Master Plumber and Drain Punch Fan, Joe Ellis
In any skilled trade, experience matters. This is very true when it comes to the art of plumbing, and there are few people who can equal the experience and expertise of Joe Ellis from The Plumbing Officials, LLC. Joe Ellis is a master plumber who brings more than two decades of experience to the table. Over the years, he has honed his craft through working in different roles ranging from operations management to serving as a trainer and mentor for the next generation of up-and-coming plumbers. Joe recently spoke with Drain Punch Carl and shared all about how he discovered Drain Punch, as well as how he uses it in his business to provide improved service to his valued customers. You can watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_U5Qh9xgO4
A Plumber with Decades of Experience
Joe Ellis began to learn about plumbing at an early age. His grandfather ran a home repair business, and Joe started to work with him when he was just nine years old. An interest in construction soon led Joe to explore mechanicals on his own, including plumbing. These early experiences with the trade were the foundation upon which Joe built his career.
Over the years, Joe has worked for some major companies. He was a lead plumber on VCU’s medical campus, and spent about five years as operations manager for Roto Rooter. He also taught plumbing at the Richmond Technical Center for 10 years. As he worked, he learned and achieved, gaining certification as both a master plumber and a master gas fitter in 2008. He is also backflow certified, ASSE backflow certified, and a certified water restoration specialist. Today, Joe works with his sons, passing on the skills and values he learned from his grandfather.
Joe, like most plumbers, has relied on jetting and cabling (using a snake) to clear out clogged drains. These traditional methods are effective, but they do have limitations.
“Sometimes you leave some of the coagulates in the inside of the pipe,” Joe says about cabling. Leaving these coagulates behind means the drain is not completely cleared, which can cause the clog to reform, which can lead to callbacks. Jetting is a powerful cleaning method, but it can be risky, especially in older pipes like those found in older homes. As the jetter sprays 8–15 gallons of water per minute, fragile pipes can be damaged, and there is also a chance that water could back up into the home.
What Joe needed was a method that would be more thorough, as well as safer, to help increase customer satisfaction and reduce the chance for damages.
Drain Punch Makes a Difference
Joe tells about how he first encountered Drain Punch: “I had a few of my service plumbers I was managing tell me about this new product that they had found at the plumbing supply house and how it was helping them unclog drains in the field.” Joe eventually decided to work for himself again and go into business with his sons, and when he did, he decided to give Drain Punch a try. Like so many others, he found it completely changed the game.
These days, every time he tackles cleaning out a clogged drain, Joe uses Drain Punch alongside cabling. He likes how Drain Punch’s non-acid formula breaks down any residues and debris left behind without any bad smells. “It’s almost the equivalent of jetting without the liability,” Joe says, highlighting how Drain Punch eliminates risk without lowering effectiveness. He also finds it ideal for clearing tighter spaces that aren’t suited to cabling, like HVAC condensate lines.
Drain Punch Benefits Customers, too
The benefits from the use of Drain Punch extend to the homeowners and other clients Joe serves. The dual approach Joe uses —cabling followed by Drain Punch— combines old school tried-and-true techniques with the newer power of Drain Punch. This gives the pipes a very thorough cleaning. As a result, the likelihood of future problems is reduced.
“It’s cleaned up the pipes really well. On main lines, when we come back and camera, they look pretty clean,” Joe shares. Since he started incorporating Drain Punch into his process, Joe has had to deal with fewer callbacks and has experienced increased customer satisfaction.
As a preventative maintenance solution, Joe offers his customers the option to purchase Drain Punch to use to keep their drains clear between service calls. This serves as another layer of value for his clients.
Advice for Plumbers
Joe has found that working Drain Punch into his methods resulted in improvements for his business. The reduction in call backs and increased satisfaction for his customers gives him confidence giving warranties on his work. “I do that with the certainty that I’m doing a good job, and part of doing a good job is treating the drain after cabling or during cabling,” Joe explains.
For any plumbers out there who are pondering whether to use Drain Punch, Joe has a simple piece of advice. “The way it works best for me is the combination of the two. Treatment alone is not the end-all, and cabling alone is not the end-all. But the two together make a good service.”
Conclusion
Joe Ellis’s story is one that shows the value of combining innovation with traditional experience. By adding Drain Punch with the traditional methods Joe has always used, he has enhanced the quality and effectiveness of his work. This has led to gains in customer satisfaction and has strengthened his business.
So, no matter if you are a seasoned pro plumber or someone just getting started, you should consider adding Drain Punch to your toolkit, just like Master Plumber Joe Ellis. You can find it at one of the plumbing supply houses listed here: https://nonaciddraincleaner.com/buy-now-1 or buy it direct here: https://lambertisales.com/shop/ols/categories/drain-punch?page=1&sortOption=ascend_by_price.
Looking for more success stories like Joe’s? Check out Drain Punch Carl’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drainpunchcarl/featured!