Host Kevin O’Connor discusses some of the most useful apps that our favorite tradespeople rely on. Join us as we discuss them with master electrician Heath Eastman, landscape contractor Lee Gilliam, and home technology expert Ross Trethewey.
There’s an App for Everything
We might spend too much time on our phones these days, but the truth is that tradespeople find them to be valuable tools. Just as there are apps for fitness, banking, and other important aspects of our lives, there are trade-specific apps that help these folks do their jobs. Here’s a rundown of three of our favorite tradespeople and their chosen apps.
Heath Uses Ugly’s
Master electrician Heath Eastman has a ton of codebook material to refer to whenever he’s performing work. The NFPA NEC is the main resource, but decades ago, a company called “Ugly’s” developed a handbook guide to help.
Now, there’s Ugly’s Electrical App, which is essentially a cheat sheet to the most updated electrical codes. Heath can use it to access calculations, diagrams, symbols, conversions, and the latest updates. He can also search for terms within the app, bringing up any pertinent codes to perform his work safely and compliantly.
Lee’s a Fan of Picture This
Landscape contractor Lee Gilliam uses an app called “Picture This.” With this app, he’s able to snap pictures of plants to learn more about them. For example, if he doesn’t know which species a plant might be, he can open the app, snap a picture, and quickly identify the species. Picture This will also tell him a bit about the plant’s health, helping him determine what needs to be done to ensure a healthy, thriving plant.
Ross’s Multi-Function HVAC Tool
Home technology expert Ross Trethewey has an app for almost everything he does. He uses apps for connecting to tools, monitoring system performance, and more. His favorite app is the TrueFlow HVAC Air Flow app. With TrueFlow, he’s able to calculate ductwork size, measure system performance, and other important air quality functions to ensure systems are efficient and safe.
Resources
Ugly’s Electrical App is a cheat sheet to the most up-to-date electrician’s code book that Heath uses.
Picture This is a plant identification app that Lee shared. Based just on a photo of the plant, the app can tell you with tremendous accuracy what the name of the plant is, what the genus/species is, what zones it grows best in, and can even give you a health assessment of the plant with links to caring for a sick plant.
TrueFlow HVAC Air Flow is an air handler health test app that measures the performance of the duct system that Ross likes.