drain cleaning

When I asked Conrado Ensenat Jr.—aka @conradtheplumber—if he ever considered himself a role model to young people thinking of entering the trades, he unequivocally answered, “No, absolutely not.” Yet his answer wasn’t completely without, perhaps, an internal epiphany. You see, according to Conrad, the way he does things may not be the way others do things. And that’s okay. But in reality, unbeknownst to Conrad, he may just be moving into that role model role as we speak. “What I am is a plumber that has no problem taking the time to answer any kind of question an apprentice or a student in school may have about our trade,” says Ensenat. “I believe we are more approachable today more than ever; communication is so much easier with social media. So, for me, a role model I am not. But a plumber with the love for the trade and wanting to see young people succeed if they want to pursue a career, then I most certainly am.”

His Calling

Early on, Conrad was working for a restaurant and just starting at a local community college, yet he wanted something more. Working with his hands always appealed to Conrad so he quit the restaurant and started working as a carpenter’s helper. “It was okay, but saw what the plumbers were doing with the soldering and PVC, and I was intrigued,” Conrad says.

Conrad was hired as a helper cutting and removing cast iron pipe in a building in downtown Miami and loved it right away. “Sure, I was dirty and smelled bad but learning about the pipe and how it works was just really cool. Seventeen years later and I’ve never looked back; plumbing was my calling.”

Conrad’s journey into the plumbing trades technically began full time in 2002 where he started on “snake patrol,” as he was given a van full of all types of machines for drain cleaning—RIDGID, Electric Eel, General Pipe Cleaner, etc. “I learned quickly how to use these machines—I got slapped in the face by a cable, had my shoelaces ripped off after the cable got tangled on them and got splashed with sewer and grease—and all of this happened within my first two days.”

After one year, Conrad begged his boss for an upgrade and was moved over to camera inspections. Here, Conrad learned the insurance side of things for residential and commercial applications—how it all works and the importance of video and the location of problems. At this time, Conrad also was installing temporary sinks and water heaters, and doing leak detection as well. After about six months, Conrad went into new construction, completing multiple high-end buildings and renovations in multiple hotels. After about a year, Conrad took over as lead plumber on two high-end homes in Sunset Island and Hibiscus Island, Miami Beach. “One project took seven years to complete while the other took four, and that meant a lot of money and a lot of change orders,” says Ensenat.

At this time, Conrad bounced from lead plumber to supervisor—in charge of about 17 plumbers and 10 helpers—ordering material, pricing out jobs, and meeting with contractors and owners. “I didn’t carry a tool or do any labor for about four years; it was mostly delegating and office work. It was a bit boring at times and the days were long and sometimes stressful, but you go on,” says Ensenat.

Conrad with Omar Harris (left).

After the company closed its doors and went into new ownership, Conrad decided it was time to go on his own. He opened a company with a partner and ran it for four years.

“I tip my hat to all the business owners, but there’s another side to that coin. The long days and nights—being held accountable for what your plumbers and helpers do, calling contractors for payment, supply houses, bills, gas, insurance, marketing, etc. It was great for a while but I was working a lot, and when you’re on your own, you want every call and every job as the stress of business falls on you. You need to bring in the money for your plumbers and office staff. They depend on you.”

But in the end, family was most important to Conrad. There was a time Conrad was working 6-7 day a week, 15-20 hours per day. “So, I closed shop and went and worked for a commission company, which was not the best decision, but I did see another side of plumbing I hadn’t seen, which I am not too fond of. But I did meet my best friend Omar Harris there, and met some great plumbers like Hiram Martinez and Joey Neal. These are great guys with vast knowledge of the trade.”

After leaving that company, Conrad joined the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division, where he has been for the past three years. “I couldn’t have made a better choice for me and my family.”

Looking back to when he started, Conrad says he didn’t know what he was doing but always enjoyed learning. And, as he was putting systems together and turning on/off the water, gas, or testing a drainage system, there was a sense of accomplishment. “We all have that story where we figured out a leak when five other plumbing companies could not. Where we worked all night, were dead tired, and when they asked, you said ‘you had to be there.’ The journey is different but the end result is the same,” says Ensenat. “The customer is coming to you with a problem and needs you to solve it. Putting that trust in you is a great feeling and honor; they could’ve picked anyone but they picked you.”

