Our chimney is about 34 feet from cleanout to cap and is perched on a 10/12 metal roof. With the amount of snow that we get on the Southern shore of Lake Superior, it's a bit challenging to get to the cap in the winter. I wanted to get a set of flexible rods that would let me clean the chimney from the cleanout door in the basement. I need the flexible rods because our 7x7 clay-tiled flue is connected to a central wood furnace in the basement, with the thimble about 4 feet off the floor and the cleanout about 1 foot off the floor. The flue itself is a straight run to the cap, but trying to make the 90 degree bend from the floor through the cleanout was too much for a fiberglass rod.
I recently ordered a set of 3/4 inch Proflex Polypropylene rods from NorthlineExpress.com. The rods come in three foot lengths at that diameter and are currently $10.80 per section. I also ordered an adapter that reduced the Proflex thread - which seems to be a unique thread pitch - to a 3/8 inch female NPT thread. The Proflex rods arrived quickly via UPS Ground and shipping was free. As always, NorthlineExpress.com's website was easy to use and the product descriptions were clear. Here's what they said about the rods that I ordered:
ProFlex Poly Rod 3/4" x 3' -These ProFlex Poly Rods are very flexible rods yet they have the girth to push a brush up or down a chimney. Their polypropylene construction makes them the rods of choice when going through sharp bends, offsets, breaches, or thimbles and their flush brass fittings stop flue tile hang-ups. These rods are generally too flexible for scraper use.
Use a 3/8'' NPT Female to Proflex Female to join ProFlex Rods to 5SB-36048M rods or brushes with a 3/8" NPT Thread.
Flexible – Recommended for light creosote build-up
Too flexible for chimneys with heavy creosote build-up
Reasonable flexibility to navigate through chimneys with 30 degree or greater elbows or bends
The rods definitely LOOK sturdy - they're massive compared to my fiberglass rods - and my first thought was that they wouldn't be flexible enough to make the bend through the cleanout door. After a scrounging up a 3/8 male NPT to 1/4 female NPT adapter to convert the Proflex adapter to my 7-inch square, metal chimney brush, I gave them a try.
Happily, they made the bend into the chimney quite easily. In practice, the bend was 90 degrees with a radius of about 20 inches. I'm not sure if they would bend much more than that and I was definitely glad I didn't get the 7/8 inch diameter Proflex rods instead. This bend was about all that I dare ask of the 3/4 inch versions. The rods easily pushed the brush about 10 feet into the chimney just by threading the rods in from outside the cleanout door. However, after that I had to reach into the chimney with one hand to stabilize them, or they would flex too much to push the brush farther. It wasn't a problem, but definitely resulted in a sooty arm!
The rods also weren't stiff enough to use a scrubbing motion in the top half of the chimney, including in the section that exits the insulated envelope of the house, which, of course, is where I'm most likely to need it. At those heights, I was able to change from a push to a pull, but going back to a push wasn't possible because of the flex in the rods. Instead, the brush had to be brought back down to the 8 or 10 foot level before changing directions. The NorthlineExpress product description was dead-on: for light creosote or soot, they work perfectly. However, for heavy creosote, glazed creosote, or scraper brushes, I think they would create a lot of frustration.
We've also been using an anti-creosote powder from Rutland, which will hopefully keep our creosote loose and unglazed during the winter so that cleaning from the bottom will be effective. I really don't want to crawl around on that steep metal roof when it's snow covered and wet, and these rods will be perfect if we can keep the chimney fairly clean through efficient burning, seasoned wood, and the anti-creosote powder. However, if we get any hard deposits or glazed creosote in the top 10 feet of the chimney, a trip up top will be required.
All in all, the ProFlex rods did exactly what they were advertised to do and have the limitations that were clearly explained in the product description. If you have a need that falls within that envelope, you may find that they're perfect for your application, like I did. Just be prepared to break out an alternative plan if the scope of your needs expands.
I recently ordered a set of 3/4 inch Proflex Polypropylene rods from NorthlineExpress.com. The rods come in three foot lengths at that diameter and are currently $10.80 per section. I also ordered an adapter that reduced the Proflex thread - which seems to be a unique thread pitch - to a 3/8 inch female NPT thread. The Proflex rods arrived quickly via UPS Ground and shipping was free. As always, NorthlineExpress.com's website was easy to use and the product descriptions were clear. Here's what they said about the rods that I ordered:
ProFlex Poly Rod 3/4" x 3' -These ProFlex Poly Rods are very flexible rods yet they have the girth to push a brush up or down a chimney. Their polypropylene construction makes them the rods of choice when going through sharp bends, offsets, breaches, or thimbles and their flush brass fittings stop flue tile hang-ups. These rods are generally too flexible for scraper use.
Use a 3/8'' NPT Female to Proflex Female to join ProFlex Rods to 5SB-36048M rods or brushes with a 3/8" NPT Thread.
Flexible – Recommended for light creosote build-up
Too flexible for chimneys with heavy creosote build-up
Reasonable flexibility to navigate through chimneys with 30 degree or greater elbows or bends
The rods definitely LOOK sturdy - they're massive compared to my fiberglass rods - and my first thought was that they wouldn't be flexible enough to make the bend through the cleanout door. After a scrounging up a 3/8 male NPT to 1/4 female NPT adapter to convert the Proflex adapter to my 7-inch square, metal chimney brush, I gave them a try.
Happily, they made the bend into the chimney quite easily. In practice, the bend was 90 degrees with a radius of about 20 inches. I'm not sure if they would bend much more than that and I was definitely glad I didn't get the 7/8 inch diameter Proflex rods instead. This bend was about all that I dare ask of the 3/4 inch versions. The rods easily pushed the brush about 10 feet into the chimney just by threading the rods in from outside the cleanout door. However, after that I had to reach into the chimney with one hand to stabilize them, or they would flex too much to push the brush farther. It wasn't a problem, but definitely resulted in a sooty arm!
The rods also weren't stiff enough to use a scrubbing motion in the top half of the chimney, including in the section that exits the insulated envelope of the house, which, of course, is where I'm most likely to need it. At those heights, I was able to change from a push to a pull, but going back to a push wasn't possible because of the flex in the rods. Instead, the brush had to be brought back down to the 8 or 10 foot level before changing directions. The NorthlineExpress product description was dead-on: for light creosote or soot, they work perfectly. However, for heavy creosote, glazed creosote, or scraper brushes, I think they would create a lot of frustration.
We've also been using an anti-creosote powder from Rutland, which will hopefully keep our creosote loose and unglazed during the winter so that cleaning from the bottom will be effective. I really don't want to crawl around on that steep metal roof when it's snow covered and wet, and these rods will be perfect if we can keep the chimney fairly clean through efficient burning, seasoned wood, and the anti-creosote powder. However, if we get any hard deposits or glazed creosote in the top 10 feet of the chimney, a trip up top will be required.
All in all, the ProFlex rods did exactly what they were advertised to do and have the limitations that were clearly explained in the product description. If you have a need that falls within that envelope, you may find that they're perfect for your application, like I did. Just be prepared to break out an alternative plan if the scope of your needs expands.
