Plumbing engineers have one of the most technical and challenging jobs in the field service management industry. Their daily routine on the job site includes complex calculations, following the uniform plumbing code, plumbing systems design tables, and coming up with the most comprehensive plumbing system possible.
Fortunately for plumbers, for the past couple of years, plumbing software has developed to the point that mobile apps make their lives so much easier. By logging into an app, technicians can access all the information, data, and calculators they need to speed up task execution, avoid manual errors, and increase their productivity.
Today we will give you a list of 7 free apps, paid apps, and reference plumbing apps to help you choose the best one for your job. Let’s dive right into it.
Frontu
Frontu is a digital field service management solution that simplifies and optimizes operations. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the plumbing business as it doesn’t really appear in listicles for the best plumbing apps. Frontu comes out as a mobile app that helps plumbing contractors do their job at a higher clip.
Here are some of the pain points addressed by Frontu:
- Improve information accuracy by attaching pictures to tasks
- Create detailed customer profiles that are updated in real-time
- Allow your clients to register and manage tasks and improve communication
Frontu is a platform that addresses all operational challenges but it does include a special Utility add-on that is customized for the plumbing industry. The add-on allows easy meter installation, replacement, removal, sealing, and unsealing.
Plumbing Formulator
The job of a plumber is by nature technical and challenging, involving complex calculations, equations about pipe sizes, gauging water pressure, and optimizing the plumbing system. Plumbing Formulator is one of the most popular plumbing apps as it pays tribute to the international plumbing code with more than 120 standard formulas that come in handy when you open the plumbing app.
The formulas are the reference point but the app can do a lot more. Users can:
- Email and print specific formulas
- Frequently-used formulas are easier to access
- Graphical charts illustrate major plumbing codes
Pipe Trades Pro
It’s not the most affordable app for plumbers, but it’s considered one of the best plumbing engineer apps for pipe calculations. Any pipe-related data such as plumbing charts is embedded into the app and easily accessible from your mobile device. Without the app, plumbers would have to spend a considerable amount of time researching for this information.
Pipe Trades Pro allows users to select pipe material and type, to automatically calculate the diameter, wall thickness, weight per foot, total area covered, and other key measurements.
BTU Calculator
BTU Calculator is ideal for choosing the right-sized radiator. This is how it works: You open the app and enter the room dimensions and supplement some information under the ‘Assumptions’ category such as wall and flooring type.
The app allows you to make an informed decision and choose the correct design/ power. The measurements could be in feet or meters, Celsius or Fahrenheit degrees.
EasyMeasure
Calculating distance, dimensions, and the total areas in a confined space can cause a plumber to spend a considerable amount of time to figure out. Not only will the technician spend time, but there is also no guarantee their calculations will be correct. What if we told you, that you could take a photo of the space through the app and you could immediately get the dimensions, angles, area, and distance you need.
EasyMeasure is a handy plumbing app because it uses the camera lens to calculate an object’s height, width, and area. Taking pictures with your phone on the job site is usually frowned upon but with EasyMeasure, picture-taking gains a new meaning. You can save photos and analyze findings in real-time or in the future.
Bubble Level
A bubble level is an instrument designed to show whether a surface is horizontal (level) or vertical (plumb). You probably know it as the classic level meter with a slightly curved glass tube that is half-filled with a liquid.
Instead of carrying yet another piece of equipment on the job, using this app can help you emulate the same process and get the same benefits by simply using your phone. When used properly, the bubble level app ensures you get flawlessly leveled measurements.
Pipe and Fitting
The main difference between the Pipe and Fitting app and other apps in the same category is the visualisation aspect it offers ti users. The app presents data in a visually pleasing and simple manner, helping plumbers get the information they need faster than scrolling through endless chunks of written content.
Here is some of the valuable information you will get through the app:
- Pipe Dimension
- Pipe Material
- Pipe Strength
- Pipe Clamp
- Fitting Dimension
- Pipe Flange Dimension
- Pipe Hanger
- Gasket Dimension