Learning from the Past

Conrad owes a lot of what he knows in the trades to William Gonzalez. “That man taught me a lot and would become my future father-in-law. He was an old-school plumber since the ’70s and he did not take it easy on me—probably because I was dating his daughter, lol. But he showed the business side of plumbing. He pushed me in new directions and always challenged me, whether it was reading plans delegating or a simple stoppage. His passion became my passion and my drive to learn all new methods of plumbing. I will be forever grateful to him, leaving me with the knowledge to make it in this trade; he may be gone, but never forgotten.”

Conrad’s brother-in-law, Guillermo Gonzalez, also taught him a lot about gas, and working with tankless water heaters. “Like his dad, he is a great person, and I was very lucky to be welcomed into the family—not only have they shown me love but they showed me a trade and a skill that will never be taken away. I have taken what they taught me and I have taught others as well,” says Ensenat.

Social Media All-In

According to Conrad, social media has been a great tool from talking to people all over the world to seeing the different methods of plumbing that are used—from the equipment to the way others approach the work. “We are a community here to help each other answer questions: we are at a time with social media where you can ask a question to a professional and get a real answer from the people that do it and live the trade,” says Ensenat.

Speaking of helping others, Conrad and his best friend Omar Harris (@omartheplumber) are in the initial stages of their PipeTalk “Instacasts”on Instagram. “We want a show where we can talk about anything in the trade, not a show about showcasing tools or doing giveaways. Real talk about experiences in the trade. How we can truly help apprentices understand what they are getting into,” says Ensenat.

In the end, for Conrad, it’s important to show new apprentices that the plumbing trade is not just about labor-intensive work; there is a future beyond just being a plumber. For instance, you can become lead plumber or foreman, says Conrad, or you can get your license and become an inspector or a plans processor. “There are so many great paying jobs with opportunities revolving around plumbing than just installing pipe, tubs and toilets all day. And this goes for any man or woman and every color and race—you have the opportunity to go far as you want.”

And with that hard work comes a little down time. Before the pandemic, Conrad would take multiple vacations a year to spend time with his family. “When I’m off work, I’m off. The two days a week I’m off, it’s all about either what I’m doing or spending time with the kids or the wife,” says Ensenat.

During football season, it’s all about the Miami Dolphins—Conrad would enjoy tailgating and going to games, including road games. Oh, and the last time Conrad said today is a great day? “I opened a cleanout at the front of a house holding water. Stuck the cable in 3 feet and it cleared without turning the machine on. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”

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Just submit a rebate form, a copy of your invoice/receipt, and warranty registration card for each purchase. It’s that easy to put money back in your pocket. A picture could be worth a thousand dollars!

Gen–Eye sewer cameras precisely pinpoint what the problem is, where it is, and how deep to dig.

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For details, download the rebate form at www.drainbrain.com/CameraRebate today! Or, for more information, call the Drain Brains^® at 800-245-6200.

Hoffmann Brothers Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Electrical & Appliance Repair in St. Louis, MO, has added RIDGID® K9-306 FlexShaft™ Drain Cleaning Machines to every new plumbing service truck they outfit after experiencing the tool’s versatility and time saving benefit.

“It’s definitely a time saver, simply just loading and unloading it, going from heavier machines to lighter,  more compact machines, saving time right there, then add speed and cleanliness on to that,” said Christian Telford, Master Plumber/Drainlayer and Field Operation Manager at Hoffmann Brothers.

“You also just can’t get the thorough cleaning with standard equipment like you can with FlexShaft,” he said. “The ability of the expanding chains to maximize the pipe size allows for a full pipe cleaning, coupled with how clean the machine itself stays, you just provide the client with an overall better experience.”

Christian notes that the FlexShaft is 10 to 25 percent faster at cleaning drains and for a flat-rate fee company that means saved labor costs and the opportunity to complete more jobs in a day.

