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I finally chose between a fiberglass rod set and a steel one for my biggest job yet
Had a massive commercial job up in Scranton last month - 14 flues in a old apartment building. My buddy Mike swore by steel rods, said fiberglass would snap on the second floor. I went fiberglass anyway cause they're lighter on my back. Made it through 12 flues fine but on the 13th one a chunk of creosote the size of my fist fell and cracked the last rod section. Had to pack up and come back the next day with steel rods borrowed from a guy at the supply shop. Took twice as long on that last one. Has anyone else had fiberglass fail on heavy buildup?
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stella_lane28d ago
Did you check for water damage before you started or was it hidden?
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jordan_webb28d ago
Was it actually hidden or did you just not look hard enough? Water stains usually leave some kind of tell even if it's faint. I've seen people skip the basic checks and then act surprised when stuff goes wrong later. Nine times out of ten you can spot moisture issues if you actually get down and look at the flue liner and the firebox.
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cameronn6229d ago
Your buddy Mike might be onto something for heavy buildup. In my experience fiberglass is great for lighter maintenance sweeps but once you're dealing with thick deposits that weight stress adds up quick. Those steel rods absorb more of the shock when stuff drops on them, they bend and flex instead of cracking. I've seen fiberglass get pinched between big chunks and just fold like a cheap tent pole. Your mileage may vary but for big jobs with a lot of flues I'd take the extra weight on my back over leaving the job half done and having to explain it to the customer.
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