Case Study from: JMR Heating & Energy
Learn how JMR cut design time from days to hours on a large domestic renovation with h2x.
Name: Mark Denman
Role: Director
Company: JMR Heating & Energy
Location: United Kingdom
Results at a glance:
580 m² full design completed in 1 working day
Significant time saved versus manual methods
Install-ready outputs with velocity-limited pipe sizing, copper to MLCP swaps, clear routes & manifolds
See how this was done:
The Background
JMR Heating & Energy took on a full domestic renovation spanning 580 m². The scheme included two floors of underfloor heating (UFH) served by three manifolds, plus a new external plant arrangement: two NIBE heat pumps in cascade positioned ~20 m from the property. Inside the extension's main plant room, the team integrated a 500 L cylinder, 200 L buffer, and 450 L Powertank break tank.
The task covered the full plumbing and heating scope, from heat source configuration and hydraulic layout to emitter distribution and pipe routing. Mark Denman selected h2x to speed up design, give confidence in the calculations, and generate documentation the installation team could follow. "I like the time it saves me and the confidence I have in the software."
The Challenge
Large residential refurbishments evolve quickly. Manifold locations shift, risers move, and pipe routes change as the build progresses. Using traditional methods, these updates often cascade into days of recalculation and redrawing. As JMR put it: "If this was to be done by hand so to speak, easily would have been a few days to a week."
Accuracy and communication were equally important. Mark needed to control velocities, compare copper vs. MLCP quickly, and manage distance-driven losses back to remote heat pumps, while keeping documents clear for clients, developers, and on-site installers. Conventional tools and spreadsheets make this level of iteration time-consuming and error-prone.
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The Solution
JMR created the full system in h2x, completing the entire design and calculation in one working day. Mark leveraged quick drawing tools to trial manifold positions and pipe routes, then locked in sizes using a velocity limit of 1 m/s for predictable flow and noise performance. With one click, he could switch between copper and MLCP, instantly seeing sizing impacts and material implications. "Pipe sizing is a dream with h2x, especially being able to quickly change pipe types from copper to MLCP."
Design assurance came from the calculation engine and outputs. "h2x takes away the worry of a miscalculation or undersizing of pipework potential," Mark added. As layouts changed, re-positioning equipment or manifolds was straightforward: "It enables us to move locations of items if the pipe size is larger than we can accommodate, and gives us the ability to have meaningful conversations with customers and developers about how best to lay the plant and emitters/manifolds along with pipe routes to enhance the potential of the system." The reports also helped during client approval: "The professional layout of the data produced is excellent to pass on to my clients for their records."
The Results
The project's full hydraulic design, including cascade heat pumps, UFH with three manifolds, and plant room integration, was delivered in just 1 day using h2x. Compared with "a few days to a week" by hand, that's a clear shift from days to hours while preserving engineering precision and improving decision speed.
Quality improved alongside speed. Velocity-limited pipe sizing, quick copper to MLCP comparisons, and clear installation drawings boosted confidence for both the design office and the on-site team. The structured outputs helped colleagues plan routes, avoid clashes, and install efficiently, cutting rework and reducing the chance of site errors.
h2x: All-In-One Tool for Calculating, Designing, Estimating, and Paperwork
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