Hi Alex thanks for the advice on separating my pole! I've got it apart and thoroughly cleaned it, and it's working perfect now!
Just a bit of advice it's got no stop tape on now but working fine! Do I actually need to put any stop tape on or can I continue using it without any as don't really know what the benefits of having any on.
By the way the pole as been brilliant and will be ordering a couple more very soon. Cheers Alex
Glad that it worked.
The two wraps of joint-stop tape (yes it is just PVC electrical type tape) do perform two important functions.
1. The upper one at about 13cm up from the base acts as a positive joint stop which many find useful. With the new generation of poles it is not essential as there is also a woven in area of a contrasting colour to indicate when to stop extending. However when working at height it is a lot safer to have a physical stop.
2. The lower one at the base of the section acts in two ways, firstly it helps to improve rigidity (very slightly) and most importantly it helps prevent carbon on carbon wear on the sections and this is the main reason the joint stop tape should be replaced when it has worn.