I totally get the notebook appeal, especially when you're dealing with messy plumbing jobs. But honestly, I've found snapping quick photos of fittings or labels works wonders for me. No typing needed, and I can zoom in later if I missed something. Plus, it's handy for warranty claims or safety checks—always good to have visual proof if something goes sideways. Still,
made me chuckle...been there, done that."Ever tried typing '3/8 compression fitting' with plumber's putty on your fingers?"
Totally agree on the photo trick—saved me more than once. But honestly, sometimes my hands are so grimy I don't even wanna touch my phone. I've started using voice memos lately...works pretty well, except when Siri misunderstands plumbing jargon. Ever had her call a "ball valve" a "bald valve"? Yeah, good times.
Voice memos are handy, but Siri and plumbing vocab...not a great combo. I just keep a cheap notebook nearby—greasy fingerprints and all. Old-school, but no misunderstandings about bald valves or "flapper thingies"...
I get why you'd prefer the notebook—no arguing with greasy fingerprints and scribbles—but honestly, I tried that route and it didn't work for me at all. My handwriting is pretty awful to begin with, and once you add in the smudges from pipe grease or water drips, it was like deciphering ancient runes every time I went back to check something.
What ended up working better for me was just snapping quick photos or short videos on my phone. If I'm at the hardware store and can't remember exactly what valve or fitting I need, I just pull up the visual reference. No misheard words from Siri, no cryptic handwriting—just a clear image of exactly what I'm dealing with. Plus, if something looks weird or broken, I can show it directly to someone at the store without fumbling through explanations about "that little metal thingy behind the other thing."
Granted, this method has its own downsides—like scrolling through a hundred random plumbing pics when you're trying to find that one specific angle you need—but overall it's saved me more than a few trips back and forth. And I guess if your phone storage is tight, it might not be ideal either.
Still, I'd argue visuals beat voice memos and notebooks for clarity any day. At least for someone like me who's still figuring out plumbing vocab as I go along...
Photos definitely help, but have you tried marking up your pics with quick notes or arrows? I started doing that after realizing I had about 50 nearly identical photos of pipes and fittings and no clue why I'd taken half of them. Now when I snap a pic, I'll scribble something like "leaky joint here" or circle the exact fitting I'm replacing. Saves me from standing in aisle 12 squinting at my phone wondering what the heck I was thinking.
Also curious—do you organize your plumbing pics into albums or folders? I tried that briefly, but honestly, it felt like more trouble than it was worth. Now I just delete stuff once the project's done (or when my phone yells at me about storage again...).
