Drew Copeland is the rhythm guitarist and harmony vocalist for the rock band Sister Hazel – and the co-writer of the band’s biggest hit “All For You” that topped the charts in the late ’90s.
Even though he’s made his living in music, Copeland knows quite a bit about homebuilding and energy efficiency because he received a building science degree from the University of Florida. His first exposure to A. O. Smith excellence was when he participated in the Hootie & The Blowfish celebrity golf tournament that the company co-sponsored.
In 2018, Copeland began building two houses on a large lot outside of Gainesville, Florida. The larger house is for Drew and his wife and three children. It has 3,500 square feet of heated/cooled space. The smaller, 1700-sq. ft. house is for Copeland’s sister-in-law who was involved in a serious accident and requires a caretaker. Copeland went with two propane A. O. Smith ProLine® XE Gas Tankless Water Heaters in the larger house and one in the smaller house. “When people ask me why I chose A. O. Smith, the answer was easy,” said Copeland. “A. O. Smith’s reputation of the highest quality in equipment as well as customer service made my decision very easy.”
“I’m really excited about getting instantaneous hot water with the A. O. Smith units,” said Copeland. “In previous homes we had tank-type water heaters. With teenage kids, especially on hair-washing days, my chances of getting a hot shower were pretty slim,” he said. “In our new house, there are 4½ baths, and a need for hot water in the kitchen, laundry room and the summer kitchen outside and our outdoor shower. That’s a high demand, but the A. O. Smith tankless units have performed very well.”
Despite its smaller size, the adjacent house also has high demand for hot water. “My sister-in-law’s house has a big sink and dishwasher, plus a washer and dryer in the laundry room,” said Copeland. “There are also two bathrooms in the house – one for the caretaker. We’ve been pleased with the performance of the A. O. Smith tankless unit in that house, too.”
All the tankless units at the two homes are equipped with A. O. Smith Product Preservers® that protect them from damage due to scale formation and make maintenance fast and hassle-free.
There’s a song called “Happy” on Sister Hazel’s best-selling album – and Copeland is indeed happy with the service and expertise that A. O. Smith provided. “The A. O. Smith team has really made the installations effortless,” added Copeland. “They came out to my site and helped me figure out exactly what I needed. I can’t sing their praises enough.”