Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® Shares Wacky Customer Stories in Celebration of 'Hug a Plumber Day'

Real-Life Accounts Remind Customers to Recognize the Dedicated Efforts of Plumbing Professionals Everywhere

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Apr 19, 2018, 11:41 ET

HOUSTON, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Benjamin Franklin Plumbing^® (Benjamin Franklin), a top national plumbing services provider, is lifting the lid on what it means to live a day in the life of a plumbing professional for "Hug a Plumber Day" this Wednesday, April 25. These real-life stories from the Twin Cities, Minn. and Niceville, Fla., capture different ends of the plumbing spectrum for these brave men and women who deal with avoidable issues, safety hazards and major emergencies on a daily basis.

When the job is too much to stomach (Twin Cities, Minn.)
Benjamin Franklin received a call at its Twin Cities, Minn. location, which serves Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding suburbs, for a broken sewage ejector. This case was unique because the plumber responding to the job had a ride-along cameraman to film the day's activities. The plumber removed the lid from the sewage pit -- where human waste is collected and pumped into pipes that carry it away from the house -- to replace the pump. "Oh my. I wasn't planning on that today," the cameraman responded upon viewing what was inside (we'll let you use your imagination). Once the smell hit his nose, he started to gag. The 18-year experienced Benjamin Franklin professional knew to breathe through his mouth, and advised the cameraman to do the same; to which he responded, "I'm trying, but I can still taste it." Thirty seconds later, he went to wait in the truck while the job was finished, noting that none of the footage would be suitable for the project anyway.

Wake-up call! When a standard house call turns ugly (Twin Cities, Minn.)
After working on a water heater at a woman's home, a plumbing technician from the Benjamin Franklin in Twin Cities was asked to take a look at one more thing: a closet in the basement that was emitting sewer gas. Mike saw that the main house cleanout had broken, which he repaired. The following day, the homeowner called the office to say that rats had come into her home overnight, and had been bitten on her lip while sleeping! As it turned out, the rats had used the cleanout opening as their access to food; when Mike capped off the drain, they could no longer get in and came into the house in search of food.

A nice gesture ends with a happy wife (Niceville, Fla.):
A feel-good story came from another Benjamin Franklin technician in Niceville, Fla. This plumbing professional received an after-hours emergency call regarding a drain unclogging; not unusual, though when he arrived the homeowner revealed she'd lost her diamond wedding ring down the drain, afraid it was gone forever. The plumber cut the drain open, ran his camera through and discovered the ring. He used a grabbing tool to secure it and then repaired the pipe. The woman thanked the plumber with a tear-filled hug of relief and happiness.

From major emergencies such as pipes bursting and home floods, to everyday nuisances like clogged drains and leaky faucets, plumbers regularly address issues that are crucial to a home's maintenance. Benjamin Franklin encourages following simple tips to avoid plumbing issues, conserve water and save on utility bills in the process.

For help or advice on any plumbing issue, please contact your local Benjamin Franklin^® location.

About Benjamin Franklin Plumbing^®Benjamin Franklin Plumbing^® is part of the Direct Energy family of brands and is currently ranked by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the leading plumbing franchises (Franchise 500, January 2017.) Our trusted plumbing professionals offer customers on-time plumbing services, replacement and repairs. Franchised Benjamin Franklin Plumbing locations are independently owned and operated businesses.

About Direct Energy
Direct Energy is one of North America's largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and home and business energy-related services with nearly four million customers. Direct Energy gives customers choice, simplicity, and innovation where energy, data, and technology meet. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), an international energy and services company, Direct Energy, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, operate in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 4 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.

SOURCE Benjamin Franklin Plumbing