After discovering Alpha’s extended warranties and attending a comprehensive training session with the company, Jade Bekir Bayram, Director of DTC Services in London made the decision to exclusively install Alpha’s boilers. Impressed with the range of products available and the reduced number of callbacks he then received; Jade decided to install one of the systems in his own home when extending the property.
For over 20 years, Jade has installed boilers across homes in Woolwich and South East London. Throughout that period, he has built his name on outstanding workmanship, excellent customer service and a strong understanding of the technical requirements of fitting heating systems. Despite his hard work, Jade began to experience an increasing number of callbacks from customers with faulty boilers. Time after time, Jade would return to a job to find that the problem was the result of manufacturer error. Regardless, he was obligated to take time out of his busy work schedule to revisit customers’ homes and help fix the issues.
Speaking on his decision, Jade commented: “I’ve always felt comfortable fitting boilers from different manufacturers, but I’d never aligned myself with one particular brand. I started to notice the units I was working with seemed more cheaply made; more plastic, less metal. Therefore, it was no surprise when I started getting callbacks from customers. Still, it started to become a real headache, especially as I was busy dealing with paid jobs. It meant that not only did I have to go back and fix issues that I didn’t cause, but it also stopped me from taking on new jobs.”
Disillusioned with what was happening, Jade decided to make a change. Unsure where to begin, he visited his local plumbers’ merchant, Aqueous Design, and met with one of Alpha Heating Innovation’s representatives, Lee Mumford. After explaining the problems he was facing, Lee recommended looking for boilers with extended warranties. It did not take long for the conversation to shift to Alpha Heating Innovation’s new E-Tec Plus Combi Boiler range. The model comes with a ten-year warranty as standard, which can be extended for a further three years with the company’s PremierPack Extra.
“As soon as I heard about the 13-year warranty, I was immediately intrigued. It seemed to be a great way to solve the issue I was having with callbacks on faulty boilers. The extended warranty was a major selling point, but I also needed to know if Alpha Heating Innovation’s boilers would perform effectively. I was really impressed with what I found out; the E-Tec range features stainless steel heat exchangers and were less expensive than the models I’d previously been installing.”
Getting hands-on with the boilers helped Jade to learn the basics, but he felt that additional product knowledge was necessary before he started work in customer’s homes. To this end, he spoke with Lee to organise a dedicated training day at one of Alpha Heating Innovation’s technical centres. Over the space of a day, Jade and the technical team went through everything needed to complete an installation perfectly. What is more, the training team provided him with a greater insight into other products within the company’s catalogue. During this period, Jade learned how the company’s SolarSmart product could be connected to a traditional combi boiler for an effective, modern solution.
“The team at the training centre were amazing and really helped build my understanding of the products in Alpha’s extensive product portfolio. Seeing how all these different products fitted into a single system was amazing and opened my eyes to the possibility of pitching additional solutions to customers. I left the training day feeling confident about installing the systems, but it also gave me the knowledge to cross sell additional products when on a job. During this time, I started thinking about installing one of the units in my home on an upcoming renovation project I had planned.”
The project was an extension on Jade’s semi-detached home in Eltham, South East London. After being impressed by what he saw at the training, Jade decided to install an E-Tec Plus 33 boiler in his home along with a GasSaver and the SolarSmart package. The innovative solution combines the uncompromising performance of a traditional combi boiler, with the more enhanced efficiencies of flue gas heat recovery and the solar thermal system. Crucially, the unique combination means there is no need for an unvented cylinder as the SolarSmart panel does the majority of the work, with the combi boiler on hand to top the system up should it be required.
The E-Tec Plus 33 boiler features a new stainless steel heat exchanger and a host of high quality components. To further improve energy efficiency performance, Jade fitted a GasSaver to the boiler. By extracting heat from gas that would normally be wasted, the GasSaver enables the boiler to use, on average, 35% less gas to produce hot water. In turn, this reduction is helping Jade to cut the carbon footprint of his home and reduce his energy bills. What is more, the system comes with a comprehensive ten-year warranty.
“I’m delighted with my decision to have these products installed and believe they will make a big difference to my home. The new system combines cost, energy and space efficiency, but still delivers the performance associated with older models. It truly is the best of both worlds and I’d recommend the system to anyone working on a big renovation. More than anything, it’s a good feeling to know that the products you’re installing in customers’ homes are the same ones you trust to perform in your own house.”