How Richard Became a Plumber | Ask This Old House
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- In this video, Ask This Old House master plumber Richard Trethewey tells all about how his career as a plumber started.
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In some ways, Richard Trethewey feels that his fate as a plumber might have been predetermined from birth. Born to a 3rd generation plumber father, Richard grew up in the trade. His father owned a plumbing company in a Boston suburb known as Trethewey Bros, which Richard’s great grandfather and great uncle started in 1902. In fact, Richard was so sure that plumbing, heating, and air conditioning would be his future that in 3rd grade, Richard drew himself as a plumber.
Richard’s plumbing experience dates back further than most tradesmen. Every summer from around the age of 11 years old, Richard would go to work with his father. He would sweep the floors, cut pipe, or perform other tasks that formed his base knowledge of the trade.
Trethewey Bros was one of the largest non-union plumbing shops in the Boston area when a public television channel came calling. Explaining that they couldn’t pay them, Richard’s father still signed on to a project. When Richard asked his father why, he explained that he felt it was a way to pay it forward. But, since his father wasn’t quite comfortable on camera the first year, 22-year-old Richard stood in for him and was a natural. The rest of his This Old House career is history.
Richard loves his job, both as a plumber and a cast member on Ask This Old House. He loves the challenge of looking at a building, determining what needs to be inside that building, and then finding a way to make those components fit and work within the space. It’s all about problem-solving-something that Richard feels is one of the most important aspects of being a plumber.
Both of Richard’s sons entered the industry as well. He feels that as an industry, there is constantly evolving technology. And, it’s using the technology to ensure that someone is comfortable 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year that really excites the Tretheweys.
Outside of his trade and business, Richard has several interests. Most viewers don’t know, but as a long-distance sailor, Richard has raced to Bermuda (600 miles) several times. He loves the engineering challenge and feels that the sport increases his horizons. Even more important to Richard are his family and grandchildren. He enjoys seeing the new generation of Tretheweys grow while also feeling the connection to his father.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How Richard Became a Plumber | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse
I'm nearly 30. I've been watching Richard my entire life. Hell of a guy.
He’s a hack
@@tacklebox6239 Ah yes, the internet troll says that the guy with over 40 years experience is a hack.
@@Chrispy9393 I understand but years of experience doesn’t mean quality work. As a professional plumber I can assure you that I have witnessed poor work practices at the hands of Richard. I’ve been plumbing for 20 years and the more time goes by the more hackery I noticed for him.
@@tacklebox6239 You're a hack. 😘
Old enough to be your dad, and somehow I just KNEW Richard could afford a big sailboat! 😅 Have fun, Richard, and make sure the grandkids wear their PFDs! 👍🏼😎✌🏼
The living legend. He the reason I got in to plumbing.
Love Richard, and ALL the crew, including everyone "behind the scenes". This Old House......greatest show EVER!
The thing I love about Richard is that plumbing which can be a horrible dirty yuck job yet he has such huge enthusiasm for the subject. He just seems to really love what he does.
Been a plumber for over 80 years and still learning..,
The brilliance of Richard is not just his skills as a plumber and an engineer, but his specialty really is how elegantly he can explain his work. At the end of every TOH segment, you know exactly what he did, and why. Have learned so much from him. Thanks Richard!
What an honor to watch Richard over the years. Learned so much from him.
Agreed. Feel like I grew up wit him. All of them.
I really appreciate it as a plumber myself to grow up and watch these guys
It is amazing that his family plumbing business is still going strong.
Not if you do the job right
His Dad and Grandfather taught them the right way. I am certain they operate with 3 key values:
1. Do the job right. No shortcuts, no cheapening out, always following the proper codes to a T.
2. Excellent customer service
3. Reasonable prices
You follow those three values and you will last forever in whatever business you run.
After almost 30 years in the plumbing and HVAC trade I have people asking me why I ever got into this line of work and I tell them I fully blame Richard Trethewey. He made the trade seem so honorable. It has been a good life. Thank You Richard.
