Plumbing Videos

Join us as we sit down with plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to discuss his passion for teaching and the mentors he’s had along the way.

In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tells us about the modern marvel that is plumbing, and why he enjoys it so much.

This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how a recirculation line can save energy, money, and time.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teaches host Kevin O’Connor everything he needs to know to make simple irrigation repairs on his own.

A stuck sink plug causes a major hassle. Luckily, it’s a DIY that can be taken care of in an hour or two. In this video, we join plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, who shows a homeowner how to fix their bath sink stopper.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teams up with a local plumber to install a new stove and a vented microwave to exhaust the fumes.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teaches host Kevin O’Connor everything he needs to know about septic systems, how they work, and how to maintain them.

In this DIY Smarts segment, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner be proactive about their home maintenance by replacing their existing tank-type water heater before it fails.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O’Connor how to handle sink drains in tight places.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey gives host Kevin O’Connor an inside look at why a water heater fails.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teaches Kevin O’Connor what he needs to know about handling wet basements.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and home technology expert Ross Trethewey explain everything you need to know about balancing airflow within a home.

This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains some of the most common plumbing emergencies and how homeowners can handle them.

This Old House Plumbing and Heating Expert Richard Trethewey tells all about how his career as a plumber started.

In this edition of DIY Smarts, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner with an old 1950s bathtub replace the tub drain assembly when the current one stops plugging the tub.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey breaks down all the connections on a dishwasher, how they work, and how to troubleshoot them when they aren’t draining or drying correctly.

Master plumber Richard Trethewey installs a utility sink in Mark McCullough’s chicken barn.

Plumbing & Heating Expert Richard Tretheway shows host Kevin O’Connor several methods for making solid, watertight connections, both with solder and without.

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains some general soldering techniques and how to connect water piping.

Ask This Old House Plumbing and Heating expert Richard Trethewey explains a variety of failure points in a hose spigot and demonstrates how to replace one that is damaged beyond repair.

Garbage disposals are a helpful tool to help prevent pesky kitchen odors, as well as stop food from going down the pipes and causing plumbing issues. Watch as Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates how to install a garbage disposal in your kitchen.

This Old House Plumbing & Heating Expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates how siphons work. Richard shows how siphons are the basic principle that make toilets work, even if the water supply in the house was turned off.

Need to update your bathroom sink faucet? Watch this DIY Smarts as Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates how to replace a bathroom faucet.

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey travels to New York City to teach a homeowner how to clean her shower cartridge when it gets clogged.

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tests two different styles of smart automatic water shutoff valves.

Looking to connect gas pipes in your home? This Old House Plumbing & Heating Expert Richard Trethewey explains a new method for connecting gas pipes, known as "press-connect."

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains some of the common failure points in hose spigots and how to repair them.

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey travels to St. Louis to install a gas lantern on an original 1890s home in a historic neighborhood.

In this DIY Smarts, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates how and why frozen pipes burst.

Ask This Old House plumbing and HVAC expert Richard Trethewey explains why standard DWV PVC should not be used to vent gas appliances and what should be used instead.

Most people can recognize the difference between woods, for example plywood versus cedar. But the same can’t always be said for plastics. Richard takes a deep dive into the plastics being used for gas ventilation, and explains how to find out if the venting in your house is up to code—or past its prime.

Our plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains the general layout of the heating and cooling system in our Cape Ann project