Polar Bear Geo Thermal Systems Inc. Pump Mfg

About 12 years ago we had a ClimateMaster geothermal furnace installed in a new build. In 2021 the unit was low on refrigerant (locked out with an error: low air coil temp - i could see ice on the air coil in A/C mode) so there was likely a small leak somewhere. The installers got acquired and abandoned geothermal systems servicing so I got a hold of one local "geothermal expert" to come in to take a look. He came in with no gauges, just a tank of R410A refrigerant, connected it to the port and cranked it. The compressor was flooded and was not happy - it was extremely loud and blaring. He then proceeded to tell me my compressor was dead and said he needed to order a new one to replace it. For a geo expert to come in with no measurement equipment and for him to declare the compressor dead without measuring across the compressor's 3 windings first I knew something was not right - even if we replaced the compressor (for $thousands!) the underlying cause of compressor failure would still cause a subsequent failure on the replaced compressor as he didn't do ANY root cause analysis).

I called another company and they came in, and did things properly but could not locate the leak. They said it was most likely the water coil (refrigerant leaking into the water coil heat exchanger). Since the unit was working, it was obviously not the compressor (as the prior geo 'expert' claimed).

2023 snowstorm and power outage at Xmas time comes and the system stopped again. The refrigerant was low and we had a low water temp error on the thermostat. Called the company in and sure enough low refrigerant. He attempted to pump in more refrigerant but identified a large hissing sound coming from the water coil. There was a large rusted out hole there. The company did not want to replace the water coil (a big job) so suggested a whole geo furnace replacement. Big $$$ ($25-30k!). It was understandable that they did not want to attempt such a large job.

I called around, and found a couple of guys willing to take a look. Dennis from Polar Bear was one. Dennis' company, Polar Bear, manufactures geothermal units. He came by to take a look and quickly gave two options: A whole new system, or he could repair it. Dennis sounded like he knew what he was talking about and so we went with the repair.

There were a couple of delays before Dennis could come because of things outside of his control (weather, closed highways etc.), but Dennis was always sure to communicate with me clearly and ahead of time so I could rework my schedule. On the first day, Dennis removed the damaged water coil, brought very heavy water coils, took the time to insulate them very well and brazed them together. Because the cabinet was too small to house the larger coils he placed them on top of the cabinet. After spending the equivalent of 2 days, brazing, replacing filter dryers, and insulating, he pressure tested with Nitrogen and then put the system under a vacuum. The vacuum was excellent and he refilled the refrigerant as he carefully watched his gauges. He explained what he was doing every step of the way and documented the amount of refrigerant in my geo furnace to bring it to optimal. He then replaced the POE oil that was lost during the leak and loosened up the spring mounts to the compressor (which the installers failed to do!). The compressor is running quieter than ever before!

Finally we fired up the unit and it now works again!

Dennis is an honest, hard working individual that is one of the very few geothermal / water source heat pump specialists around. No one else dared touch our repair as it was akin to "open heart surgery", but Dennis stepped up and loves the problem solving. I also learned a lot as I looked over his shoulder as he worked as he explained every step of what he was doing.

Pro tip 1: If a so-called HVAC specialist works on anything with a compressor in it and blames the compressor first, run like the wind.

Pro tip 2: If a so-called HVAC specialist shows up with no gauges, no measurement equipment and only a tank of refrigerant and a hose. DO NOT LET THEM START. We were lucky that the first so-called geo expert didn't destroy our compressor.

Pro tip 3: Dennis is an older gentleman, and so if you assist him in some tasks like helping him carry equipment it'll make the job that much faster, and he'll appreciate it. If I had known about his expertise I would have purchased his Polar Bear system 12 years ago. If you learn about water source heat pumps a little bit before you interface with Dennis it will go a long way in understanding what Dennis is doing every step of the way and appreciate the complexity he has to deal with on a daily basis. I have read some reviews on Homestars that he is a very direct communicator and can be abrupt. On the contrary, I appreciate his candour and passion for geothermal science and he is happy to teach about what he is doing. He is a very in demand expert (he gets many phone calls), so having patience before he shows up is recommended. Once he starts the job he is determined to finish the job right.

Dennis is highly recommended! No one was willing to solve our issue, but Dennis stepped up and did so in a big way.