When you watch this old house or ask this old house you actually learn something. I learned lots of plumbing tips and tricks over the years, as well as framing from Kevin. They know what they are doing
Enjoy the show very much. I’ve been a plumber for 43 years, cheers to my brother Richard.
im a plumber in scotland and i know no one will read this but thank you richars, as an apprentice at a huge commercial company there was little or no effort in teaching us it was sweep up fir the first twi years then after that you were expected to go fit a row of toilets or commercial crimped pipe in a boiler house, every day i came home from work and watched richard on youtube and although it was different from the pipes i fit it helped me and gave me comfort i continued on and just got stuck in the deep end and became qualified although i feel i am not competent in houses all i was taught and got the chance to do was commercial sized pipe and stuff you could find in huge buildings never got the chance to learn bathrooms or kitchen sinks typically there should be a commercial abd domestic plumbing apprenticeship im technically a qualified plumber but all i know how to do us commercial it really gets me down, anyways thank you richard!
My earliest memory was watching my older brother see this show on Saturday mornings (may be Sunday) learning on on home improvements. I’m 35 now and glad to see that this show not only taught us, but best of all, it originated in Boston where I’m from. Until this day, I still watch TOH. Simply put…the best!
This man is a national treasure!
I've been watching Richard my entire life. I've learned so much from him, Tommy and Norm.
A very valued tradie on the This Old House . He explains the plumbing systems clearly that makes sense to everyday people. Thanks for the video.
This guy is the best, and a great teacher. He bailed me out of many tight plumbing situations.
Richard is one of the reasons I watch TOH. Its like watching a master. The knowledge and the skills he has and of course the gentleman that he is. god bless you sir
These "Men" from This Old House will forever be LEGENDS!!!
Rich has been wonderful to watch all these years. Great personality and incredibly smart and experienced. Wonderful to see more of his son as well!
Too cool, nice to see his kids following in the families footsteps. And holy cow his boys and grandkids look just like him! 💕👍
Richard, Bob, Norm, and Tom were figures of my childhood. PBS was so amazing back then. So much of what I use every day in my middle age I learned from This Old House, Mr Rogers, and Sesame Street.
Lol
Richard and this old house is a big reason I became a plumber/gas fitter. Been in the trade for 28 years now!
Unrelated to the plumbing topic, but If this doesn’t show people the impact of being a good father, I really don’t know what will. Generations of them and all successful in the same trade.
Richard is one of the reasons I want to be plumber, his personality and the way of thinking got intrigued to be a plumber by profession.
big respect to you richard
Richard’s a hack
@@tacklebox6239 loser
Very nice to see the personal side of one of the host of This Old House been seeing it for over the past 40 years and I'm 60 years old now. I do remember the first broadcast when it came to my local PBS station WKAR - Michigan State University Television.
And he was right about his dad being nervous on the show. Bless his heart.
My mom turned me on to This Old House as a kid, and Richard Trethewey is the epitome of a professional. What a great, smart man.
Richard is the patron saint of plumbers! What a spokesperson !!!!!
Richard a hack!
Richard, you are the genuine American Man. Your story is humbling and inspiring.
As a kid I used to watch This Old House with my dad. We would always joke that once Rich the plumber came on screen the project would immediately go over budget. He never had good news for the owner :) It’s so good to now see him doing these clips with homeowners and showing everyone how to do some of this work themselves and save some money. Seems like a good guy.
I became a plumber when I was 30, that was in 2000. Best job I ever had. I do service, everyday is never the same!
Thanks for sharing Richard story, I enjoy watching all Richard plumbing videos
Roger is the man! Loved seeing the footage of his dad, and then him, and now his sons. FANTASTIC!
Richard is an unbelievable man with truly exceptional skills my total respect for him.
Grew up with this show and Richard. Great to learn about the personal aspects of the show. An honor.
Big fan of Richard. Thanks from your fellow plumbers - you represent the trade well
Richard is a true gem. What a likeable, capable co-host.
