Bendable/flexible chimney brush rod

[fespo]

Hello All! Im looking for a bendable/flexible chimney brush rod. I have two 45s on the stove pipe before it goes into the chimney. Everytime I clean the chimney I have to remove the double wall stove pipe, What a pain. As of now the brush rod will not bend enough to go into the first 45. If I found something that would bend, I would not have remove everything, along with all the mess that I make each time. Any help would be great Thanks fespo

 

[woodheat]

I just purchased chimney cleaning rods and brush from Northline Express that are very flexible. It would depend though on how close together your 45s where and what angle they went. they are flexible but I don't know if they could do a 90. The brand is proflex, check it out at northlineexprerss.com

Jotul Rockland - CT.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have those rods. They work well, but for the price, they remind me too much of sprinkler pipe. I use it to sweep my insert which does involve doing nearly a 90. I wouldn't be sure it could do those two 45's. I thought I might have seen some more flexible fiberglass rods in a hardware store (I have some stiff fiberglass rods from the last place that wouldn't bend much). I don't think the bendy fiberglass ones I saw were for pellet stoves either-they seemed pretty substantial.

 

[coreystaf]

Fespo, When I sweep a chimney that has an offset in the connector pipe, what I do is start from the top. Open the bypass or remove the baffle plate in the stove. Get a rope with a carabiner clip and drop it down the chimney till it falls into the stove. connect your brush (most brushes have a loop on the top end for this exact reason) and start it into the pipe from the bottom. Pull it all the way out from the top and repeat if necessary. This always works for me without disassembling the connector pipe. You probably won't find any rods that are flexible enough and still strong enough to make it down the pipe.

 

[rfalk]

Woodheat, Velvetfoot;
I have installed 35' of 6" pipe from my Lopi insert to the top of my chimney. I am hoping to clean from the stove end (to avoid having to get a long, long ladder or lift to work from the top). In your experience do you think these "flexible" rods would work for such a tall chimney. The only place I will have to bend is through the doors of the insert to get inside the pipe...straight shot from there all the way up. Thanks, bob

 

[fossil]

ropes bend real good.

Especially in compression.

 

[velvetfoot]

rfalk, that is about the height of my chimney. It is a pretty small insert. I sweep it from inside, using a shop vac with a hose going out the window as extra precaution. It makes the turn. As I mentioned in another thread, I've had better luck with a steel brush because the polyester brush I tried first on the one year old liner almost got stuck. I have a metal roof, the ground slopes next to the house, and I have no inclination to get up there unless I really have to.

That reminds me, I should do it soon.

 

[rfalk]

Wow, a metal brush....every thing I have read suggests that poly should be used in SS pipes....is the poly rougher than the metal? bob

 

[velvetfoot]

The poly brush I have is stiffer than the steel brush I have. Maybe it has a larger diameter too, I don't know.