Field Service Glossary

Standards, certifications, and trade terminology — explained in plain English across the eight trades iProDash CRM serves.

40 terms across 9 categories.

Locksmith

ALOA(Associated Locksmiths of America): The largest US trade association for locksmiths, providing certification (Registered Locksmith, Certified Registered Locksmith, Certified Professional Locksmith, Certified Master Locksmith), continuing education, and ethical standards for the locksmith industry.
SFIC(Small Format Interchangeable Core): A removable lock core that can be swapped without removing the entire lock body. Widely used in commercial and institutional master-key systems because it lets a control-key holder rekey doors instantly without taking the door apart.
Rekey: The process of changing the pin configuration inside an existing lock cylinder so that old keys no longer work and a new key operates the lock. Typically cheaper than full lock replacement and the standard service after a tenant move-out, lost-key event, or property sale.
Master-key system: A hierarchical keying system where one master key opens many locks and individual change keys open only their assigned lock. Common in apartment buildings, schools, offices, and commercial properties.
Restricted keyway: A patented key blank profile that cannot be legally duplicated at a big-box store. Used by commercial locksmiths and institutional accounts to control unauthorized key copying.
High-security cylinder: A lock cylinder built to ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 standards with features like hardened steel pins, anti-drill plates, pick-resistant pinning, and restricted keyways. Common brands include Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, ASSA, and Abloy.

Garage Door

IPPM(Inch-Pounds Per Inch): The unit of torque rating for garage door torsion springs. IPPM tells the technician how much lifting force a given spring produces per inch of door travel — critical for matching springs to door weight.
DASMA(Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association): The North American trade association for residential and commercial door manufacturers. DASMA publishes the technical standards covering spring cycle ratings, opener safety, wind-load ratings, and installation best practices.
Torsion spring: The wound spring mounted above a garage door that does the heavy lifting. Sized by wire gauge, inside diameter, and length, and rated for a number of open/close cycles before failure (typically 10,000 cycles for standard springs).
Extension spring: An alternative to torsion springs, mounted alongside the horizontal tracks. Common on older or lower-headroom installations. Must always be installed with a containment cable to prevent injury if the spring breaks.
MyQ: Chamberlain / LiftMaster's smartphone-connected opener platform, allowing homeowners to monitor and operate their garage door remotely. Widely supported across LiftMaster residential openers manufactured after 2012.

Electric Gate

UL 325: The Underwriters Laboratories safety standard for automated vehicular gate operators in the US. Mandates entrapment-protection devices (photo-eyes, edge sensors), warning signage, and operator categorization (Class I-IV) by intended use.
Class I / II / III / IV operator: UL 325 categorization for gate operators by usage type: Class I (single-family residential), Class II (multi-family residential), Class III (commercial / general public), Class IV (industrial / restricted access). Each class has distinct safety-device requirements.
AAADM(American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers): Industry association that certifies automatic-door and gate-operator inspectors and publishes annual inspection guidelines for ANSI/UL 325 compliance.
Photo-eye: A pair of low-voltage sensors (transmitter and receiver) mounted on either side of a gate or garage-door opening. When the beam is interrupted, the operator stops or reverses, preventing entrapment.

Air Duct Cleaning

NADCA(National Air Duct Cleaners Association): The North American trade association for HVAC system cleaning. NADCA publishes the ACR Standard (Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems), certifies Air System Cleaning Specialists (ASCS), and maintains the de facto cleaning quality standard cited by insurance carriers and inspectors.
ASCS(Air System Cleaning Specialist): NADCA's certification for individual technicians demonstrating mastery of HVAC inspection, cleaning, and restoration procedures. ASCS certification is required for the technicians of any NADCA-certified company.
ACR Standard(Assessment, Cleaning & Restoration): NADCA's published standard for the assessment, cleaning, and restoration of HVAC systems. Defines what counts as a properly cleaned duct system and serves as the industry reference cited by insurers and code officials.
Negative-air machine: A high-CFM, HEPA-filtered vacuum unit that pulls air through the entire HVAC system during cleaning, creating negative pressure that captures dislodged contaminants instead of releasing them into the building.

