Have you ever persisted in using a product, job after job after job, without exploring other proven options in the market? Sometimes we can be so unaware of improvements and innovations in certain industry products, we need a little push from an outside influence to go find them.
Giovanni “John” Bencardino is the owner of Sureflow Plumbing & Drain, based in southern Ontario in Canada. This seasoned plumbing veteran has worked in the industry for 20 years and has built his own successful company with nine employees. Sureflow, in fact, currently boasts over 8,000 followers on Instagram, and the company actively leverages that platform to showcase many of the products it has used on various construction projects.
Previously, John had been a regular user of shower drain made by another, Canadian-based manufacturer. Yes, he found it somewhat flimsy, but he was never motivated enough to actively seek a replacement.
At one point, John came across a better-grade drain online: the Oatey® 130 Series Drain. But he quickly dismissed it as too expensive. Or so he thought: "I figured it had to be expensive, because of the quality differences” in comparison with what he had been using.
Then, one day, came a client request for a better drain. John decided to try the Oatey® Testable 130 Series Drain ABS Square Low Profile. He called his local supplier to see if any were in stock, and the rest was history. Until then, "I didn't know there was a better quality ABS shower drain out there.”
The 130 Series Drain comes with a quarter-turn, tool-free test plug that can be removed by hand or a notched pipe. "The nice thing about the plug is that you don't have to fill up the whole system with water during testing,” John notes, “and you can plug off the drain without having to buy additional plugs."
While John opted for the square version, plumbers can also choose from a range of configurations: square or round, snap-in or screw-in, and finishes in polished stainless steel, brushed nickel, or oil-rubbed bronze.
"I made the switch because of the quality differences," John explains, "The body is solid, and it had mounting clamps to help mount into the shower wall."
John specifically likes how cost-effective the 130 Series Drain can be when mounting it in the shower. "I pay more for the drain, because it is a much better product," John states.
Although it was an unplanned purchase, John has found a product that he will rely on for future service work, as well as new-construction and renovation projects. Meanwhile, he continues to recommend Oatey products to his Instagram followers, thus helping a new cohort of plumbers discover the quality difference for themselves.