Comparison

Ref Tools vs Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ref Tools

This app provides HVACR technicians with essential tools and information for field service. It includes refrigerant calculators, troubleshooting guides, product finders, and access to spare parts. Listen to educational podcasts to enhance your knowledge on the go.

Highlights
  • Refrigerant Slider for P/T calculations
  • Solenoid valve coil testing tool
  • Refrigeration system troubleshooting guide
  • Product data finder
  • Spare parts ordering
  • Low-GWP refrigerant comparison
  • TXV Superheat optimization
  • Educational podcasts
Features
Read full description

Get the guidance, support, information, and tools you need—on the job and in the field. Ref Tools is a free, powerful app that contains essential tools every HVACR technician needs in their digital toolbelt. Ref Tools offers a collection of useful air conditioning and refrigeration tools: Refrigerant Slider As a featured part of Ref Tools, you get all the features and functionality that made Refrigerant Slider a hit with millions of installers around the world. Quickly calculate pressure/temperature ratios and find essential information on over 80 refrigerants. Magnetic Tool Test and troubleshoot solenoid valve coils quickly and easily. Troubleshooter Get help diagnosing issues in refrigeration systems, so you can quickly identify symptoms and find recommended solutions. Product Finder Find extensive product-related data in one place. Search by product code number or product category to access and share product specifications, documentation, visuals, and more. Spare Parts Access and order an extensive list of Danfoss spare parts and service kits for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Low-GWP Tool Find and compare climate-friendly refrigerants for retrofitting by checking compatibility with the TXV. TXV Superheat Tuner Optimize superheat in less than 15 minutes. Using advanced algorithms, TXV Superheat Tuner provides valve-specific adjustment recommendations. Podcasts The workday can be full and the road long, so Ref Tools also provides you with some educational entertainment. You can listen to podcasts, including the popular Chilling with Jens podcast, directly in the app. So, take a break and chill out a bit while learning something new about refrigeration. More about Refrigerant Slider Refrigerant Slider, now a part of Ref Tools, helps you quickly calculate the pressure-to-temperature ratio for more than 80 refrigerants, including natural refrigerants such as ammonia and transcritical CO2. Refrigerant Slider also provides you with information about each refrigerant, including Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP). You can switch between the IPCC AR4 and AR5 values, where AR4 values are used in relation to the European F-Gas regulations. Refrigerant Slider’s P/T calculations use extended curve–fitting models based on Refprop 10 results. You can also see both dew and bubble point for refrigerants with glide. Streamline your workflow Ref Tools goes beyond just providing quick access to helpful tools; it helps you save time by allowing you to track your most visited service sites and save unique settings for each one. Simplify each service call with ease. Feedback Your input matters – we would love to hear it from you. We're committed to continuously improving Ref Tools to meet your needs. If you encounter a bug or have a feature suggestion, please use the in-app feedback function available in Settings. Alternatively, you can reach us via email at coolapp@danfoss.com. Danfoss Climate Solutions At Danfoss Climate Solutions, we engineer energy-efficient solutions to help the world get more out of less. Our innovative products and solutions enable a decarbonized, digital, and more sustainable tomorrow, and our technology supports a cost-efficient transition to renewable energy sources. With a strong foundation in quality, people, and the climate, we drive the energy, refrigerant, and food system transitions needed to achieve climate goals. Read more about us at www.danfoss.com. Terms and Conditions apply for use of the app.

About

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop

This app calculates gas pressure loss in pipes using various compressible flow equations. It automatically handles gas density changes and provides detailed results including Reynolds number and friction factors. Users can customize pipe materials, fittings, and gases from integrated or custom databases.

Highlights
  • Friction and fitting loss calculations
  • Multiple compressible flow equations
  • Automatic gas density handling
  • Customizable pipe, fitting, and gas data
  • Imperial and Metric unit support
  • Professional Excel and PDF reports
  • Results verification against published data
Features
Read full description

