Connection FAQs
- Cannot see the harvst-XXXX wifi network.
- harvst-XXXX wifi disappears after a short time.
- Harvst WiFi network does not have internet access.
- Control unit will not turn on.
- Battery will not hold charge.
- Battery not charging.
Pumping FAQs
- System does not water exactly on the hour.
- Pumps for a short time / stops early.
- Pump never turns off.
- Pump does not run even with manual watering.
- Pump runs with manual watering, but not with automatic.
- Pump is running, but water is not coming out of sprayers.
- Pro pump regularly starts and stops during pumping cycle.
- Watering for longer than expected.
- System turns off / reboots when watering.
Cannot see the harvst-XXXX wifi network
Ensure your control unit it turned on and is awake (if it's a solar box). Wake the unit by pressing the override button on the top left. A green light will be flashing on the button while the box is awake.
Some phones require you to refresh the WiFi settings page a few times to see new networks.
harvst-XXXX wifi disappears after a short time
This is usually seen on solar powered control units where the battery is critically low. When the control box goes to sleep, you would normally hear a descending tone.
If there is no green light flashing on the override/wake button, the box is turned off or is asleep, and will not be transmitting WiFi.
if the unit will not stay awake for more than a few seconds, see battery will not hold charge.
Harvst WiFi network does not have internet access
The WiFi network transmitted by the control unit (eg harvst-xxxx) is only for accessing the Device Control Panel and does not have internet access. That's OK. Connect to it anyway.
The control unit links to your internet separately via your home WiFi network, if you have configured it in online mode.
Control unit will not turn on
If your control unit is completely dead, it could be :
- The battery has reached the end of its useful life. See battery life.
- An internal fuse has blown
- Water has got into the system
- Other hardware fault
In the case of the last three options, you will need to return the unit to Harvst for diagnostics and repair. We try and keep devices in use for as long as possible and would prefer to recondition/repair than you throw it away. We offer a reconditioning service for boxes which are out of warranty period.
Contact support@harvst.co.uk and mention repair/recondition.
Battery will not hold charge
If the battery is old (1 year+ with heavily used systems, 2 year+ with less used systems) it is likely to be at the end of its useful life. See the battery life article.
If the solar panel is not performing well - usually because of poor position or dirt, that can also lead to poor pumping times. See the charging and pumping capacity article.
If you can get your control unit configured in online mode, we can assess the battery condition from Harvst HQ. Send an email or open a ticket with us ... and let us know your control unit ID.
Battery not charging
See the charging and pumping capacity article.
System does not water exactly on the hour
This is by design. The control unit sleeps most of the time, and only wakes up every half hour to read sensors. If the timer is set to water at 9am, it might not wake until 9.20 for example … it will water at the first awakening after the scheduled hour.
System pumps for a short time / pump stops early
This could be:
- Battery going critically low (solar units only). Read more about battery life here.
- Fault shutdown due to high current drain. Read about pump fault shutdown here.
- Pro pump cutting out due to high pressure. Likely a blocked outlet. Clean / check outlets.
Pump never turns off
In almost all cases, this is because you have chosen to use the "float switch" setting to trigger watering. Connect to the Device Control Panel, and check at the bottom of the Zone 1 or Zone 2 settings. Turn float switch watering off. Newer firmware (since early 2024) does not have a float switch setting.
Pump starts and stops during pumping cycle
The Pro pump has a high pressure cut off switch, which will stop the pump when outlet pressure gets too high. When the pressure drops again, the pump will start.
This is by design.
When the pump is stopped, it is not pulling any current and the "low tank" warning may be triggered. If your system does not have enough drippers, and the pro pump is cutting out with high pressure, we recommend turning off the low water alarm for the affected zone (or add more drippers).
Pump running, but water not coming out
This can either be the valves not opening (in which case the Pro pump will soon stop due to high pressure cut-out), or could be that the pump is not priming. For a Pro pump setup, ensure that there are no air leaks on the inlet side. Even the smallest air leak can prevent good priming.
We have found that the Pro Pumps can lose internal pressure between inlet and outlet chambers in the pump head, if an O-ring fails after long-term use. Contact us for a new o-ring.
For mini pumps, a running pump but no water is more likely to be a valve problem. Read more here about water valves: WaterMate : Valve troubleshooting.
System turns off and reboots instead of pumping
This sometimes indicates that there is a short circuit in the pump wiring or the pump itself. When the control box tries to turn on the pump, the short circuit causes the control box to reboot. Try watering without the pump plugged in. If that solves it, the problem is with the pump or its wiring.
For mains powered WaterMate : The pump requires that the water valves are wired in. If these are not connected, when the control tries to turn the pump on, it will instantly reboot due to the high current drain of the pump. This can also happen when turning on heaters or lights. Ensure that the water valve wiring is connected; the system will turn on the valves a fraction of a second before the pump (or lights) to pre-load the power supply.
Cannot connect to “harvst-wifi”
Only applicable to firmware versions prior to February 2023.
This will only be active when the control system is booting in online mode, and cannot find a stored WiFi network. You will hear a slow beep, once a second. To access the system control panel for updating settings or manually watering, you don’t connect to “harvst-wifi”. In offline mode, connect to the control box WiFi network (eg “HARVST-xxxx”). In online mode, use your web app.
Watering for longer than expected
If your web app dashboard shows a long watering time (like the graphic below), it's because it has sent the "watering start" message to the server, but the "watering off" message did not get through. When it next wakes up half an hour later, the "watering off" message is relayed. Don't worry ... it won't have been pumping for half an hour!
Web browser shows a 404 / not found message when trying to access Device Control Panel
The system control panel will be an IP address (http://192.168.1.10 for example). A 404 error means that your phone cannot find the control box. Make sure it’s turned on, awake, and your phone is connected to the control unit WiFi (eg HARVST-xxxx)