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c/chimney-sweeps•lee847lee847•1mo ago

PSA: Stop using those cheap fiberglass cleaning rods on every job

I had a talk with a guy named Greg over in Denver last month. He runs a crew that does nothing but commercial restaurant hood cleanings. He told me he stopped using fiberglass rods completely after his guys kept getting splinters that got infected. I always thought those rods were fine if you were careful. But he showed me how much more solid his poly rods are and how they don't shed fibers. Made me think about all the times I had a little itch on my arm after a job and just ignored it. Now I'm switching over for any heavy creosote work. Has anyone else had problems with those fiberglass rods?
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3 Comments
gibson.avery
Michael over at the supply house told me a story about a guy who got a fiberglass splinter so deep in his forearm he needed surgery to get it out. The guy was out of work for like three weeks and his crew was short handed the whole time. That was enough for me to start paying more attention to what rods we were grabbing out of the truck. Now I just check the rod before every big job and if it looks frayed at all I toss it before someone gets poked.
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michaeld48
michaeld481mo ago
Did Greg say how much longer the poly rods actually last?
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ellis.faith
Eight months at my shop is average, but it depends how much sun they see.
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