Sean from East Coast Plumbing and Gas is ready to help you find the right heating solution for your home.
If you’re considering how to heat your home this Winter, a visit to the East Coast Plumbing and Gas Heating Showroom should be at the top of your to-do list.
That’s because when you book an appointment to visit the Heating Showroom at 308 Albert Street, Hastings; the team at East Coast Plumbing and Gas connect you with an expert. It’s part of the process they follow to help you find the right heating solution for your home.
Sean Patrick is the resident Central Heating expert, a Master Plumber and Gasfitter, and the owner of East Coast Plumbing and Gas. He says that asking customers the right questions makes it easier to suggest a smart solution that’s going to do the right job. Here’s how he talks his customers through the process.
“When customers come into the showroom, I start off by asking them what they’re thinking about doing. It’s important that I understand what they want to achieve with any heating solution they put in. If they want to heat a room, a group of rooms or a whole house. And it’s important to find out if they already have a solution in mind when they come to us.”
East Coast Plumbing and Gas specialise in gas fires and heaters, heat pumps and Central Heating systems. Even though the team can sell and install a wide range of appliances, Sean doesn’t like to talk about the solution until he has a good idea of the problem.
“It’s really important to find out the size of the space that our customers want to heat. Appliances have a floor area they are designed to work for. Matching the appliance to the size of the area to be heated is an important part of making sure it can operate efficiently and deliver cost-effective results.
I like to understand the details about the house we’re going to be heating so we can work out what will and won’t work for the space. Is there a specific wall that the customer wants the fire on, or are they looking for a solution that’s not going to visible on the walls of the house. By understanding what the flow of the home is and how rooms are connected and used we can get closer to the best solution.”
When customers book an appointment at the heating showroom, Sean asks them to bring in their floor plans and measurements so he can give them a realistic idea of what will work.
“We don’t want to waste people’s time by showing them a gas fire that’s not going to heat the space they’re looking at. We stock the latest designs from Rinnai, and selected gas fires from Rais. If we know what size of room we need to heat then we can quickly match people up with the right models.”
Sean also asks customers about the construction of the home. This is important so he can understand how a central heating system, heater, heat pump or fire will be installed. Installation cost can vary depending on the size of the system and the type of house it’s getting put into. The more information Sean has upfront, the easier it can be to make the best recommendation.
“We’re looking out for anything that might make it hard to install a system. Concrete floors stop us being able to install below so we’ll look at working with the walls and ceilings/roof space. If it’s a flat roofed house then we might need to rely on the floors.
Each house is different and presents a different set of challenges. The good news is that there are a lot of heating options available so it’s usually pretty straightforward to find a good solution.
We also make sure we always talk about insulation up front as well. Having the right insulation makes sure that the heat our customers have invested in doesn’t end up leaking out of windows, doors and walls.”
Sean doesn’t like to talk about cost until he’s got a really good understanding of what his customers are working with and hoping to achieve. That’s because he wants to be able to give them a range of options so they can work out the most effective solution for them.
“Heating your home with a wood fire might be your preference, but often when customers see how good the gas flame looks and realise they’ll never need to cart a load of wood from under the house again: they recognise it’s a smarter solution.
Efficiently heating your home isn’t just about warming it up, it’s also about making sure it doesn’t get too warm. That’s another way a central heating system or gas fire can give you total control.”
Matching needs to solutions allows Sean to provide his customers with the most cost effective way to heat their home. Cost effective because it delivers what they want and cost effective because it’s been matched to their needs so can do the job as efficiently as possible.
“I never go into a conversation thinking I’m going to offer a specific product. It’s about listening to what the customer wants to achieve first and understanding what they’re working with. Then I can show them some options from the range we have on display in the showroom.”
Being able to look at and touch the radiators and heaters that Sean installs is a big advantage of visiting the Heating Showroom. Fires and Central Heating systems can be hard to visualise online, so being face-to-face with the options makes it much easier to imagine it in your own home.
“Once the customer has chosen the right solution for their home, I can tell them what they will pay for the appliance and roughly how much installation will cost. If they’re happy then we arrange a follow up meeting at their house to provide a detailed quote.
The process works really well because it helps our customers understand the full range of options available, that can deliver exactly what they need. It’s a great way to introduce customers to whole home heating solutions like Central Heating and Ducted Heat Pumps. Sometimes customers didn’t even realise it was possible to warm every room in their home.”
If you are considering how you will keep your home warm this Winter, or you’re planning for a family member who’s feeling the cold, book an appointment today. A chat with Sean will help you understand what solutions will work best for your home, as well as how much the heating system will cost.