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop is a pressure loss calculator app from Pipe Flow Software that performs calculations using compressible isothermal equations to calculate friction loss and fitting loss results. Pressure losses can be calculated using the General Fundamental Flow, Complete Isothermal Flow, AGA, IGT, Panhandle A, Panhandle B and Weymouth equations. Changes in gas density are handled automatically using the Ideal Gas Law together with either a calculated CNGA compressibility factor or a specified a custom compressibility. The atmospheric pressure and standard volume conditions can also be defined as required. Pipe Flow Software applications are used by engineers in over 100 countries worldwide. The Gas Pressure Drop App has an intuitive user interface that allows for easy entry of the input data, including changes in elevation, and selection of valves & fittings. Comprehensive results include Reynolds number, friction factor, friction losses, fitting losses, fluid velocities and more. Each result is clearly displayed using expandable sections that reveal further information as needed. Users can select pipe materials, pipe diameters, pipe fittings (k factors) and gases from the integrated databases, and these can also be extended with user specific data for custom pipe materials, diameters, fittings, and gas properties. An integrated gas properties calculator assists the user with the creation of user defined gas data at a specific temperature and pressure condition. The App can operate in Imperial or Metric units and each individual field can be further customised to use a specific unit. Results values can be displayed to a specified number of decimal places. Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop calculation results have been verified against multiple cases of published data from well known sources. The results of these calculations are included in the Compressible Results Verification PDF document which can be accessed from within the App. Engineers can easily perform their gas pressure drop calculations in the office or on site. Professional Excel and PDF reports can easily be shared with others. Results can also be saved to the library within the App. The Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop software has unrivalled functions and features: - Gas properties database for air, nitrogen, natural gas, and other compressible fluids. - Pipe material database for various Steel, Aluminium, Copper, HDPE, and other pipes. - Fitting database for standard valves and bends, with associated K factor values. - User definable custom materials, fluids and fittings. - Gas properties calculator to help with the creation of user defined gas data at a specific temperature and pressure condition. - Professional Excel and PDF reports showing calculation results. - Results verification against published data to provide confidence in the calculation results. - Configurable post decimals for display on screen and in reports. - Automatic conversion between a wide range of units. - Compatibility with Pipe Flow Wizard files for iOS, macOS and Windows. - Calculation engine based on the same reliable calculation engine that is used by Pipe Flow Software's premier Pipe Flow Expert software, which is trusted by users in over 100 countries worldwide. - High quality, reliable software, and unrivalled customer support. Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop is offered as as a free trial download and can be purchased for a one-time fee within the App. Terms of Use: https://www.pipeflow.com/pipe-flow-mobile-software/pipe-flow-mobile-software-license-terms

Screenshots

Ref Tools4 screens
Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop at 4.8 against Ref Tools's 3.9. Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Ref Tools's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (52 vs 13). On price, ads, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ref Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 13 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ref Tools ships an update every 5 weeks, Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ref Tools versus Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRef ToolsPipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (52 ratings)4.8 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings52 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDanfoss A/SPipe Flow Software

Customer experience

Ref Tools

All ratings52 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral3.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive57.6%
Neutral7.6%
Negative34.8%

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ref Tools

Reported bugs

27 issues
  • CRASHED instantly on Mac Mini M4
  • App won’t open on iPhone
  • App flashes up and disappears
  • Cannot open app
  • Immediately shuts off since recent release
Show 22 more
  • Crash au lancement since update
  • Will not save to Home Screen
  • Incorrect PT Charting for r134a
  • Information doesn’t slide down
  • Crashes on iOS12.1.4
  • App won’t open since previous update
  • List of refrigerants shifted upwards on iPhone 10
  • Stuck on R134a, needs update for current iOS
  • R744A only goes to 60 psi
  • Scale did not go low enough for deep vacuum
  • Missing R22 on Apple version
  • Missing R717 (Ammonia)
  • Missing R-22
  • Missing R124a
  • No longer lists Ammonia
  • Missing Refrigerants since app update
  • Missing Ammonia and CO2
  • r410a is missing since update
  • Removed r22, 410a, and 407c
  • Refrigerants missing now
  • Removed slider for ammonia
  • Scale doesn't go into vacuum

Requested features

18 requests
  • More residential AC information
  • Troubleshooter for Residential & Commercial
  • Add SP22 refrigerant
  • Add R-11 refrigerant
  • Add R-123 range down to 40 degrees
Show 13 more
  • Add R744 and R744A to 0 psia
  • Scale to go lower for R-123 vacuum
  • Add R410a
  • Add R407c
  • Add R404A
  • Add R22
  • Add R124a
  • Add Ammonia
  • Add CO2
  • Add R717 (Ammonia)
  • Scale going higher on CO2
  • Setting for high altitude
  • Scale to go into vacuum

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ref Tools

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop

One-time1
  • Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop$4.99

Questions

Is Ref Tools free?
Ref Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop free?
Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ref Tools or Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop?
Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop is rated higher. Ref Tools averages 3.9 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.
Do Ref Tools or Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop have ads?
Neither Ref Tools nor Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ref Tools or Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop?
Ref Tools ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop fortnightly. Most recently, Ref Tools was updated on October 7, 2026 and Pipe Flow Gas Pressure Drop on October 9, 2026.

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