Salvador Rodriguez Jr. firmly believes that a plumbing and drain cleaning company must be equipped to tackle a variety of different situations to avoid having customers go elsewhere for service. That philosophy explains why RDZ Plumbing & Drains, the San Diego-based small business he co-owns with his sister, Sandra, boasts a fairly large roster of machines.

Three machines in particular have played a crucial role in his company’s growth since its inception in 2018: K9-102 and K9-204 drain machines from RIDGID and an RCM-10 drain machine from Renssi Finland Oy.

The Renssi RCM-10 is particularly critical because it’s used primarily to descale drainlines prior to pipe lining, which has become one of the company’s most lucrative services. The unit cost about $5,000 and Rodriguez says it has easily paid for itself.

“The Renssi machine automatically is a money-maker because just about every time we use it, we’re shooting a liner,” he says. “Every time we use it, we’re facing a situation where something bad has happened. But it always does the job. We mostly line cast iron pipes and some clay pipes. I’ve seen some really bad cast iron lines where I thought we maybe couldn’t line them. But we’ve still been able to descale them enough that we can line the pipe.” 

One feature Rodriguez says he really appreciates is the safety foot pedal, which enables him to hold the cable with two hands for optimal control and feel while operating the machine with a foot.

“I don’t need to have a drill in one hand and only one hand on the cable,” he says. “It’s also very easy to move around and it’s so compact that it doesn’t take up a lot of room on a service truck.”

Powered by hand drills, the RIDGID FlexShaft machines also enhance productivity and profitability. The smaller K9-102 is designed for cleaning sink, tubs, shower and urinal drainlines. It comes with 50 feet of 1/4-inch-diameter cable and is designed for 1 1/4- to 2-inch pipes. The K9-204 is designed for use in 2- to 4-inch pipes and comes with 70 feet of 5/16-inch cable.

Moreover, both machines can operate while a camera is in the line because the drain cable is enclosed in a nylon sheath.

“They’re both super easy to use and the dual camera and cleaning capability saves us a lot of time,” Rodriguez says. “The chain attachment spins from wall to wall, so it’s truly cleaning the entire pipe. It just destroys clogs.”

Rodriguez says he frequently has to go up on a house roof and pop a ventilation cover for drain cleaning access because there’s no cleanout, and that’s easy to do with the FlexShaft units because they’re so light and compact. The K9-102 weighs about 24 pounds and the K9-204 weighs around 37 pounds.

The K9-102 costs around $1,100 and the K9-204 is priced around $1,600. They pay for themselves quickly, Rodriguez says, and boost customer satisfaction by unclogging drains quickly and efficiently.

“To succeed in this industry, you have to be equipped for different situations,” he says.

Read more about RDZ Plumbing & Drains in the May 2023 issue of Cleaner magazine.