Regional Winners

East of England Regional Winner 

Name: Tyson Louis
Business: Fairway Heating and Plumbing

Please tell us about a project you are particularly proud of – what was the problem and how did you solve it for the customer?

I was called into an existing installation to put it right and install a new boiler system for a large 6-bedroom house as a previous builder had installed some underfloor heating but was unable to finish the job.

To begin with, I had to specify the right size boilers and hot water cylinder for the property. I performed a full heat loss calculation for the property, taking into account both the underfloor heating downstairs and the 16 radiators upstairs. Following this, I opted for two 24kwh boilers rather than one 48kwh boiler, as whilst the house was large, it was still a domestic property and so we wanted to keep the system compliant with domestic regulations.

As the underfloor heating pipes and cables for the thermostats downstairs had already been installed by the previous builder, we needed to ensure that these worked and understand how and where they were connected. The biggest problem with this job was that the customer was no longer in contact with the builder that had previously worked on the job following a dispute, so I wasn’t able to simply ask them. So, as the flooring had already been put down I used a thermal imaging gun to check that the pipes were in working order and used a cable tracer to work out which cables were connected to each of the thermostats. After assessing the work that had already been done, I installed the underfloor heating manifolds and connected these to existing pipes that had been installed by the previous builder.

I also had to boost the incoming water mains as, previously, the customers had not been able to run two showers at once due to poor water pressure despite this being a large family home. This means that the upstairs and downstairs showers can now be used at the same time. I also opted to include a secondary return with hot water priority, as it was previously taking a minute and a half for hot water to reach the furthest point of the house.

Which products did you select for the job and why?

I fitted two Vaillant system boilers because the client was already familiar with the product, having had a Valiant boiler previously. They’re also easy to get hold of so if anything went wrong, it would be easy to source the parts for repairs.

I also used a Spirocross Low Loss Header for its pump speed, flow rate and efficiency and a Tempest 300L hot water unvented cylinder one as this was the most economical. In a house with 2 adults and 2 kids, heat recovery on cylinder heats it up quicker and I fitted a power tank mains booster tank 50l. I hadn’t used power tank products before but this one met the needs of the family and the property for the best price.

I used heatmiser smart controls and these were already purchased by the client, along with their underfloor heating. The smart controls allow the customer to conveniently control their heating via an app on their phone.

Tell us what was different or unique about this job? Why does it stand out?

This job was unique because it required some correction work to begin with as previous guys working on the house did not know how to install a heating system in such a large property. As I mentioned earlier, the main issue with this job was that I wasn’t able to ask the previous guy about the work he had done which meant that I had to use my experience and skill to investigate and correct their work and get the system in this house to work correctly. This accounted for a large amount of the time spent on the job which was 10 days in total.

Another unique element of this job was the fact it needed two boilers. This isn’t something I’ve ever had to do before so it was a challenge that I was proud to find a solution for.

And finally, tell us what the end result was for your customer?

The customer is delighted with the installation as I managed to keep the system kW size under 70k so it was still classed as a domestic system. This meant that no new gas meters and pipes into the house had to be changed as the installation was still classed as a domestic property, saving money for the customer as a result.

The customer is also making a massive saving on their energy bills and the property is now zoned so they can shut off the heating in unused parts of the house. The heating is also running at a lower temperature than the hot water, making it even more efficient

I will also be installing a similar set up in a few weeks’ time for one of the customer’s neighbours, who came over to take a look at the system. He loved it so much; he’s booked me in to do the same thing in his property. If that isn’t great feedback, I don’t know what is.

Vote for your 2023 National Heating Installer