Workers who have approved plumbing qualifications are needed to ensure homeowners do not put their health at risk attempting to thaw out frozen pipes, Ace at the Curve has suggested.

It was recently reported by Steamboat Today that two mobile homes in Routt County, Colorado, had been burnt down after their owners attempted to tackle frozen pipes with propane torches.

However, according to the hardware store's Ron Shively, this is a huge risk and the best option is to seek the help of a professional.

"The only thing I know that really works is - and you have to have a plumber to do it - they come in and send an electric charge down the pipe," he explained, before adding: "Everything else is a fire hazard."

Ace at the Curve is based in the Colorado town of Steamboat Springs and was opening in 1984 as a True Value Hardware shop.

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