Case Study from: South Metropolitan TAFE
Learn how TAFE validated real-world hot water recirculating temperatures and confirmed h2x’s accuracy, with real-life results.
Name: Alan Hall
Role: Head Of Programs For Plumbing & Gas Fitting
Company: South Metropolitan TAFE
Location: Western Australia
Results at a glance:
Design = reality: measured loop temperatures matched h2x design temperatures
Commissioning by the book: valve kV and pump settings from h2x delivered stable balance
Repeatable instruction: two-circuit rig validates hot water recirculation theory in practice
See how this was done:
The Background
South Metropolitan TAFE set out to create a live teaching rig that would demonstrate how design choices impact hot water recirculation in practice. The brief was to build a two-circuit HW system that students could interrogate, compare, and learn from, right down to balancing valve behaviour and pump characteristics.
h2x was chosen to underpin the design because the team wanted accurate calculations that translate cleanly to commissioning. As Alan Hall explains: "To maximise our educational impact, we designed and built a two-circuit circulating HW system in our plumbing and gas fitting workshop, and h2x was the tool used to determine the pipe, valve, and pump specifications."
The Challenge
The teaching objective required more than a functional loop; it needed a controlled, comparable setup. Two balancing valve types and two circulating pump types had to be selectable on sub-loops so students could see differences in temperature balance, head loss, and flow control in real time.
Accuracy was the critical test. Could theoretical design temperatures, balancing valve kV settings, and pump set-points from the software be replicated on the rig? The team wanted to validate that paper-based commissioning, driven by h2x outputs, would hold up under real operating conditions.
Interested to learn more about h2x?
The Solution
The TAFE team modelled the two-circuit hot water recirculation system in h2x, specifying pipe sizes, balancing valve kV values, and pump operating points. With the design locked, the workshop built the rig "to the letter," installing both valve types and both pump types on selectable sub-loops to enable side-by-side comparisons.
Commissioning followed the h2x design intent exactly. Balancing valves were set according to the calculated kV values, and pumps were configured to the recommended settings. The goal was to reduce tuning guesswork: if the software was right, the temperatures should settle exactly where the model predicted, on both circuits and across both valve/pump combinations.
The Results
On commissioning, the result was immediate and unambiguous. "The real-life temperatures aligned perfectly with the design temperatures calculated by h2x," says Alan. Temperature balance, loop behaviour, and total circuit heat loss matched the model, confirming that the inputs and sizing strategy were correct.
For the program, this is a powerful teaching outcome: students now see theory and practice converge. As Alan concludes, "This is an excellent result for 'paper-based' commissioning and a verification of the accuracy of the h2x system." The rig now serves as a repeatable, real-world proof that accurate digital design leads to predictable field performance.
h2x: All-In-One Tool for Calculating, Designing, Estimating, and Paperwork
Interested to learn more about h2x?
Loved by Engineers
Read More Customer Stories
Designed a 60-storey hotel in 2 hours
How Sparks+Partners sized pipework for an Australian 60‑storey building in just 2 hours, saving at least 1.5 staff days with h2x.
h2x listened, engaged and acted
How Ideal Heating accelerated design validation with hands‑on support, and embraced h2x in just 3 days through rapid innovation.
Cut design time by 50% vs. before
How MEP Design cut time by 50% on a 50-storey mixed-use tower in Manchester, UK, delivering more accurate designs with h2x.
