Serious question about those flexible brush rods

I keep seeing guys on job sites using the same bent up poly rod for months on end, and then they complain their customer's flue still has soot streaks after a cleaning. I snapped one of those cheap rods two weeks ago on a job in Tacoma and had to rig up a temporary fix with a section of steel cable, which made me realize how much easier the whole job is when you just replace them every 60-90 days. Has anyone else noticed how much cleaner a flue looks after swapping to a new rod?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver7191mo ago

Honestly, I used to be one of those guys running the same old rod until it snapped or got all bent up. Then I tried swapping mine out every couple months like you said, and the difference is night and day. That last cleaning with a fresh poly rod left the flue looking almost like new compared to the streaky mess I was getting before. It makes complete sense now because the worn ones just don't flex the same and leave junk behind. Kinda embarrassed it took snapping one and using steel cable for me to figure that one out.

lunab971mo ago

That steel cable trick sounds rough.