Had to decide between the big brush and the poly whip on a tricky job

Last week I was up on a roof in Portland looking at a clay flue that was caked with about 3 years of creosote buildup. Normally I'd just run the 10 inch brush down it a few times and call it good, but this one had a nasty 45 degree offset about halfway down that I knew would snag the cables. I had to pick between fighting with the brush and risking it getting stuck or using my poly whip which takes forever but bends through tight spots. I went with the poly whip after staring at it for 5 minutes, and man it took me almost 45 minutes to get through that thing. The whip kept spinning out at the offset and I had to pull it back and feed it slow about 6 times before it finally broke through. Has anyone else had a flue with a weird angle that made you reconsider your whole tool choice?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery1922d ago

Used to swear by the big brush for everything, but after fighting a 45 like that last winter I'm fully converted to the whip for any flue with an offset. Just takes the stress out of it even if it costs you some time.

simonh7423d ago

Brought out my poly whip for a similar mess last fall, that 45 degree offset is a real pain. I found that if I braced the whip cable with my free hand right at the flue opening it kept it from spinning out as much. Also tried rotating the whip slower and letting the weight of the head do the work instead of forcing it. Took me about 30 minutes but it finally punched through without me having to pull it back more than twice. Sometimes those tight spots just need a little patience and a looser grip.

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dylanmurray22d ago

Nah man, I gotta disagree. That bracing trick works sometimes but I've had the whip cable bind up even worse when I tried it. I'd rather pull it back and start over than risk snapping the cable inside a tight 45.