ProtoCool practice what they preach

ProtoCool is a family-business offering a wide range of heating, cooling hot-water, refrigeration and ventilation systems, based in West Berkshire, run by Steven Crame and his partner Marina. When Marina needed a personal solution for her own property, in Thatcham, she turned to Daikin to find the perfect solution, with the new-to-UK Daikin Multi+: a single system for hot water, heating, cooling and air purification. Marina tells us why the Multi+ was ideal for her own property’s needs.

Welcome to Blue Water

Blue Water, in Cold Ash, Thatcham, is an imposing renovated Pumping Station, home to Marina, Steven and their children. The property also boasts a standalone annexe, with a double-garage, and above it a well-appointed self-contained flat – complete with kitchen and bathroom. Marina and Steven wanted to make the flat fully self-sufficient, with autonomous heating and air-conditioning that would also include a tank for hot water

Daikin first and foremost

Marina explains how their day-to-day business at ProtoCool meant they knew exactly where to turn for a solution for their own home: namely Daikin: “ProtoCool has been in business for 15 years. We have worked with Daikin from day one, as a supplier of choice: over 80% of our installations are Daikin products, which are not only very reliable, but are also backed up by great customer support and exceptional warranties.”

Initially, the annexe apartment at Blue Water was all electric, with an immersion heater and electric radiators, as well as a modest aircon unit for the summer. “There were a lot of drawbacks to the original set-up” says Marina; “The immersion heaters got too hot and were difficult to manage accurately. The flat was using a lot of electricity, which in the current energy-crisis made it difficult, plus all electric costs were bundled together with the main house energy bills. We wanted the annexe to be fully separate, and we knew exactly what Daikin product we wanted – because we’d had our eye on it for years!”

Getting in hot water!

Marina is referencing the Daikin Multi+ System, which has been available in Europe for some time, but only came to the UK recently, in 2024. 

Anette Scheepers, Business Development Manager UK for Daikin, gives an overview of the versatility of the Multi+ product range: “I’ve worked with ProtoCool since 2013, so I knew Marina and Steven well. They were aware of the Multi+ System, and were looking for something new, which is what the Multi+ offers, because it also incorporates a hot-water solution. This is the key to the Multi+ System, and means it can fully service a property’s heating, cooling and hot water needs. The Multi+ System is perfect for smaller, more compact properties, like flats, which need to keep energy costs down, while offering the versatility of heating or cooling a home, depending on the season.”

What is it the Daikin Multi+ delivers from Marina’s perspective? “As a Three-in-One solution - heating, cooling, and hot water – it offers heat and energy efficiency. We can control and monitor how much we spend, directly from the Daikin ONECTA smartphone App - even if we were on the other side of the world, we could operate the system remotely via the app and Wi-Fi.”

Energy and cost-efficient

In terms of cost-efficiency what has Marina noted in terms of energy bills? “We closely monitored usage and costs over a month, and electricity - which is related to the operation of the external system – was between £1 and £1.50 a day – under £50 for the month! In November 2024, the Multi+ System converted 95.9kWh to a thermal output of 468.8kWh, which is amazing.”

Anette Scheepers compounds the point: “With Multi+ feeding a range of heating and cooling units, you don't need gas, or oil, or expensive storage and electric heaters, or even an immersion boiler. As Marina and Steven, whom I’ve known for years, are finding, the returns on investment are noteworthy: The Multi+ System converts roughly 1 kilowatt of electricity to 3 or 4 kilowatts, so the energy pay-off is considerable.”

As a supplier and installer of Daikin, Marina and Steven have a profound relationship with the company stretching back over two decades. As the owners of ProtoCool, they have underscored their belief in Daikin by installing it in their own property, with very satisfying results. “Having experienced Multi+ firsthand, we’re very keen to go out now and recommend the system to our customers. We had to wait a few years to access the Multi+, but now that we have, ProtoCool will be preaching its merits right across Southern England.”