Hello Lads, last night I was gearing up to run my glycol system for the first time. As some know I have not used the jacket on my system yet. Last night, I removed the tri-clamp and the hose barb that I had on the jacket exit. For some reason, I stuck my finger inside and I felt what I thought was a weld all the way around. I got a light and could see that it was black flux or whatever the stuff is called. It formed a bead all the way around. There was just a small spot where water could actually pass. I took photos and sent them to Nathan at about 1:30 am ET. This morning at 9:30 am ET (6:30 in Vancouver), I received a call from Nathan. He was a little surprised that I had not used it to it's full extent after 4 months. But I wanted to get it bought before a price increase went into effect. He suggested that I connect it to my faucet and let water fill it from the top (exit) port. I did that for about 5 minutes. I placed a mesh bag over the end of the exit hose to catch anything that came out. Then I switched the hoses to the normal way. I even turned it up eventually to full force without any pressure regulator with zero damage (but still pay attention to your water pressure!). More of the black stuff broke free after about 15-minutes but there was obviously at least 50% still there. So, I cut a piece of fairly stiff gauge wire and bent the ends into hooks. I was able to get most of the stuff clear. BTW, Nathan told me he would replace it if I could not clear the port. Even with mine 90% blocked, I was able to run water through it with no damage. But don't restrict the flow! It is not recommended. I don't think this has happened to anyone else, but just for an extra precaution, check your top jacket exit ports. If you see something that concerns you, document it and contact Nathan. Just as he always has, he contacted me in a very reasonable time. As a matter of fact, he called me again at 11:25am ET to make sure I had his phone number. I'm probably more satisfied with my purchase now.
I am glad you learned from my experience and took the necessary pre-cautions. I hope others read this and do the same.
As for Nathan saying this: "BTW, Nathan told me he would replace it if I could not clear the port", I would say this wins the award for the most empty promise on the planet. He excels at talking the talk, but the walking the walk escapes him entirely.
