Alpha Heating Innovation was recently involved in a housing renovation project for ex-rugby player Taylor Gough. Taylor, who is wheelchair bound, required a reliable, high performance boiler that could be easily controlled remotely. Mayo Plumbing & Heating Services approached Alpha, which led to the specification of an Alpha E-Tec Plus and Alpha Connect control.
This installation was one of many renovations being made to the home of former Leicester Tigers player Taylor Gough and his girlfriend Tilly. The young couple had faced a traumatic year after Taylor was involved in a car accident, which rendered him paralysed from the chest down.
Due to the nature of Taylor’s condition, he spends large amounts of time stationary, making him vulnerable to cold temperatures. Therefore, the heating products used within the house were of fundamental importance. This responsibility was appointed to Rick Reilly of Mayo Plumbing & Heating Services who, on hearing Taylor’s story, offered to complete the plumbing work required free of charge.
“Taylor’s situation really hit home for me,” Rick commented. “Like Taylor, my son plays rugby and is around the same age – it could have been him or any of his friends. After all my time in the industry, I wanted to give something back.”
As part of the renovation, Rick sought a reliable boiler that would effectively fulfil the needs of the refurbished bungalow. The primary criteria for the boiler concerned its performance, which had to accommodate for the bugalow’s two showers. However, Rick also wanted to specify a boiler that could be easily controlled by Taylor remotely via an app, so that he wouldn’t have to worry about getting close to access the boiler itself.
In his local Plumbase in Tamworth, Rick was recommended Alpha’s E-Tec Plus 38kW boiler. With a flow rate of 15.9 litres per minute, this 39kg boiler would fulfill the necessary performance requirements for the bungalow. In addition, it could be controlled remotely via an app when installed in conjunction with the Alpha Connect WI-FI controlled wireless thermostat.
Users can easily control all the normal features expected from a thermostat, such as temperature selection, individual day programming, frost protection and holiday mode, via a phone or tablet device. It also has a geolocation function, with a reminder to turn the heating off if the homeowner is too far away from the property, saving energy and lowering bills.
The E-Tec Plus also provides a durable solution as it has a stainless steel heat exchanger and zinc plated expansion vessel to prevent corrosion. It also features a high efficiency Grundfos pump and hydroblock assembly, in addition to a Honeywell PCB and gas valve. As a mark of quality assurance – it comes with a 10 year warranty.
With the boiler and the Alpha Connect control selected, and having had a positive experience with Alpha in the past, Rick got in touch with the company’s service team. He explained Taylor’s story and the ongoing renovation to see if Alpha could provide any further assistance.
“Alpha’s service team were incredible,” said Rick. “After I told them about the project, they offered us a generous discount on the boiler – helping us to keep the costs to Taylor and Tilly right down. I was very impressed.
“The installation was also simple. As someone who’s been in the industry for a long time, I had no problems at all. However, the Alpha team made themselves completely available should I have needed assistance at any point. I will definitely be using Alpha again in the future.”
