Heating and air conditioning is usually a very boring thing performed by appliance-like boxes of uninspired design, from sheet metal outdoor units to cheap plastic indoor mini-splits. is.
It's not a quilt.
The heat pump startup unveiled its first products on Wednesday, and they boast the kind of sleek, intuitive design you'd expect from the Apple, Nest, Google, and Tesla veterans. Each unit is intended to heat or cool one room of hers, and has an app and a thermostat-like dial from which the customer can set the temperature for the entire house. Additionally, the appearance of your indoor mini-split can be customized. Want your unit to stand out? Made of oak veneer. Do you want to fit in? With Quilt you can paint or wallpaper the front panel to match your surroundings.
Quilt's customizable front panel allows it to blend into more décor than a regular white mini-split. Image credit: Quilt
While design is a big part of the appeal, the startup wants to make the overall heat pump experience better. Quilt is present at every step of the process, including permitting and installation, streamlining the purchasing and installation process. Total cost for a single zone: $6,499 before rebates.
Quilt's outdoor unit is sleek and discreet. Image credit: Quilt
That price is slightly above the median installation cost for a single-zone heat pump, according to Rewiring America. Quilts are a great deal if you have an open floor plan with one air conditioner. But for those looking to redo their entire home with quilts, including all bedrooms, the cost can add up and exceed Rewiring America's median estimate for a whole home.
Quilts are not only great for design, but also for functionality. The outdoor unit is rated at a powerful 18,000 BTU and can maintain 90% of its heating capacity down to -13°F. Each indoor unit can pump out 9,000 BTU, and you can connect two to one outdoor unit. The refrigerant R-32 flowing through the system has a lower global warming potential than the more widely used R-410a. This system's efficiency and performance ratings place it at the high end of the market.
In addition to indoor and outdoor units that reflect vintage Apple design, the system is packed with computing power. Featuring a touchscreen and rotating controls, the Dial can control multiple rooms and is compatible with both Thread and Matter smart home communication protocols. The app also allows iOS and Android users to control home-wide settings and customize how the system reacts when the room is unoccupied.
The quilted dial allows you to adjust the temperature in any zone.Image credit: Quilt
The Sense module below the mini-split handles the computing needs of a single zone. This includes mmWave occupancy sensors, which are expected to be more accurate than passive infrared sensors, which can generate false vacancy signals when unoccupied. moving around. This means your quilt should be great at keeping your room warm or cool while you're watching TV or sleeping.
Also, because the Quilt indoor unit is very short, it can be installed above windows and doors, which is often requested by customers but cannot be installed with other mini-splits. For a fun touch, it also includes accent lighting with customizable colors.
The quilted indoor unit can also be used as an accent light or night light.Image credit: Quilt
The company is taking pre-orders starting Wednesday, and installations are expected to begin in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer. Los Angeles residents will follow in the fall, and the quilt plans to expand to subsequent areas based on reservation demand. Last month, Quilt raised $33 million in Series A funding to help bring its heat pumps to market. Co-founder and CEO Paul Lambert said at the time that the goal was to transform the company from a “research and development organization” to a “real company.”