In business for over 40 years, the team at Hoffmann Brothers prides themselves on the quality and integrity they bring to every job. That means not only providing the best customer service to clients, but also staying on top of the latest technology and equipment to be at the top of their industry.

A couple of years ago they purchased a heavier and more expensive high-speed descaling machine that’s used solely for drain lining work. The cost kept it from being added to other service trucks. After learning about the K9-306 at WWETT and its enclosed cable drum for enhanced cleanliness they started using it regularly and quickly found out what a versatile tool it is.

One of the impressive uses the Hoffmann Brothers team has found for FlexShaft is root clearing.

“We were very pleased at how well it actually did with roots without binding up too much,” Christian said. “We’ve had heavy balls of roots that our sectional and drum machines usually have to make several passes. With FlexShaft you may have to make one additional pass to make a final polishing while running water, which by this time you have again saved time and given the client a thorough cleaning which is a huge win for both parties.”

They are also using FlexShaft on descaling job sites.

“Lining has become a very valuable part of our business, however one key part of this is being able to get the original host pipe as clean as possible. This means sometimes taking a 100-plus year cast iron pipe and descaling it, a very delicate and painstaking task,” Christian said.

Hoffmann Brothers decided to run the K9-306 through the course to see if it could meet up to their lining work quality standards and allow them to utilize it for their pre-qualification process.

“Not only did it meet our expectations, but we decided to also take it a step further and try to use it with reinstatements which puts some heavy pressure on the equipment, and it also met the challenge,” he said.

Christian said this was a great testament to the K9-306 as this was not why they originally purchased the FlexShaft. However, it opened the door for their specialized technicians who do the lining process to be able to not only perform their daily jobs with clients, but also perform pre-qualifications on perhaps the same visits. A great gain for the company and the client.

Hoffmann Brothers is now utilizing the FlexShaft for residential, light commercial, descaling, milling and reinstatement jobs.

RIDGID^® is giving plumbers even more cleaning power and diagnostic capabilities in large-scale commercial or residential jobs with the addition of the K9-306 to its line of FlexShaft^® Drain Cleaning Machines. Designed to clean 3 to 6” diameter drain lines up to 125 feet, the K9-306 clears blockages with astonishing speed, while the ability to inspect with a camera simultaneously maximizes efficiency and lets you complete two jobs at once.

Purpose-built for the professional, the K9-306 quickly clears grease buildup, roots, and heavy scale in larger pipes. It features a professional 1.5 HP internal universal motor for maximum power and longevity; a fully enclosed drum to minimize setup and cleanup; and a retractable handle with multiple wheels and grab points to make loading and unloading easy.

“The positive response to our first two RIDGID^® FlexShaft^® Machines last year was overwhelming, with contractors wanting a similar product to clear wider and longer lines. The RIDGID^® K9-306 FlexShaft^® Machine is the answer to that request,” said Tim Dunphy, marketing director, Global Underground Technologies, RIDGID^®. “With the K9-306’s ability to clean wider pipes and reach up to 125 feet, it lets contractors clean larger lines all the way out to the main.”

The K9-306 has the highest capacity of the RIDGID^® FlexShaft^® Machines; each utilizes various chain knockers that are spun at high speeds and expand to quickly clear the entire circumference of a pipe for a more thorough and longer lasting wall-to-wall clean. The flexible, fully enclosed nylon-sheathed cable can be easily wiped clean as it is pulled from the line. It also eliminates splatter, cutting down on jobsite cross-contamination.

“When designing the K9-306, we also continued to innovate and expand our chain knocker lineup, adding a new option featuring a carbide tipped penetrating head. These new chain knockers will be available for all FlexShaft models and will help the pro more efficiently engage and clear tough full line blockages.”

FlexShaft^® machines are backed by the RIDGID^® Full Lifetime Warranty.

To purchase or learn more about FlexShaft^® machines contact your local distributor for an in-person demo, visit RIDGID.com, or call toll-free: 1-800-4RIDGID.