Question about those old school wire brushes vs the new poly whips

Been sweeping chimneys for 22 years now. Started out with my dad using the old wire brushes and I swear we had to replace them every 3 months. The bristles would bend up and fall out. Couple years back a guy at a trade show in Cleveland pushed me to try one of those poly whip things. Man what a difference. They flex better going around corners and last way longer. Had one poly whip now going on 2 years and it still looks new. Maybe I just had bad luck with the wire ones. Has anyone else switched over and noticed a big difference?

4 comments

4 Comments

thomas_martinez22d ago

Wire brushes gave me nothing but headaches for years. Bristles would snap off inside the flue and I'd be picking them out with pliers. Switched to poly whips after finding a used one at a supply house for cheap. That thing slides through tight 90s like butter and hasn't lost a single strand in two years of weekly use. Still grab a wire brush once in a while for heavy creosote buildup but the poly is my daily driver now.

the_patricia22d ago

Buddy of mine tried the same switch. First poly whip he used cracked a fitting on a 2nd story job. Water everywhere. He went right back to wire the next day.

emmaallen18d ago

Was he using the right size fitting or just forcing it?

allen.ivan18d ago

Good point @emmaallen, a lot of times people just grab whatever fitting is close and that causes the issues. The poly whips are great but you still have to match the right diameter and thread type or they'll blow apart under pressure. Thomas is right that they slide better than wire, but you can't rush the setup.