Home technology expert Ross Trethewey tells us about how he became an engineer. While growing up under the wings of his grandfather and father, Ross learned what the plumbing trade entailed. But, he was always more interested in the future of plumbing and heating, leading him to a degree in mechanical engineering and a role on the This Old House team.
Ross Trethewey has This Old House in his blood. His grandfather first appeared on the show in 1979 before his father, Richard Trethewey, began to make regular appearances shortly after. Ross remembers visiting his father on those job sites, and as he got a bit older, he wanted to learn the trade.
That shared passion for building science is evident in how both generations have gravitated toward the same technologies. As Ross Trethewey, This Old House building engineer, reflected in This Old House Magazine: “What’s amazing to me is that the geothermal system from 1996 is remarkably similar to the one we put in last year. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…my dad and I both find technology like this fascinating, and worth celebrating.”
Growing up in a house of plumbers, Ross says that they were taught certain techniques and values at an early age. He learned lessons like the value of hard work and how to solder a pipe. While Ross was more interested in the future of plumbing and the direction it was heading, he credits that foundation for helping him on his career path as a mechanical engineer.
From the Experts: Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert, has spoken about Ross’s unique path: “He’s a total engineer but he makes everything work and he makes everything more comfortable and that’s sort of his gift. He gets it from his dad, but he also charted his own course. He’s my son, he’s a full blown mechanical engineer and he brings a sort of a joy of learning. He always wants to be on the front edge of everything.”
As Ross himself has put it: “Growing up in a family of plumbers, we were taught hard work ethic. We were taught how to solder a pipe. But what I was curious about was more or less the future of plumbing.” That curiosity about where the industry was heading — from smart water shut-off valves to 3D modeling of home systems — drove Ross to pursue mechanical engineering rather than follow the traditional plumbing trade.
As a mechanical engineer, Ross enjoys tackling the challenges the field faces every day. He appreciates that every project presents a different challenge, and these challenges require them to think outside of the box to solve them.
Ross holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in renewable energy, with a focus on solar, wind, geothermal, and everything sustainable. Combined with a lifetime of hands-on experience working alongside his father, Richard Trethewey, Ross brings both academic rigor and real-world know-how to every project.
Ross is most proud of the fact that he adds a different element to the show and is starting to take it in a new direction. He believes the technology aspect of home building and remodeling is constantly evolving and becoming a part of our everyday lives. He’s particularly passionate about Future House, where he can showcase technologies that are still in their infancy and bring them to the Ask This Old House audience.
Ross’s father, Richard, has already started laying that groundwork. As Ross shared in a This Old House episode: “He’s awesome with the kids. He comes over to the house and helping them, you know, build a fort with building blocks and teaching them why a certain way of building it is gonna be stronger and he can’t turn it off. He’s always teaching.”
As a father himself, Ross looks forward to the day when he can give his sons a taste of the type of childhood he had growing up. He looks forward to opening their eyes to the trade and its future and instilling the same values and skills that Ross’s father handed down to him. He hopes that they’ll take that foundation and run with it, just as he did years ago.
