Last year, a contractor offered Ecohome two projects at once. In Waspik and Sint-Michielsgestel, two villages in the region around Den Bosch, a total of twelve semi-detached starter homes were being completed that needed to be equipped with heat pumps. Based on the experience he had already gained with the Blackbird at his parents' home, Van Dijk decided to install the same heat pump in these houses as well.

"A small challenge in Waspik was the tight schedule. The contractor's tower crane had to be used elsewhere for this project. To avoid delays, I drove to Duizel myself with a trailer to pick up the eight heat pumps, which were neatly ready for collection. Weheat always has everything in stock, with no long wait times."

The installation of the heat pumps in Waspik and Sint-Michielsgestel went smoothly, says Van Dijk. "And everyone is very satisfied with the result; the project developer, the residents, and their neighbors alike." By the latter, Van Dijk means that the neighbors of the new-build homes barely see the heat pumps, and certainly don't hear them. "In both projects, with one exception, the Blackbird was placed on top of the dormer window; at that other house, the heat pump is on the roof of the extension. Because the Blackbird lies horizontally rather than standing upright, the air is blown upwards, making it very quiet. With the heat pumps I used to install, neighbors would sometimes complain about noise pollution. That has never been an issue with these two housing blocks."

Built-in ‘smart features’

One of the aspects that appeals to Van Dijk about the heat pumps from Weheat are the - in his words - ‘smart features’ that the manufacturer builds in. As an example, he mentions the sensor that measures the outside temperature. "Normally, that is placed on the north side of the house, out of the sun. That often means the electrician has to lay a conduit with a cable, which takes extra work and doesn't look very attractive. With Weheat, that outdoor sensor is simply connected via a bus connection at the bottom of the heat pump, where you can't see it. That is a much more elegant solution. The same applies to the built-in service switch. This prevents the need for a separate box, which also doesn't improve the look of the installation." Furthermore, Van Dijk praises the innovative portal and software developed for the heat pump. "Adjusting settings, resetting, running tests, you name it; many things for which I would otherwise have had to drive to my customers, I can now manage remotely. That saves a lot of time and hassle."

In the homes in Waspik and Sint-Michielsgestel, a control box and a 200-liter boiler tank from Weheat were installed. A buffer tank is not necessary for these projects; even without that addition, there is always more than enough flow through the underfloor heating. Van Dijk is also very pleased with the Weheat boiler tanks.

"Because they are finished in black, they look chicer than the standard white tanks," he explains. In addition, the material used makes them a lot lighter, and they are equipped with handles. "If you have to carry such a tank upstairs, it makes quite a difference whether it weighs 80 kilos or - like the Weheat boiler tank - 47 kilos." The fact that Weheat boiler tanks are not made of ordinary steel, like some other models on the market, but of lighter stainless steel, brings another advantage. "This prevents the central heating water from turning rust-brown after a few years and containing small particles that cause wear and tear."

Full switch

As mentioned, Van Dijk has now fully switched to Weheat as his supplier: "What do I tell a customer who insists on a heat pump from another brand? Very simple: that they would be better off finding another installer. I only want to install Weheat heat pumps." Besides the innovative power and product quality of Weheat, the speed of service and after-sales support was also decisive in that decision.

"Previously, when I installed heat pumps from another manufacturer, if I called with a problem on a Friday afternoon at 5 p.m., I would be told that the office was closed and I had to call a service partner. That means the problem is pushed over the weekend, and it takes far too long for it to be resolved for me - and for the customer sitting in the cold. With Weheat, support doesn't stop at 5 p.m. In fact, I was once called by them about one of the heat pumps I had installed. That unit had gone into error shortly before, without me even having seen it in the portal yet. I miss that kind of speed with other manufacturers."

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Another point Van Dijk mentions is that other parties in the market often "supply mass-produced items that do not excel in flexibility." He illustrates this with an example: "The heat pumps from the previous manufacturer I worked with only work with their own thermostat of the same brand. You encounter such a 'closed system' with most manufacturers. That is not the case with Weheat; I can simply determine the best option in consultation with the customer, regardless of the thermostat brand."

Finally, Van Dijk returns briefly to the projects in Waspik and Sint-Michielsgestel.

After the installation was completed, Weheat called me to ask about any challenges I faced, what the results were, and if there was room for improvement. Weheat genuinely thinks along with you and takes feedback very seriously, which helps optimize both their products and the service they provide to installers. For me as an installer, that is incredibly motivating.  

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