Thanks
I've been watching This Old House since the very beginning. I can remember being so excited to watch when it came on. It's been fun watching little Richie grow up. 🙂
Richard has taught me so much. The way he explains things and his enthusiasm when doing so makes it easy to learn. His use of cut-outs really brings it all down to basics for the average homeowner to know how things work.
I never really appreciated This Old House until I became a home owner almost 9 months ago. What an invaluable resource this program is. Thanks Richard and the rest of the crew for all that you do; we’re all better for it.
I enjoy watching TOH and especially content presented by Richard or Tom. Learned a lot, love the cutaways he uses to demonstrate how parts work. Lastly as I am living in Slovakia, Europe, I really appreciate how he tries to change the mindset of people when it comes to energy efficiency (i.e. trip to Germany showing sustainable heating). Wish him, other presenters and the show all the best.
This Old House connects me to my long-passed grandfather. Richard, you may never see this comment, but all of This Old House, current and past, are True American Icons. You, sir, are an icon. You should be very proud, and I’m sure your father would be of you.
God bless you, Rich. The world could use more people like you.
I love these origin stories..such a great bunch of guys.
What an in-depth interview that really brought to life the personality of Richard. I always respected all of the trades that had people that worked on TOH, and it's great to hear the backstory how they became involved with the show. I thought it was hilarious to see Bob Vila in his Bob Ross days :D
From one plumber to another Rich nailed it, it’s the Challenge problem solving.
Richard is such a good man.
He’s a hack
@@tacklebox6239 you seem nice
Great guy.
Skilled Man.
Honest Man.
Grew up with the show, what an amazing group of guys. Love them all.
You and all the guys and gals have meant so much to so many people who have had so little. I need you to know, you've shaped a generation.
Awesome. Been watching Richard since the beginning. It is wonderful to see the evolution of his family !
An honorable profession, that anyone can hold their head up high. Thank You Richard. Pay it forward
Thank you Richard. You are a priceless gem and an irreplaceable asset to all. 😀
Thank you Sir for showing us your love and talent !
Richard nailed it with the grandkids. The reward for being a parent is the opportunity to be a grandparent.
Great show , learn a lot from Richard .Great plumber a asset to the plumbing industry .
My grandfathers had always wanted to meet Richard before he passed. He was also a Richard and we loved watching This old house together.
I’m happy I saw this, this is amazing. I’m a journeymen out of Houston. Always put pride in what you do.
Great video. Thanks for sharing Richard's story.
Same here. Second generation local 562 plumber/pipefitter. I'd be so proud to see my son follow in my footsteps.
I started plumbing four years ago and had no clue what i was getting into. Its made me a more mechanically inclined person and has to taught me the importance of doing good work.
Been crushing on Richard for 32 years.
This man is a national hero.
Awesome interview. Loved seeing the old pics. He's the prefect fit for TOH!
Richard is the best ! His advise is to notch ! God bless you and the show. May you continue doing it forever !
So much to admire about him, his story, this old house and more! Loving it! So glad to hear this story :D
It’s nice to learn the history of you guys at This Old House. Love watching you during the week on PBS.
Lovely photos of Richard and family, past and present.
Great story, I always enjoy watching Richard with his vast years of experience in plumbing and HVAC.
I can listen him for hours. Thanks from Germany 😀
Absolutely great video. More personal videos about the team would be awesome.
I had no idea! Papa Trethewey's DAPPER DAN in his hat and tie! THREE Generations of Tretheweys have been contributors to TOH! That is FANTASTIC! Richard, thanks for all you are and do!
Rich is a true gentleman and has made me a better HVAC contractor..THANKS Rich!!
ATOH helped me in maintaining my home. Love this program.
I grew up with this fella. On tv, but I feel like I know the whole crew.
As a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher, I really enjoyed this clip. I think it shines a much needed positive light on an important skilled trade. As I try to inspire students to pursue careers in the technical fields, I am already thinking how I can work this clip into one of my lessons. I hope TOH will do more similar clips in the future about some of its other regular contributors and their trades.
