This week we talk ASPE, which just took place this week actually. Tim Ward gives an update from the show floor and we visit with our friends from Uponor. We have a new Contractor Spotlight on the site. We talk American Plumber Stories Season 5, Episode 2. And, of course, we’ll talk podcasts.

Still crushing it 40+ years into the plumbing trade, Susan Jacobs-Marshalsea, Ms. Fix It Plumbing LLC, Foxborough, Mass. (@plumbersue on Instagram) says it’s that love of plumbing that still motivates her to this day. And there are really no plans of slowing down as of yet, “It’s probably the adrenaline that kicks in so the physical aspect of plumbing sometimes gets ignored by my body because my brain just tells me to do it. Customers with emergencies and/or plumbing issues still excite me. I will plumb as long as I can physically,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea.

And that’s a good thing. You see, Jacobs-Marshalsea has been a staunch advocate for women in the trades. “Did you know that only 3.5% of plumbers are women. Did you also know that only 2.2% of electricians are women, only 3% of tile/carpet installers are women and less than 2% of carpenters are women? I don’t know why the percentage is so low,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea. “This is why I have become overly obnoxious in my Facebook and Instagram posts. Hopefully, other women seeing me plumb may encourage/entice them to think about a trade as a career.”

When asked about what we can do as an industry to help bring women into the trades, “Exactly what you did with asking me these questions,” she says. “We women need to put ourselves out there and promote ourselves and by having news interviews, publication interviews, promote workshops/trade shows and speak at local middle/high school career fairs—anything that helps get the word out that women can be in this trade, and that we are very good at it for various reasons.”

Jacobs-Marshalsea says she really doesn’t “fight” any stigma today as far as being a woman in the trades. “I did 40+ years ago in the late 1970s, early ’80s. There weren’t many female tradeswomen back then, especially in the private sector. I’ve made a name for myself and have a great customer base and get referred often so I feel I have proved myself decades ago. Now I’m just the pink plumber lady, locally.”

But does Jacobs-Marshalsea consider herself a mentor? She’d love to mentor but very few women/girls are interested in plumbing, she says. “I think it’s the poop thing. And we all know that unless you are a drain cleaner, plumbers only come across ‘poop’ maybe 3-5 a month.”

Jacobs-Marshalsea teaches Plumbing 101 workshops to condo/homeowners, real estate agents, youth groups, parent/child, married couples, etc. so that she will have something to do, and a form of income, during retirement. “I started teaching because of the shortage of tradespeople—just little plumbing knowledge and repairs,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea.

The Beginnings

As fifth generation Master Plumber in Massachusetts, it was a no-brainer for Jacobs-Marshalsea. Jacobs Plumbing started in 1895 in Boston and her father was her mentor. “At first, he didn’t think women could plumb—late 1970s—but after a few jobs, he decided that I had the capability to do anything I set my mind to,” says Jacobs- Marshalsea.

After her father became ill and closed his business after 50 years, Susan started her own business in 2015 as S Jacobs Plumbing LLC. Susan rebranded and renamed her business around 2018 and Ms. Fix It Plumbing LLC was born. It’s as strong as ever, even more so during and after pandemic. “I assisted my father for more than 30 years in handling all aspects of his business—up to 15 guys, all the business stuff, running jobs, employees, advertising, fleet maintenance, etc—so when he closed his business I was fully up and running with my own in under a week,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea.

Today, with more than 600 residential/commercial/industrial customers, Susan has never not had her phone ring. She takes pride in still having a live-person, 24-hour answering service that she has used for more than 40 years, which helps people know that she will receive their message. “There is something about a customer calling and actually speaking with a live person, especially with an emergency, that eases their minds,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea.

“I receive that call via email within 10-30 seconds of them hanging up. I then text them within 2-4 hours, depending on the plumbing issue or if they are an existing customer. I then have them send photo(s)/video(s) of their plumbing problem and can diagnose within minutes of what needs to be done.”

And while Jacobs-Marshalsea admits she loves plumbing and all it entails, surely there must be something she doesn’t care for, no? “Crawl spaces is probably my least favorite, but because I’m a small woman, I can get into most places male plumbers cannot. And, due to the shortage of tradespeople, specifically plumbers, the T&M rates (including flat rate) have been steadily increasing, so when someone asks how much something will be and I give them a guesstimate they are astonished and try to get me to lower my guesstimate, which is the thing I dislike about having a business or being a plumber. We protect the health of the nation and we are licensed and insured and are mandated to go to Continuing Education, so that frustrates me a lot,” says Jacobs-Marshalsea.

The Personal Side

When Jacobs-Marshalsea is not plumbing, she is working elsewhere, whether it’s in her gardens, getting ready for a workshop, volunteering for many non-profits, making improvements on her own home or offering to help someone else. “I find keeping busy keeps my mind sharp and my body flexible,” she says.

