🛠️ The Information Problem That Made Me Build Equipment Tracker Pro

I have been in HVAC for years. Michigan winters, Michigan summers. I love the work. What I do not love is the information problem. The kind that hits you at 6am when you are loading the truck for a PM route and you cannot remember what filter sizes that building runs. Or when you are on the phone ordering a part and you need the exact model number. Or when you get to a job and the customer asks whether the compressor you replaced last year is still under warranty.

The information I needed was always somewhere. In a notebook at the shop. On a nameplate that was corroded past reading. In an email from six months ago.

The Final Straw

The final straw wasn't a broken unit on a roof. It was my boss calling me to ask what size filters a unit in the next town over takes, what CFM a specific unit in a different building was rated for, and the last time we replaced a motor on a boiler. I didn't have the answers on me. I had to tell him I'd get back to him later, track down old paperwork, and piece the history together. I realized then that if I just had all that data on my phone, moving forward, those conversations would take ten seconds instead of an hour.

So I Built It

Equipment Tracker Pro started as exactly what I needed: a database that understood HVAC specs, organized by building and location, that I could update from my phone on-site. The AI nameplate scanner came later, when multimodal AI got good enough to reliably read corroded data plates. The condition assessment and invoice scanner are even newer. But the core purpose has been the same from day one.

I made the decision early that core tracking would always be free. Not a trial. Free. Because the value of having every tech on your team actually using the tool is higher than the revenue from charging them to get started.

Our Pro subscription option is only $9.99/month or $79.99/year per user, which adds cloud sync, web dashboard, and unlimited AI scans, but core tracking remains 100% free.

Who founded Equipment Tracker Pro and why?

The app was founded by Jonathan Curtis, a working HVAC technician in Michigan, who wanted to eliminate the frustration of climbing ladders twice due to incorrect parts or missing model numbers.

What core features of the app are free?

Core tracking features—including logging buildings, equipment profiles, parts inventories, maintenance histories, and photo records—are completely free with no arbitrary limits or hidden fees.

What features require a paid Pro subscription?

Pro features include real-time cloud backup, smart sync across devices, branded PDF compliance reports, live URL QR tags, the web dashboard, and unlimited AI scans for nameplates, condition assessments, and invoices.

How much does the Pro subscription cost?

The Pro plan costs $9.99/month or $79.99/year per user, helping cover Google Gemini API processing fees and cloud database infrastructure costs.

Can I try the AI features without subscribing?

Yes. Every new user receives 10 free AI scans to test the AI nameplate reader, condition assessment, and invoice scanning tools before deciding to upgrade.

Jonathan Curtis

HVAC Technician & Founder · Equipment Tracker Pro

Jonathan Curtis is an HVAC technician and the founder of Equipment Tracker Pro. He built the app out of frustration with the lack of purpose-built tools available to working HVAC technicians.