From its base in Carlow town, Fenlon Heating & Plumbing consistently delivers industry-leading installation and maintenance services to the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. We had a chat with hands-on proprietor Dan Fenlon to gain an insight into this exceptional family-run plumbing and heating contracting company.
Although Fenlon Heating & Plumbing is a relatively new name, having been established as recently as 2019, the company has hit the ground running to quickly establish itself as the go-to heating and plumbing contractor in Carlow and surrounding counties. Founder Dan Fenlon boasts two decades’ experience working on-site across all aspects of heating and plumbing and his trusty team of experienced engineers are on hand to promptly and professionally deliver tidy and value-added gas and oil boiler installation and repair services as well as maintenance and preventative plumbing, bathroom renovations, domestic heating and plumbing works, and renewable energy solutions and much more besides.
Fenlon Heating & Plumbing is registered with F-GAS, RGII and OFTEC and therefore fully compliant with all current industry regulation. Ongoing training and upskilling of engineers ensures that the team remains fully up to date with the latest technologies and best practice methods.
Registered with SEAI, Fenlon Heating & Plumbing are also approved to carry out grant-assisted works. Recently, they have also partnered up with Calor and Worcester Bosch to launch a new hybrid energy solution featuring Bosch air-to-water heat pump, a Bosch LPG boiler and a Calor gas tank – an innovative system which combines the efficiency of a Bosch heat pump with the reliability of Calor gas-powered heating to deliver an ideal solution for modern home energy needs.
“The hybrid system is proving very popular with customers,” Dan confirms. “People who aren’t fully won over by heat pumps have the added reassurance of the gas boiler back-up. It’s a great system and we even had it installed in our own home, which Calor then used as their promo for the hybrid system.
“In the retrofit market especially, the reality is that heat pumps aren’t always the answer. It all depends on the individual house. With this hybrid system, you get the best of both worlds and complete peace of mind. The heat pump can do a percentage of the work and once you have the back-up of the gas boiler, you know you won’t be left in the lurch.”
Working with suppliers like Calor and Bosch, gives us the confidence to embrace new technologies and continue to move forward within the industry. The support and training provided by companies like Bosch, for whom we are an accredited installer and Calor is key to staying at the forefront of developments in the industry.
Casting his mind back to the genesis of Fenlon Heating & Plumbing, Dan continues: “I started up the business in 2019. Plumbing is what I’ve always done, and I have a 20-year background in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors, going back to when I started my apprenticeship at 18.
“For health reasons, my employer at the time, for whom I’d been working for ten years, had to retire. He was thinking of his customers and had a plan in his head, so he approached me about starting my own company. I set up Fenlon Heating & Plumbing and was able to take on all his old customers as well as adding my own and building the business up. From the customers’ side, it was a seamless transition and that was the most important thing.”
Five years in, Fenlon Heating & Plumbing is going from strength to strength: “I have no regrets,” says Dan. “With any business you will have your ups and downs, and we are learning and improving every year, but we have come a long way and are really happy with how things are going so far. We went from being an employee to running an established business and had to adapt quickly. It probably took the best part of a year and a half to learn how to run a business and get it off the ground. My wife, Sinead, left her job to help with the administration side and her input has been immeasurable. It wouldn’t have been something I’d have taken on if she hadn’t agreed to be part of it.”
No two days are the same at Fenlon Heating & Plumbing, where the work is typically quite varied. “We cover all areas, including a lot of domestic work and, being from Carlow town, obviously quite a bit of gas. We take on a lot of new builds which now generally involves renewable energy systems. It’s a complete mix from one day to the next – gas boiler replacements, bathroom upgrades, boiler breakdowns, maintenance work… “From September through to April heating season is in full swing and then during the summer we tend to move focus towards bathroom upgrades and plumbing works. On top of that, you’re always doing private home maintenance throughout the year as well as commercial work on business premises”.
At the time of writing, the Fenlon Heating & Plumbing team comprised eight on road engineers plus three office administrators. “I’m very happy with the team and it’s important to me that I can trust them to go to any job and do tidy and professional work. The feedback from customers is positive and the team are consistent in meeting the high standard of work that we as a company have set out to achieve. “We’re constantly upskilling the team to make sure they are the best they can be. We have three apprentices in the team and one newly qualified plumber who straight away was enrolled at METAC in Mountrath for further OFTEC oil training. I’m very happy with the team that we have built up at present, and we are hoping to expand. Indeed, we’re currently looking to recruit qualified plumbers and we’ll also be taking on more apprentices in a year or so.”
The ethos of Fenlon Heating & Plumbing effectively translates to complete customer satisfaction: “We want to be a one-stop shop for our customers. Whatever the customer is looking for, we aim to provide it from start to finish. If that entails bringing in other trades like an electrician, builder, tiler or carpenter, we will take on the whole job. The customer appreciates this as they don’t want the added stress of trying to negotiate with numerous people and logistically it makes sense for me to do it on their behalf. “Furthermore, it’s vitally important to always produce good workmanship and make sure the customer is happy with the finished job,” Dan adds. “Also, I am committed to looking after the engineers that we have so that they are happy in their work environment and therefore produce quality work. It is important of us that as a team we a have a productive workplace, effective working relationships and a good work-life balance.
Looking to the future, there is further growth on the cards for Fenlon Heating & Plumbing: “I’m more than happy with where we are, but we are constantly looking to upskill, improve and move forward,” he concludes. “We want to be in people’s minds when they are looking for a plumber in Carlow and the surrounding areas, that they will come to Fenlon Heating & Plumbing because they know we have the experience and expertise to look after their needs.”
Fenlon Heating & Plumbing,
Carlow town,
County Carlow.
Tel: 059 9104730
Mobile: 087 2723618
Email: [email protected]
Web: danfenlonheatingplumbing.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2024, Vol 10 No 11
featured, Fenlon Heating & Plumbing
