from Harvey. It took one week from ordering to installation. On the installation day, the worker was very responsible, working from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The main inlet pipe can be set to soft or hard water; if you are watering plants, hard water is recommended. The drinking-water supply is hard water that goes directly into the filter. After installation, the worker also recut our kitchen cabinet shelf to make the best use of the available space. If you are also in a new-build home, the warranty for the inlet-pipe section transfers to Harvey, so there is no need to worry about repairs. Cold water becomes soft water immediately after installation. For hot water, the original hot water in the tank has to be used up. In our case, it took about three to four days for all the hot water to become soft.
- Apart from the initial installation cost, there are costs for salt and filter cartridges. The drinking-water filter cartridge is replaced once a year and costs £52. The salesperson told us that three bags of salt would last two people six to eight weeks, which would mean 20 to 26 bags a year. On the website, 20 bags cost £94 and 30 bags cost £142. The monthly salt cost is approximately £8–10.
- Leaving your contact details on the website brings a salesperson to arrange a home visit and quotation. We compared the installation prices with several friends’ installations, and overall the process was very transparent: the quoted price and complimentary items were exactly what we had been told to expect. If you need one, you can contact the company directly through its website. The additional 15 bags of salt required a referral.
- Overall, the experience has been very good so far. My only real regret is probably not having it installed sooner.
Source: 托尼子酱 · Xiaohongshu · 2024-04-16 · HarveyArc 英国全屋软水 & 直饮水. Search this Chinese title in Xiaohongshu to find the original post.
Before You Buy
Models in your region
The owner identifies the product as HarveyArc, installed in the UK in 2024. Compare today’s installation package separately: configuration, warranty, price and promotional extras may differ from the owner’s 2024 purchase.
| Model in this review | Related regional model | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| HarveyArc | HarveyArc (UK) | The UK HarveyArc has a non-electric twin-cylinder softening core, with optional WiFi i-Lid salt monitoring. The owner’s 2024 installation included a drinking-water tap and filter; check what the current installation package includes. |
- Model in this review
- HarveyArc
- Related regional model
- HarveyArc (UK)
- What to know
- The UK HarveyArc has a non-electric twin-cylinder softening core, with optional WiFi i-Lid salt monitoring. The owner’s 2024 installation included a drinking-water tap and filter; check what the current installation package includes.
What the owner actually experienced
The owner’s one-week account reports smoother-feeling skin, easier shampoo lathering and no water spots during washing dishes or showering. These are the owner’s observations from that installation, not an independent performance test. The owner also expected car washing to leave no spots but had not tried it, and did not establish any improvement in hair loss.
The owner says laundry no longer needed fabric softener and that the dishwasher’s built-in softener did not need separate salt. Because dishwasher settings depend on the appliance and its actual water supply, buyers should follow their dishwasher manual rather than transfer this single household result universally.
Installation and drinking-water arrangement
The owner reports a one-week wait from ordering to installation and a six-hour installation day, including cabinet-shelf modification. The owner also describes a selectable hard-water route at the main inlet and a drinking tap supplied with hard water that passes directly through the filter. Harvey’s guidance says buyers should check plumbing, available space, water hardness and a suitable unsoftened drinking-water supply before ordering.
Cold water reportedly became softened immediately, while the home’s stored hot water took about three to four days to cycle through. This delay applied to the owner’s tank and usage pattern, so it should be treated as an installation experience rather than a fixed changeover time for every home.
Salt, filter and offer details
The owner’s 2024 account estimated one drinking-water filter replacement per year at £52 and salt use of 20–26 bags annually, based on a salesperson’s estimate for two people. The reported salt prices were £94 for 20 bags and £142 for 30 bags; these are historical figures from the owner’s account, not current UK pricing. Current HarveyArc guidance specifies Mini Curve Salt Blocks, so buyers should confirm compatible salt before purchasing.
The owner describes a 2024 package with installation, a drinking-water tap, a one-year filter cartridge and complimentary salt, plus a three-month return arrangement. These terms and the referral-based additional salt were part of that installation account and should not be assumed to remain available. The owner found the quotation consistent with the promised package after comparing it with friends’ installations.
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