The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry has come a long way in the last decade. This is a sector based on the skills of HVAC technicians and has operated in a very unstructured and manual manner. The introduction of HVAC software and HVAC apps have disrupted the operational foundation of the industry and made life much simpler for HVAC techs and businesses alike.
Today, we’ll give the lowdown on 7 of the best HVAC apps for service techs and how they can help your business simplify and optimize operations. Let’s dive right in.
Frontu
Frontu is not your average app or software – it’s an end-to-end field service management solution that simplifies and improves operations. Frontu did not specialize in a specific sector but rather chose to address pain points that are similar across all field service management areas. It’s an industry-grade solution that fits perfectly with modern HVAC business needs.
For starters, you can track the location and life cycle of your equipment, schedule the necessary maintenance, and get notified in advance about upcoming maintenance and malfunctions.
Secondly, comes team performance. Frontu allows managers to track tasks and performance and make meaningful adjustments based on structured data. With Frontu you can improve time planning, and reduce administrative tasks.
More importantly, Frontu centralizes and digitizes all information, action points, and data in one place. No more manual work and no more switching between different platforms. job history, employee progress, materials, and equipment details are all under one digital roof.
HVAC Buddy
This app is widely considered a must-have for front-line technicians. It’s the best-rated tool when servicing any kind of HVAC equipment, as it can accurately diagnose and calculate the proper refrigerant charge.
One of the most important functions of the app is displaying the “target, actual, and difference” for superheat, subcooling, and airflow. To give you more context about its capabilities, let’s get into some specifics.
Charging & Diagnostics
HVAC Buddy is one of the best ways to determine the proper refrigerant charge. Here is what the app can help you do amongst other things:
- Over 100 refrigerants including newer azeotropic blends
- Calculates Superheat, Subcooling, and Airflow targets
- Superheat for fixed capillary or Subcooling for TXV/EXV systems
- Airflow / Delta-T / TEET Calculation
Pressure Temperature
HVAC Buddy contains the most comprehensive list of refrigerant properties available, making it the go-to solution for pressure-temperature diagnosis. Here is the core functionality of the app:
• Pressure/temperature relationships
• One-degree Increments
• Fahrenheit and Celsius
• Last refrigerant selection recall
• Quick jump to the top and bottom of the list
Complete HVAC Dictionary
With over 3000 terms covered, this HVAC app is the go-to tool for HVAC starters and experienced technicians alike. Terms, definitions, acronyms, and everything else you need to know about the industry are right there for you. Just search the term and solve the problem in a matter of seconds. The app is free but is currently only available on Android.
HVACR Fault Finder
Once again, this is an HVAC app that is beloved amongst technicians for its ability to perform on-site compressor troubleshooting. In a nutshell, HVACR Fault Finder allows contractors to easily access compressor electronics product specifications and most importantly, use the app’s interactive guide. The guide is loaded with tips and tricks and visual flowcharts to create real-time solutions for users and help address their unique problems.
Here is a list of the features you’d expect to see on the app:
• Application engineering guides
• Module LED descriptions
• Module alert code status
• Comfort Alert
• CoreSense Technology
• Copeland Scroll Digital Controller
iManifold
As described by iManifold, their HVAC service app “calculates HVAC/R system performance and troubleshoots system problems through user inputs and dynamic, live system data.”
With more than 40 refrigerants and equipment profiling options, this is an app that comes equipped with live annualized savings analysis and BTUH (British thermal units per hour) breakdown on the gauge screen.
For more information on what the new version of the app has to offer, have a look at the relevant page.
