Poly brush stuck in SS liner

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Dashriprock

Dashriprock

Member
Aug 11, 2014
17
Massachusetts
I'm a ding dong. Had a 6" SS liner installed in my masonry flue last year, went to clean it this weekend pushed the poly brush down about 3'. It won't come back up, I can't "reverse" the bristles. Too chicken to push it all the way down to deal with it at the tee, because its a really stiff brush and I'm afraid it will get stuck in the middle (no I didn't attached a rope). Tried to hook it, just pushed it down further. Any ideas to make a better hook?

Another idea I read about here was to replace the fiberglass rod with a threaded rod. Place a 2x4 with a hole in it over the rod against the chimney and thread a nut and washer against the 2x4 forcing the threaded rod up and hence the brush with it. They don't sell threaded rods that fit a 1/4 NPT.

Any other ideas?
 
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Get a sawzall blade. Get a five foot long 1x2. Fasten the blade to the 1x2 with a couple of 1/4 inch bolts. You have a long-handled, hand-powered Sawzall.
Stick your hand powered sawzall down there and start cutting those bristles.

I don't like those poly brushes. Bought one ten years ago, it was so stiff I could barely pull it back down, once I had run it up to the top of the pipe, and I am a big strong guy. Wound up trimming many of the bristles so I could make it work ok. Need to get a metal brush.
 
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Reverse direction while spinning the brush, or just fire the stove up on high, melt 'er out ;lol (JK) (well, unless it worked, then I'm serious ::-))

Edit: maybe I'm confused, is the brush down there with no rod on it?
 
I was thinking like brenndatomou, you could fire up the stove and burn it out, but, that might leave some nasty melted nylon deposits on the pipe.
 
Can you get up on the chimney itself? I get upon top and stand on the crown, grip the rods tight and lift using your legs. I've never had one that wouldn't come back using this method.
You DO NOT want to start using a steel brush. You would have a similar issue, but once the bristles reversed they would most likely poke through your flexible liner. It's not necessary to use a steel broom anyway.
 
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The cheap crap poly brooms that are sold at big box stores are very stiff! But I find that they are undersized and don't clean a flue the way I want. Like they are made to remove the heavy stuff and then call it good. I'm really surprised you got it stuck.
The pro poly brooms are very flexible and have a few hundred bristles. Much nicer to use!
 
I would push it on down and deal with it at the tee before I stood on top of a chimney, had it let loose and deposit me on the ground dead.
 
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webby3650 said:
The cheap crap poly brooms that are sold at big box stores are very stiff! But I find that they are undersized and don't clean a flue the way I want. Like they are made to remove the heavy stuff and then call it good. I'm really surprised you got it stuck.
The pro poly brooms are very flexible and have a few hundred bristles. Much nicer to use!
Click to expand...
We by where do you get the pro poly brooms?
 
webby3650 said:
The cheap crap poly brooms that are sold at big box stores are very stiff! But I find that they are undersized and don't clean a flue the way I want. Like they are made to remove the heavy stuff and then call it good. I'm really surprised you got it stuck.
The pro poly brooms are very flexible and have a few hundred bristles. Much nicer to use!
Click to expand...

Yeah that is why I use the ones made for pre-fab chimneys. Lots of softer bristles.
 
webby3650 said:
The cheap crap poly brooms that are sold at big box stores are very stiff! But I find that they are undersized and don't clean a flue the way I want. Like they are made to remove the heavy stuff and then call it good. I'm really surprised you got it stuck.
The pro poly brooms are very flexible and have a few hundred bristles. Much nicer to use!
Click to expand...
Definely going to get a better brush...
 
BrotherBart said:
I would push it on down and deal with it at the tee before I stood on top of a chimney, had it let loose and deposited me on the ground dead.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I end up on top of a chimney everyday, either cleaning or relining.
 
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webby3650 said:
Unfortunately I end up on top of a chimney everyday, either cleaning or relining.
Click to expand...

Be careful my friend. Be careful. At my age standing on the porch is dangerous. ;lol

Which reminds me. Time to go up and sweep the chimney tomorrow. But I ain't even gonna climb up on top of it. 35' is a long way down.
 
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Yeah i am usually on top of atleast 3 or 4 a day on cleaning days not a big deal once you get used to it. And that is the only way to reverse them sometimes i never use ones that tight in ss but they get stuck in clay sometimes
 
Popcorn time. Here we go with the steel vs poly debate yet again......
 
Dashriprock said:
I'm a ding dong. Had a 6" SS liner installed in my masonry flue last year, went to clean it this weekend pushed the poly brush down about 3'. It won't come back up, I can't "reverse" the bristles. Too chicken to push it all the way down to deal with it at the tee, because its a really stiff brush and I'm afraid it will get stuck in the middle (no I didn't attached a rope). Tried to hook it, just pushed it down further. Any ideas to make a better hook?

Another idea I read about here was to replace the fiberglass rod with a threaded rod. Place a 2x4 with a hole in it over the rod against the chimney and thread a nut and washer against the 2x4 forcing the threaded rod up and hence the brush with it. They don't sell threaded rods that fit a 1/4 NPT.

Any other ideas?
Click to expand...

Start a fire?
 
No fire larboc. Tried torquing it up real good per 1kzwoman suggestion spun the adjustable wrench almost 360 but th brush never moved. FiberGlass rod will break off before the brush actually moves. I don't want that. I also don't think I'll be able to saw those .075 bristles it's down deeper in the chimney now. Probably going to punt, call The Sweep. Never puttin' that crap brush in the flue again. Gonna fetch me a soft broom style
 
Start a fire to soften it up or burn it up. Or pour some diesel down the chimney to saturate the brush followed by some flaming newspaper balls.

Why not just push it into the cleanout?

If you don't want to use heat then unthread the fiberglass rod and get a 10' stick of 3/8" pipe with a 3/8npt to 1/4npt reducer on the end and thread that onto the brush if you can get to it then pull it out. If you can't pull it by doing that, set your purse down and try it again.
 
My first thought was heat it up, and I see others thought so as well. Good tips from the members for alternative ideas.
 
"Set your purse down and try it again..." larboc that is cold. Funny, though.
 
Luckily I haven't had to try it yet, but I had been told to put an electric space heater in the firebox for a couple hours if this ever happened and the rising heat would soften the bristles.
 
If you pull on it, it will come back. It's gonna require you standing above it and using your legs though.
 
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I don't have a good idea to remove it, except to use more force. The
space heater idea sounds plausible.

To attach mine to a fiberglass rod, I drilled a hole in the top of an old
1/2 x 20 oil drain plug from a Ford, and then tapped it 1/4 x 20. Now
you have an adapter to fit your brush to your rod. Never a problem.
My brush has metal bristles and works fine. The pipe doesn't have
to be surgically clean!

-Stretch
 
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