Ross Trethewey

Founder @TE2engineering | Building Engineer @thisoldhouse @asktoh |

[Ask This Old House @AskTOH]

🏠 That's a wrap on Ask This Old House Season 24! Thank you for watching, sharing, and tackling projects alongside us. Season 25 can't come soon enough. 🙌

[Ask This Old House @AskTOH]

This week on #AskTOH:
🎬 @RossTret talks about gadgets for outdoor movie theaters.
📋 We answer questions on home insurance policies.
🪚 @TomSilvaTOH rebuilds a picnic table.

Tune in Tuesday on @PBS or stream free beginning Monday on @TheRokuChannel!

[Ross Trethewey @rosstret]

@even__tide @ThisOldHouse Yes the original WiFi antenna was turned off (and bridge mode enabled). But thanks for pointing that out!

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

🚀 With all eyes on the latest launch, we’re looking back at our own trip into the world of space exploration.

@RossTret meets astronaut Tom Marshburn at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to hear what life is really like aboard the International Space Station.

[Lemma the Optimist @DoctorLemma]

19 years ago, a high school basketball coach put his team manager into a game for the final four minutes. The kid had never played a single minute of competitive basketball in his life. He scored 20 points.

Jason McElwain was diagnosed with severe autism at age two. He didn’t speak until he was five. He couldn’t chew solid food until he was six. He wore a nappy for most of his early childhood. As a baby, he was rigid, wouldn’t make eye contact, and hid in corners away from other children.

He tried out for his school basketball team every year and got cut every time. Too small. Too slight. Barely 5’6 and about 54 kilograms. But he loved the game so much that his mum called the school and asked if there was any way he could be involved. The coach created a team manager role for him. For three years, McElwain showed up to every practice and every game. He wore a shirt and tie on match days. He ran drills, handed out water, kept stats, and cheered every basket like he’d scored it himself.

On 15 February 2006, the last home game of his final school year, the coach let him suit up in a proper jersey and sit on the bench. With four minutes left and a comfortable lead, the coach sent him in.

His first shot missed. His second missed. Then something shifted.

He hit a three-pointer. Then another. Then another. His teammates stopped shooting entirely and just kept passing him the ball. He hit six three-pointers and a two-pointer. 20 points in four minutes. The highest scorer in the game. When the final buzzer went, the entire crowd rushed the court and lifted him onto their shoulders.

His mum tapped the coach on the shoulder, in tears. “This is the nicest gift you could have ever given my son.”

McElwain won the ESPY Award for Best Moment in Sports that year, beating out some of the biggest names in professional sport. He’s 36 now. He works at a local supermarket, coaches basketball, has run 17 marathons including five Boston Marathons, and travels the country speaking about never giving up.

When asked about that night, his coach still gets emotional. “For him to come in and seize the moment like he did was certainly more than I ever expected. I was an emotional wreck.”

[Jason Walls @walls_jason1]

Yesterday Mark Cuban reposted my work, DM'd me, and told me to keep telling my story.

So here it is.

I'm a Master Electrician. IBEW Local 369. 15 years pulling wire in Kentucky. Zero coding background. I didn't go to Stanford. I went to trade school.

Every week I'd show up to a home where someone just bought a Tesla or a Rivian. And every time, someone had already told them they needed a $3,000-$5,000 panel upgrade to install a charger.

70% of the time? They didn't need it.

The math is in the NEC — Section 220.82. Load calculations. But nobody was doing them for homeowners. Electricians upsell. Dealers don't know. And the homeowner just pays.

I got angry enough to build something about it.

I found @claudeai. No coding experience. I just started talking to it like I'd explain a job to an apprentice. "Here's how load calcs work. Here's the NEC code. Now help me build a tool that does this."

6 months later — @ChargeRight is live. Real software. Stripe payments. PDF reports. NEC 220.82 calculations automated. $12.99 instead of a $500 truck roll.

I'm still pulling wire. I still take service calls. I wake up at 5:05 AM for work.

But something shifted.

Yesterday @vivilinsv published my story as Claude Builder Spotlight #1. Mark Cuban saw it. The Claude community showed up. And for the first time, I felt like this thing I built in my kitchen might actually matter.

I'm not a tech founder. I'm a dad who wants to coach little league and be home for dinner. I just happened to build something that helps people.

If you're in the trades and thinking about using AI — do it. The barrier isn't technical skill. It's believing you're allowed to try.

https://t.co/cDVdY5mcLv

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

Curious about how your energy usage is measured? ⚡ @RossTret and Heath Eastman explain how utility energy meters work and what they track in your home.

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

Thinking about upgrading your water heater? 💧 @RossTret explains how a heat pump water heater works in cold climates, and why it can save energy while keeping your hot water consistent.

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

Today we celebrate 47 years of This Old House! 🛠️🏡

From the very first project to today’s renovations, we’re so grateful to our cast, crew, and, of course, our amazing viewers who have been with us every step of the way. 💛

📸: Chad Griffith

[Ask This Old House @AskTOH]

This week on #AskTOH:
💧 @RossTret discusses modern water tank technology.
🌿 @JNawadaTOH explains how to get rid of common houseplant pests.
🪜 Nathan Gilbert installs a pull-down attic staircase.

Tune in Thursday on @PBS or stream free beginning Monday on @TheRokuChannel!

[Superheat @Superheat_xyz]

Thanks to @CNET for the coverage and the nomination for Best Energy Tech!
This is just the beginning ...
Article: https://t.co/XifKT8xqmJ

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

Everyone needs to read this….

The Carpenter Principle

(a visual thread)

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

When the season gets tough, the giving gets bigger! Our friends at @HomeDepot made some shoppers’ days, and probably years, with help from Shaq! We hope it makes you smile like it did for us 🎁✨

[Amply Energy @amplyenergy]

No more scavenger hunts for HVAC specs.

📹 Watch the full episode https://t.co/KnP16FxM6w

@thebrentd @rosstret 

Check out our Trust Checklist and Latest Article 👉 https://t.co/ns2TZbu8MZ

#hvacdesign #equipmentdata #manufacturers #heatpumps #buildingperformance #transparency

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

⚡🏡 Take control of your home’s energy! Heath Eastman and @RossTret explain how smart electrical panels work and why they’re becoming a game changer.

[Ross Trethewey @rosstret]

@DadProduct @ThisOldHouse Yes that’s a nice product for measuring radon

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

❄️ Keep your home warm without breaking the bank. Richard (@ThisOldPlumber) and @RossTret offer some practical tips for saving money on heating bills this season.

[Coach St. Martin @coachstmartin]

Brayden Gero with his first basket in Metrowest career then hit a three, steal and free throw. @NeedhamHoops1 8th grade with great sportsmanship. This is what sports is all about. @bhiggs12 @espn @BostonHeraldHS @keith_pearson @Twit3_ @MHanna_22 @ManofSteelJR_14

[Gene Mundt @genemundt]

With winter coming, colder temperatures can fire up your heating bills. Cool them down with some tips offered by @rosstret @ThisOldHouse @thisoldplumber #heatingcosts #Furnace #heatingbills #wintercosts #home #savingmoney

[This Old House @ThisOldHouse]

🏡 Radon isn’t visible, but it can be dangerous. @RossTret explains what you need to know. #HomeSafety