I get the hesitation about cloud backups...had a phone slip right into a bucket of water mid-project once. Lost all my plumbing pics instantly. Now I sketch quick diagrams on scrap wood—no tech worries, and they're always right there when I need 'em.
Sketching on scrap wood's a clever workaround, gotta admit. But I dunno, seems like wood could get misplaced or accidentally tossed out during cleanup just as easily. I've had my share of tech fails too—like the time my tablet battery died mid-job, and I was left guessing which pipe went where. Nightmare doesn't even begin to cover it...
Honestly, I've started doing a hybrid thing lately. Quick sketches on whatever's handy (usually cardboard or scrap drywall), then snapping a quick pic afterward for backup. Feels like I'm covering all bases, but who knows? Maybe I'm just overly cautious after all the mishaps.
Ever had trouble deciphering your own sketches later on? Sometimes mine look more like abstract art than plumbing diagrams...
Haha, your abstract art comment hit home for me. I once scribbled a quick diagram on a pizza box lid (don't judge, it was handy!) and later spent a solid 15 minutes trying to figure out if I'd drawn pipes or pepperoni slices. Now I just snap a quick photo of my sketches before leaving the job site—saves the embarrassment of explaining my "artistic vision" to coworkers later...
Haha, been there with the pizza box sketches—no judgment here. Photos are a great idea. I've started doing that too, especially since my scribbles tend to blur together after a day or two. Also helps to jot down quick labels or arrows directly on the pipes before snapping the pic... just makes me feel safer knowing exactly what's what later. Glad I'm not the only one struggling with plumbing hieroglyphics.
I feel you on the blurry scribbles—once spent half an hour trying to decipher my own handwriting from a water heater replacement. Thought I was being clever labeling pipes with masking tape, until the steam made everything unreadable. Now I snap pics religiously, but even then, sometimes I stare at a photo thinking, "Wait, was that the cold feed or hot return?" Plumbing really has its own weird language, doesn't it? Glad I'm not alone in this confusion.
