As well as supplying a comprehensive range of heating, plumbing and renewable energy solutions for domestic and commercial projects. Heat Merchants goes the extra mile by providing a range of technical support services, heating and plumbing system design, commissioning, ancillary certification, aftersales service and installer training.
DELIVERING SOLUTIONS
Peter O’Brien, a highly experienced Building Services Engineer, heads up the National Sales Team spread across 32 branches. “Our Business Development Managers work closely with our Branch Managers to ensure that our local and national customers are given the best service possible,” says Peter.
“Our branch network enables us to serve all customer types from the man in the van right up to a national contractor. My team has the knowledge and experience to assist consultants and contractors on the specification and design of all types of projects ranging from residential sites to commercial plantrooms. We are the agents in Ireland for some fantastic brands including Panasonic, Stelrad, Strebel and Warmhaus to name a few.
“We track and manage our projects using a CRM system which enables us to constantly monitor our stock levels to ensure that we have sufficient stock in place for our customers. Due to our network of branches, we can help contractors on site by holding the goods in the local branch and enabling the contractor to draw down stock in stages exactly when needed. This helps contractors greatly as they don’t have to store goods on site that may get damaged etc.
“With legislation driving the industry to focus more on renewable technologies, our Sales Team is constantly upskilling to ensure that they can offer our customers the latest technology and most energy efficient solutions. “So from the design phase right through to the commissioning and handover we have you covered.”
TECHNICAL DESIGN
Mechanical Engineer, Enda McGowan, has 21 years’ service with Heat Merchants and leads the company’s in-house team of engineers who provide customers with complete technical designs for the mechanical services in both single and multi-residential projects. Enda and his crew of five qualified engineers provide a full design service and are supported by two dedicated specifiers who look after pricing for projects.
“Once the sales team request that we work on a project the design team will liaise with the contractor, BER Assessor and consultant engineer to gather the information that we need to complete the design,” explains Enda. “The designers will apply the current standards within the Irish industry – typically NSAI standards – and complete a heat loss calculation using the building plans and the dwelling report for the project.
“Next, we accurately assess what the dwelling requires to provide the best possible design for the projects. We will detail the heat source, domestic hot water requirements, the size and number of emitters per room etc. Once this has been agreed with the contractors and the items are purchased through Heat Merchants, the designers will then complete the design and provide the detailed mechanical and electrical schematics. When the M&E installation is finalised as specified we will sign off on the design for the BER Assessor and the building contractor. Heat Merchants technical designs are supported by professional indemnity insurance and we offer ancillary certification which is a guarantee that systems will perform as intended when installed in accordance with our design.”
COMMISSIONING, SERVICING AND TRAINING
The aftersales service is overseen by Pat Smith, a Refrigeration Engineer with over 23 years’ experience in the HVAC industry. He joined Heat Merchants in 2016 as a Technical Services Engineer and is now their National Renewable Sales Manager.
“There are three main parts to our aftersales service,” explains Pat. “Firstly, we deliver a comprehensive commissioning service for all Panasonic air-to-water heat pumps. Secondly, we take care of the manufacturer warranty requirements for all Panasonic heat pumps as well as Warmhaus and Vaillant gas boilers. We also provide annual servicing for our heat pump clients.
“Lastly, we are an approved training centre and conduct Panasonic heat pump installer training courses throughout the year. These are available online, on site and in-house depending on what works best for our customers. We will provide training to every client so that they have the skills and knowledge required to confidently install a Panasonic heat pump and we will also be on hand to answer queries and provide any technical support they may need after the initial training. We’re not just selling a ‘box’, we’re selling the full package.
“We have recently launched heat pump servicing featuring Panasonic’s Aquarea Smart Cloud, which enables us to offer a remote diagnostics service to the homeowner. We fit a Wi-Fi adapter to the heat pump,” says Pat, “which allows us to access the system remotely via Panasonic’s Aquarea Service Cloud and diagnose and remedy an issue remotely or identify if there is an actual fault. If this is the case, we can use the information obtained remotely to ensure that our Technical Services Engineers attend site with the correct parts to resolve the issue quickly and with as little service interruption as possible.
“People invest a lot of money in their new homes but often don’t realise that the heat pump is potentially the biggest asset they have. It should therefore be serviced on an annual basis to uphold the warranty terms and to ensure its performance and longevity.
Pat added, “We genuinely care about the ‘boxes’ that we sell, and we will still be here to take care of all your aftersales needs long after the packaging has been recycled.
“Together with Enda and Peter’s teams, we aim to exceed our clients’ expectations, and this is what makes us anything but ordinary. Heat Merchants have you covered!”
Heat Merchants, Unit 2 Moydrum Road, Athlone, Co Westmeath, N37 K5W4
T: +353 (090) 6442300 – E: enquiries@heatmerchants.ie
www.heatmerchants.ie
