Can we talk about the push to use fiberglass rods over steel?

Last week I was on a job in Burlington and the homeowner's buddy kept pushing me to switch to fiberglass rods for a tough flue liner. I've been sweeping for 12 years and my old steel rods with a good poly brush have never let me down. Three years ago I tried fiberglass on a similar job in Montpelier and the rod snapped halfway through, cost me an extra hour to fish it out. Has anyone else had trouble with fiberglass not handling real heavy creosote buildup?

2 comments

2 Comments

amyh2119d ago

What kind of brush were you running when that fiberglass rod snapped? I've had guys tell me the difference is using a poly brush versus a wire one, but I'm not convinced the rod material is the real issue there. Was it a cheap set from one of those big box stores or a name brand like Gardus?

wright.kevin19d ago

Nah, I gotta push back a little on that. I've snapped a fiberglass rod with a poly brush too, and it was from a pretty solid brand, not some cheap box store special. In my experience, it's more about the quality of the rod's resin binding than the brush type, and a lot of these sets just aren't built to handle the torque from a tight bend.