Carpet Cleaning

IICRC(Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification): The leading certification body for the cleaning, restoration, and inspection industries in North America. IICRC publishes the S100 standard for professional carpet cleaning and certifies technicians as Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT), Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician (UFT), and others.
HWE(Hot Water Extraction): Also known as 'steam cleaning'. The professional carpet cleaning method that uses hot water and detergent injected under pressure and immediately vacuumed back, removing soil and allergens trapped deep in carpet fibers. Recommended by most major carpet manufacturers.
S100 standard: IICRC's published standard for professional carpet cleaning. Defines pre-inspection requirements, cleaning methods, drying times, and post-job verification — the document insurers and warranty carriers reference when assessing a carpet-cleaning claim.
Encapsulation: A low-moisture carpet cleaning method using polymers that crystallize around soil particles for later vacuum removal. Faster drying than hot-water extraction; common in commercial cleaning where downtime must be minimized.

Chimney Services

CSIA(Chimney Safety Institute of America): The leading non-profit certification body for the chimney and venting industry in North America. CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweeps (CCS) demonstrate competence through training and examination, and CSIA standards are widely referenced by insurers and home inspectors.
NFPA 211: The National Fire Protection Association standard governing chimneys, fireplaces, vents, and solid-fuel-burning appliances. Defines the three formal levels of chimney inspection (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) and the minimum maintenance requirements every active chimney must meet.
Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 inspection: NFPA 211's standardized chimney inspection levels. Level 1: annual visual inspection of readily accessible portions. Level 2: required after major events (chimney fire, real-estate transfer, system change); includes video scanning. Level 3: invasive inspection involving partial removal of structure.
Creosote: The black or brown tar-like deposit formed inside a chimney by incomplete wood combustion. Stage 1 (soot) is brushable; Stage 2 (flake) requires specialty tools; Stage 3 (glaze) is hardened and is the primary cause of chimney fires.

Plumbing

PEX(Cross-Linked Polyethylene): A flexible plastic piping material widely used in residential potable-water plumbing. PEX-A, PEX-B, and PEX-C differ in manufacturing process; all are approved for hot- and cold-water service in the IPC and UPC plumbing codes.
IPC / UPC(International Plumbing Code / Uniform Plumbing Code): The two model plumbing codes adopted by US jurisdictions. The IPC (published by the International Code Council) and the UPC (published by IAPMO) define minimum installation, materials, and inspection requirements for residential and commercial plumbing.
Slab leak: A leak in a water supply line running beneath a home's concrete slab foundation. Often detected by sudden spikes in water bills, warm spots on the floor, or visible moisture. Repair methods include direct access, re-route, or epoxy lining.
Backflow preventer: A device that prevents contaminated water from flowing backward into the potable water supply. Required by code on irrigation systems, fire suppression systems, and most commercial water connections; must be tested annually by a certified backflow tester.

Electrical

NEC(National Electrical Code): NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code, is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection in the United States. Adopted (sometimes with amendments) by all 50 states. The current edition is NEC 2023; many jurisdictions still operate under 2020 or 2017.
AFCI(Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter): A circuit breaker that detects dangerous arcing faults in wiring and disconnects the circuit before they can cause a fire. Required by NEC on most residential branch circuits.
GFCI(Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter): A protective device that shuts off power when it detects ground-fault current as small as 4-6mA, protecting against electric shock. Required by NEC in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, outdoors, and other wet locations.
Service panel(Breaker panel): The main electrical distribution panel inside a building, containing the main disconnect and the branch circuit breakers. Common service sizes are 100A, 200A, and 400A in residential applications.
EV charger(EVSE — Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment): A dedicated 240V Level 2 charger (or 120V Level 1 trickle charger) installed for plug-in electric vehicles. Level 2 EVSE installations typically require a dedicated 40-50A circuit and a service panel with adequate available capacity.

Field Service / CRM

Field Service Management (FSM): A category of software that helps service businesses dispatch technicians, schedule jobs, track time on-site, collect payment, and manage customer history. iProDash is a field service CRM built specifically for the eight underserved verticals: locksmith, garage door, electric gate, air duct cleaning, carpet cleaning, chimney services, plumbing, and electrical.
Per-tech pricing: A pricing model used by most enterprise CRMs (ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, Housecall Pro) where the monthly subscription scales with the number of technicians on the platform. iProDash deliberately does not use per-tech pricing — adding a subcontractor for a busy weekend costs nothing extra.
SMS payment link: A Stripe-powered text-message link sent to a customer's phone after a job is complete. The customer taps the link, enters card or Apple/Google Pay details, and the payment is captured before the technician leaves the property. Used across every iProDash trade to eliminate Net-30 invoicing.
Subcontractor (1099) technician: A self-employed technician who takes work from one or more dispatching companies on a per-job basis. iProDash gives every subcontractor their own login, isolated job view, and payout tracking — so they can work multiple brands from one app without exposing customer data across brands.

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