Knowing when your reagents are going bad

[PoolDiver]

I've used Taylor's K-2006 kit for about a year and a half to measure the chemistry in our indoor pool taking care to store the kit away from direct sunlight. Recently, the kit required a massive adjustment to ph (10 drops of acid demand), following a temperature increase by about 15F. I followed the adjustment but became suspicious and grabbed the K-1004 from a local store, just to double-check the K-2006. The ph readings I just got were radically different. After 1 1/2 gallons of muriatic acid acid, which should have balanced the ph, the K-2006 still shows ph around 8 while the K-1004 shows it to be around 7. I trust the K-1004, because its reagent is fresher and because it makes sense.

I did not see any of the signs mentioned in this forum about the reagents getting old (staining, non-dissolving, etc.). My question is, what's a good practice for double-checking the chemistry in order to catch reagents going bad early? Right now, I don't know for how many months I've had potentially substantial imbalances in chemistry while I was trusting the K-2006.

 

[zea3]

You should store the kit in a dry, climate controlled environment. Reagents usually are reliable for about 2 years when properly stored. Order replacement reagents and keep the kit in the house from now on. If you get results that are way off the normal results and nothing has changed (no algae blooms, interruptions in dosing the pool, severe storms, ect...) double check with fresh reagent.

 

[duraleigh]

By far, the best practice is to pitch out any reagent you have any reason to suspect.

Money is money but bad test results can certainly cause you to spend a lot more.

Taylor warrants their reagents for one year from the date of manufacture. Your's are all outdated and should probably be replaced to be sure.

Sit back with new found confidence you are essentially now testing with a new kit that doesn't cost ALL that much.