Just realized my fish tape vs. glow rod debate has a clear winner

I spent years using steel fish tape for every job, but last week I had to run coax through a finished wall in a house built in the 1960s. The attic space was tight and the insulation was packed in like cotton. After fighting with the fish tape for 20 minutes I switched to a fiberglass glow rod set I bought off Amazon for 30 bucks. The rods went through in under 5 minutes no snags. Has anyone else found that glow rods beat fish tape in residential retrofits or am I just late to the party?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_johnson316d ago

I read a forum post a while back from an old timer who swore by glow rods for anything through insulation, said steel fish tape just turns into a nightmare when you hit blown-in cellulose like you mentioned. That 60s house insulation is no joke, I've had the same battle and honestly the 30 buck rod set saved me more time than my expensive fish tape ever did in those tight attic spots.

raymitchell5d ago

Man, is that the same post I think I read a few months back about the old timer using glow rods in attics? Because that post literally changed how I handle insulation now, no joke. @elliot_johnson31 I feel you on that expensive fish tape collecting dust, mine's been sitting in the truck bed for a year after I got a cheap glow rod set. I had this one job in a 70s ranch house where the cellulose was packed in so tight, my steel tape just kept snagging and bending. After 45 minutes of cursing and untangling, I grabbed a 20 dollar rod kit and had the line through in under five minutes. Your mileage may vary of course, but in my experience those rods are a lifesaver for that specific headache. I still keep the fish tape for conduit runs and open walls, but for insulation? It's glow rods every time now.

emmawood6d ago

You finally conceded the fish tape lost that battle huh? Took you 20 minutes and a 30 dollar Amazon splurge to figure out what the rest of us already knew. Glow rods for the win, your poor fish tape is gathering dust now.