Live from the UA Instructor Training Program, we chat with Joe Fernandez Jr. about the trade that's increasingly overlapping with HVAC: plumbing. We dig into how heat pump water heaters are reshaping expectations for both plumbers and HVAC techs, and why education and service are driving the transition.

We explore:

• Why heat pump water heaters are already the norm overseas and gaining ground in the U.S.

• The consumer pushback around upfront cost, and how technicians can educate customers

• How building a plumbing service program from the ground up transformed one UA local from 5% to over 40% service work

• Why service work is recession-resistant, and how the 2008 downturn and COVID-19 reshaped training priorities

• The growing emphasis on soft skills and customer communication alongside technical training