Plumbing Formulator vs Branch Pipe Layout
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Plumbing Formulator
This professional calculator app provides over 200 formulas, calculators, and reference materials for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and mechanical contractors. It covers a wide range of calculations for water flow, piping, drainage, water heaters, pumps, and more, all in one pocket-sized tool.
- Over 200 formulas and calculators
- Water flow and supply calculations
- Pipe and piping calculations
- Drainage and venting calculations
- Water heater and pump calculations
- Reference charts and code books
- Pipe cut list optimizer
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PLUMBING FORMULATOR is the ultimate professional calculator for plumbers, HVAC techs, and mechanical contractors. Over 200 formulas, reference charts, code books, and pro tools in your pocket. CALCULATORS AND FORMULAS Water Flow and Supply: pipe velocity, flow rate, GPM, fixture unit demand, and supply sizing. Pipes and Piping: area, volume, and weight for copper, steel, cast iron, and plastic. Hazen-Williams friction loss, pressure ratings, and 45 degree offsets. Drainage and Venting: drain sizing, slope and fall, vent sizing, fixture units, and wet vents. Water Heaters: BTU requirements, recovery rates, tank sizing, first hour ratings, and hot water demand. Pumps and Pressure: water and brake horsepower, efficiency, head pressure, velocity head, and PSI to feet of head. Storm Drainage: roof drains, rainfall intensity, gutter and leader sizing, and retention. Gas Piping: size natural gas and propane lines, BTU loads, pressure drop, and appliance demand. Medical Gas: size oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and medical air. Vacuum demand and manifolds per NFPA 99. Swimming Pools: volume, fill time, pump sizing, turnover, evaporation loss, and main drains. Septic and Sewage: septic tanks, leach fields, and sewage pump capacity. Thermal Expansion: expansion tank sizing, system pressure, and pipe length changes. REFERENCE MATERIALS Charts and Tables: dozens of reference charts including pipe sizing, fixture units, and materials in PDF. Massachusetts Plumbing Code: complete 248 CMR reference with all chapters. Plumbing Design Guide: a 24 chapter design and installation guide. Technical Drawings: professional diagrams and installation details. TOOLS AND FEATURES Pipe Cut List Optimizer: enter lengths and stock sizes for an optimized cutting plan that cuts waste. Unit Conversions: length, area, volume, flow, pressure, temperature, weight, and power. Geometry Calculators: area and volume for circles, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, spheres, cones, and more. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT More than a calculator. Tap Business to run your service company from the same app. Customers: contacts, service addresses, job history, and outstanding balances. More than a calculator. Tap Business to run your service company from the same app. Customers: contacts, service addresses, job history, and outstanding balances. Quotes and Estimates: build quotes on site and turn an approved quote into an invoice with one tap. Invoicing: branded invoices with your logo, parts and labor, taxes, and terms. Send by email, print, or PDF. Payments: cash, check, card, ACH, or credit. Apply one payment across invoices and manage credit automatically. Scheduling: book service calls, track jobs, and set up recurring contracts that auto-generate invoices. Business Reports: balances, receivable aging, revenue, and payment history. Export as CSV or PDF. Business features are a separate one-time upgrade, discounted for existing Bill-Craft and ServiceBoss customers. PLUMBING PRO FEATURES Upgrade to Plumbing Pro to save calculations with full detail, export results, keep unlimited history, and remove ads. One time purchase with lifetime access. A modern dark interface built for the job site, with breakdowns showing the steps and formulas behind every result. Perfect for plumbers, apprentices, HVAC techs, mechanical engineers, and building inspectors. Download Plumbing Formulator today and put professional plumbing calculations at your fingertips.
Branch Pipe Layout
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The Branch Pipe Layout App is a specialized tool designed for fabricators, piping engineers, and designers involved in developing flat patterns for branch connections in piping systems. It simplifies the process of generating accurate fabrication layouts for intersections between pipes, nozzles, and cones. Key Features and Capabilities: This app helps you create flat pattern layouts for: - Pipe to Pipe Intersections at 90° with equal or unequal diameters, with or without offset. - Pipe or Nozzle to Cone Intersections at 90° or with parallel axes. - Standard Shell or Pipe Layouts with customizable height and diameter inputs. - Pipes or Cylinders Truncated at an Angle (top, bottom, or both sides). - Pipes or Cylinders Truncated with a Radius at the top. The app provides the unfolded (flat) dimensions of the intersecting parts—such as flat plate width and length—and allows layouts to be divided into 12, 24, 36, 48, 96 parts, or a custom number of segments based on user input. Layout Types Included: - Pipe/Shell Layout: Calculates flat layout for cylindrical shells using diameter and height inputs. Supports user-defined part and level divisions. - Pipe/Cylinder Truncated at Top: Flat pattern for cylinders cut at an angle at the top. Inputs: diameter, large side height, and small side height. - Pipe/Cylinder Truncated Top & Bottom: Layout for pipes cut at an angle on both ends. Inputs include diameter, center height, and both top and bottom side angles. - Pipe/Cylinder Truncated with Radius at Top: For pipes cut with a curved top profile. Inputs: diameter, center height, and radius. - Pipe-to-Pipe Intersection (Equal Diameter, 90°): Layout for equal diameter pipes intersecting at a right angle. Input includes diameters and center distance. - Pipe-to-Pipe Intersection (Unequal Diameter, Offset, 90°): For intersections with different pipe diameters and offset centerlines. Inputs: diameters, center distance, and offset. - Pipe/Nozzle to Cone Intersection (90°): Calculates layout for intersections between cones and pipes/nozzles at right angles. Inputs: cone large/small diameters, cone height, pipe diameter, height from base, and center distance. Pipe/Nozzle to Cone with Parallel Axis: For offset connections between cones and nozzles/pipes with parallel axes. Requires similar inputs as above. Additional Recommendations: For optimal accuracy, it is recommended to use the mean diameter when performing layout calculations. Who Can Benefit: This app is an essential tool for professionals involved in the fabrication of piping spools, pressure vessels, pipelines, and other process equipment. It is particularly useful for: - Piping Engineers - Fabrication & Production Engineers - Pipe Fitters and Layout Fitters - Quality & Costing Engineers - Design & AutoCAD Engineers - Estimators and Draftsmen In app purchase included : Life time Privacy policy : https://privacypolicy50.wordpress.com/privacy-policy-subscription/ Terms and condition :https://privacypolicy50.wordpress.com/terms-and-condition/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Branch Pipe Layout at 12.0 against Plumbing Formulator's 18.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Plumbing Formulator sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Branch Pipe Layout sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Plumbing Formulator | Branch Pipe Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (7 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 9.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 123 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Historycentral.com | Shital Gorasiya |
In-app purchases
Plumbing Formulator
- Pro Version$1.99
- Pro Purchase$3.99
- Starter$5.99
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- Growth$9.99
Branch Pipe Layout
- Lifetime Purchase$5.99
Questions
Is Plumbing Formulator free?
Is Branch Pipe Layout free?
Do Plumbing Formulator or Branch Pipe Layout have ads?
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