“But I’d like to take 30+ days and fly to California and rent a RV van and drive across America back to MA to see the country.”

Susan is finding that her social media is important for a handful of reasons. In addition to being informative, “People love to see me in my ‘yoga positions’ or ‘what to do or not to do’ or ‘helpful hints.’ Posting frequently lightens my day, and other’s as well.”

Finally, when asked when the last time she said, Today is a great day, “Every day is a great day— the sun came up and my feet hit the floor so when I leave somewhere I always say, ‘Have a great day!’”

The staff at Spark by Hilton™ in Redlands, California, turned to A. O. Smith for a water heater capable of providing ample hot water to their hotel. It’s no simple task to supply hot water all day, every day, to a hotel with 85 rooms, a kitchen and multiple commercial laundry facilities. But for A. O. Smith, it was the perfect opportunity to showcase the power of the CHP-120 Fully Integrated Commercial Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH).

The hotel chose to install four CHP-120 HPWH units—all of which function as part of a single fully integrated water heating system. It was critically important to the specifying engineer that the system be integrated as it makes installation significantly easier and is more cost-effective for the hotel.

“I prefer the CHP-120 model’s integrated system because it makes installation and piping easier than other competitive technologies,” said Peter Yoon, lead specifying engineer and owner of American Power Solutions. “The CHP-120 unit is more compact, which means our team does not have to worry about the typical mechanical room space constraints associated with an average commercial unit. We also do not have to worry about additional space for insulation or the need for a large pipe for the system, which makes my job very simple and easy.”

“It takes two days to install the units, with only 10 hours of water shutoff required. After those ten hours of work, your machine will be set to run,” noted Yoon. “There is not much maintenance needed except a filter replacement every year or every other year, so I love it.”

Features & Benefits:

• Industry-leading 4.3 Co-efficient of Performance (COP)
• ENERGY STAR®-certified
• Heat pump technology provides a more energy-efficient way to heat water with electricity
• Integrated 119-gallon tank enables heat pump to operate more frequently, saving money
• Three operating modes (Efficiency, Hybrid, and Electric) maximize efficiency while meeting specific hot water demands
• First-hour delivery exceeds 194 GPH
• Dual 6 kW heating elements provide additional heating capability for periods of high demand
• Maximum water temperature of 150° F in Efficiency and Hybrid modes, and 180° F in Electric mode
• Large touchscreen LCD display allows for mode selection, provides run information, and includes troubleshooting alerts and detail

Beyond improving the installation process, the CHP-120 HPWH provides the hotel with incredible cost savings on energy. The CHP-120 unit is four times more efficient than a standard electric water heater, saving the hotel up to $3,000 per unit on their annual electric bills. The CHP-120 does this by moving heat from the surrounding air rather than creating heat, allowing it to run at an industry-leading 4.3 Coefficient of Performance (CoP).

The CHP-120 HPWH comes with three different operating modes for maximum efficiency. The three operating modes (Efficiency, Hybrid, and Electric) allow facility managers to adjust as needed to meet the hotel’s varying hot water demands. Facility managers can easily switch between modes due to the CHP-120 unit’s large touchscreen LCD display, which allows for mode selection, and displays run information, including troubleshooting alerts and details. Dual 6 kW heating elements integrated into the unit provide additional heating capability for periods of high demand. This feature ensures that even when the hotel reaches maximum capacity, it can still supply ample hot water to customers, even those staying on the highest floors.

“We used to get customer complaints about not getting hot water on the higher floors of the hotel, but since installing A. O. Smith’s CHP-120 units there have been no customer complaints,” said the hotel manager. “The hot water on the first floor is the same temperature hot water that guests experience on the third floor of the hotel.”

In addition to improving the guest experience, the CHP-120 unit also qualifies for significant utility rebates in the state of California. Payback time on the investment of installing a unit is expected to be just under two years.

“With the current rebate program, it’s almost cost-free to the customer,” said Yoon. “When replacing an old boiler, the investment in new technology is typically the biggest barrier, but with the CHP-120 HPWH we received a big rebate upfront. California has aggressive energy savings goals, so they provide generous rebates on high-efficiency technology like the CHP-120 model. We received $20,000 in rebates for each unit that we installed at the Spark Hotel.”

“Going from a gas-fired water heater to the CHP-120 HPWH, the savings are dramatic. Customers could be wasting thousands of dollars a year by not making the switch,” said Anthony Sun, Delco salesman. “Once the CHP-120 unit is installed, it can run in efficiency mode by using just the compressor, the cool air and the hot air in the room to heat the water, saving the hotel money and energy.”

Find more information about the CHP-120 HPWH and other products at www.hotwater.com.