I had a brand new, 4400 square foot home made in the Laurentians. I Purchased Polar Bear Heat pump and had it installed locally, well outside of the regular Polar Bear service corridor. A local installer was not familiar with this heat pump and installed the thermostat incorrectly. I called Dennis Campbell (owner), who provided advice and got me in touch with Wayne. Wayne made two service calls, hours out of his way, to change the thermostat, upgraded components, and fine tune the unit. It's been working perfectly ever since - costing a small fraction of what a conventional heating system would cost.

Polar Bear does a great job! we are on Georgian Bay and the system was installed 13 years ago with only the need for one service call. Dennis came out and did some upgrades to make even more efficient and set up smart thermostat. Cost to run is very low and and heats over 5,000 sq. ft. in a tough and cold winter environment.
Highly recommend.

We have had geothermal ground source heat pumps in our home for over 30 years.
The original system was replaced with a Polar Bear Geothermal System by Dennis , 11 years ago. We have been very happy and never had a problem with our Polar Bear system. The Polar Bear system achieves has much greater efficiencies then our previous unit, which translates to lower Hydro bills

Today, we tried to update to a Wi-Fi thermostat. Dennis spent 2 hours on a video chat, talking us through the faults triggered by the thermostat change and then helped us correct the wiring, which we had meticulously done incorrectly. Not just helping us correct it but explaining each step and test, allowing us a greater understanding of our system.
Dennis builds the best geothermal products in the business. His knowledge and understanding of the systems is unsurpassed. If you have any questions or concerns with your system, Dennis is quick to respond and most issues can be resolved over the phone but will promptly home visit if necessary. Dennis generously shares his knowledge and time, all with patience and a sense of humour.

Blew our thermostat and tripped our geothermal system. Dennis walked us through setting up emergency heat and then managed our replacement theermostat - then came out at 9PM to make sure we had heat! He is easy to get hold of and knows his stuff!

I reside in a house in a small rural hamlet near Newcastle ON. Three of my neighbours have Polar Bear systems. One system is 20yrs old the others are 10 yrs. Their positive recommendations convinced us to instal a Polar Bear system approx. 10 yrs ago.
The only problem that I have had in 10 years was the replacement of the wall mounted Honeywell Thermostat last fall. Polar Bear supplied the unit and It was fixed in 5 minutes. Otherwise my wife and I, and we can speak for our neighbours, have not had any issues with our systems.
A while ago a new neighbour was moving into our area and called me for feedback on our heating system. He was going to replace the oil burner and was thinking maybe a heat pump. I referred him to Polar Bear and told him how happy we were with our system.
I met our new neighbour at the grocery store the other day and he told me he had gone on the Homestars website to review Polar Bear and their was a strongly negative review. He told me it spooked him and he had not called Polar Bear.
I have just read that review and it is in my opinion aggressively negative. That was certainly not mine, or our neighbours experience.
I assume Homestars has my email address and I invite them to contact me and I will tell them about Polar Bear's excellent service and their problem free system. I will also refer them to our neighbours.

Run away when you see this company, don't know why anyone would want to invest in this company or use their services

It takes days for them to show up for a service call and their machine has frequent problems

The owner is also a technician for his own company, he is a dirty salesman and offer people a 20 year warranty when he is 70 years old himself

He has no respect and safety concerns for his workers

I wouldn't recommend him to anyone

Cheap to operate. I've never had a Warranty Claim since installing this unit. Easy to operate. Well written manuals.
44,000 btu Output Open Loop Geothermal Water Furnace, including Air Conditioning, Hot Water Heater & built in Electric Backup Heat Core heating system. It is turned OFF until needed.

Worst system ever. Breaks down frequently. Very hard to get service. Only one service guy. We breakdown in the winter and service takes days to show up, we breakdown in summer; same issue. Often doesn't show when he says he will and doesn't bother to call and let us know. There is so much more I no longer have the heart to elaborate. The system was in the house when we bought it.

Don't use this company!!!!!!

Have just survived coldest Feb. in the 13 years I have had my Polar Bear water source heat pump. I enjoyed even, comfortable heat without any backup heat source. It is nice not to worry about wood, propane, or oil. Other than answering some questions, I have only had one service call and that was to upgrade some components to provide more efficient and cost effective operation of the unit, Thanks Dennis for your help and support.