It seems to be an anglophone thing that building trade professionals are somehow seen as “lower class”; it certainly isn’t that way in countries like Germany, for example.
Plumbers like Richard who casually throw words like “serendipitously” into their conversation are just what’s needed to chip away at that culture!
@@markofsaltburn I think the reason for this is that many people go into the trades because they're not smart enough to earn the same level of income doing more intellectually-demanding work. They make up much of the higher-earning segment of the so-called 'working class' or what Americans call 'blue collar' workers. I don't say so as any kind of slight against them, but simply as a statement of fact. Because they've gone to trade school rather than college, the class-concious don't rate them very highly.
There is a great need to attract more high-achieving young people into the trades. Of course, some very intelligent people like Richard work in the trades, but I suspect that many of their equally intelligent peers just trod the well-worn path to college and into the corporate world. College isn't for everybody and as many office jobs that require a third level degree now need fewer staff than before because of automation, skilled tradespeople will have a much easier time finding employment than those with academic qualifications.
Thank you for generously sharing your time and know-how!... the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.
Another example of the good, decent people on this program.
I love that guy. I always watch this old house and look forward to the plumbing segment
Much respect to this guy.
Ya brought a tear to my eye Mr. Trethewey
I just wish that EVERY EPISODE would be released on UA-cam and Blu-ray.
Old plumbers never die, they are just flushed away !
Great story. Love your style of teaching Richard.
This is an awesome video. I'm 34 and I start training to be an hvac tech in May. It's shows like This, my carpenter father and Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs that got me out of retail. I plan on opening my own business. Thank you This old house for the inspiration.
That’s awesome! Good luck. Thanks for sharing your story!
@@erikjohnson2889 Thank you Erik. It is truly appreciated.
@@marstonstrength I’m looking to apprentice with my neighbor, a master carpenter and electrician. I’m a full time musician, but building and woodworking really satisfies my soul. Mike Rowe and TOH are also huge inspirations for me! I wish you the best. Thanks again for the inspiration.
@@erikjohnson2889 Good luck my new friend.
Thank you Richard for sharing your story with the viewers🤗😎🤗😎
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story it brought me to tears I'm appreciative and I'm thankful for you and all that you and your team do together keep safe I love you all from new Brunswick Canada
Richard is the big reason I got into the plumbing and heating trade.
Richard is a good man
Rich is my favorite, always has been. I bet we could talk about anything for hours effortlessly.
I’ve always enjoyed watching this old house since it began… And when I saw that Carol Trethewey‘s little brother Richard was going to be on it I was just tickled pink! We moved from Dedham 106 Ledgewood Road in December 1962. And the Trethewey’s lived on the other side behind the “forest” that was between our streets… Carol was a great girl, I really liked her! The Folks moved us to Torrance, California. Richard is The Best! Along with all of his cohort’s 😃
He sure does make being a plumber look cool
Have learned so much from Richard because of his cutaway models and clear knowledge!
Always enjoy the mechanical section of the shows.
I had a good friend from Maine, sadly long passed, who looked, dressed and sounded like Richard, and who had the same love of sailing. Aside from his obvious expertise, that’s why I like watching Richard’s contributions to “This Old House” as much as I do.
Richard was one of my inspirations as a kid and one of the reasons I got into the trades.
I've been watching these guys ever since I can remember. I'm 50 years old, man time sure flies by so quick, but anyways.This show got interested in becoming a carpenter. I also do a little bit of the other trades by carpentry is my main thing. And I enjoy what I do. Thanks to this show and a few others that I watch on channel 11 wttw in Chicago.
It's crazy how long I've been watching this show. From 10 to 36 TOH and new yankee workshop was the big thing
That Hulk Hogan mustache on 22 year old Richard is on point!
From a guy named Richard I like Richard the plumber he is a good guy .
Good knowledge
Keep it up 👍