Storing Reagents and Cleaning Test Tubes

[Animal827]

Hi All,

I could have sworn I saw this on the forum somewhere, but my search skills have failed me over the past 30 minutes. My apologies for the duplicate post.

My pool is closed for the winter, so I am about to put all the "pool stuff" away. I was going to store the Taylor Kit in my basement, but I figured I should clean the bottles and test tubes. Would it be a good idea to wash or soak them in a white vinegar water mixture? Or is there any other thorough cleaning process I should undertake instead? Or, dude, seriously, just rinse with water and forget it?

 

[Mdragger88]

I clean my test cylinders with alcohol but that’s about it.
Is the basement temperature controlled?
Reagents should be stored at room temp in a dark place for the best longevity.

 

[Animal827]

I clean my test cylinders with alcohol but that’s about it.
Is the basement temperature controlled?
Reagents should be stored at room temp in a dark place for the best longevity.

There's is a thermostat set to 68 mostly, maybe I kick it up to 70. Honestly, no place in my house is goong to be as consistent.

 

[wireform]

There's is a thermostat set to 68 mostly, maybe I kick it up to 70. Honestly, no place in my house is goong to be as consistent.

Anywhere between 50 and 75 degrees is fine

 

[Newdude]

I keep mine on the shelf in the coat closet that my height challenged family members can't reach, and therefore never use that space.

The cabinets above the fridge or under a sink are 2 other low traffic areas that everyone usually has space in as well.

 

[kul]

I keep my test kit in a kitchen cabinet. Regarding cleaning- I just use a cotton ball with some rubbing alcohol when needed.

 

[Mdragger88]

Mine stays in my laundry area in my kitchen that has louvered doors year round- to be fair I use it year round since I have a hot tub too.
Its where all the little pool stuff goes that I don’t keep in the shed/deck box like skimmer socks/hair nets & extra polyquat, metal magic that I don’t want to be frozen.

 

[Davekro]

I will soon have a lot of extra reagents. They will probably go (maybe well) past the 'Use By' dates on the bottles by the time I get anywhere near running out. Some reagent questions:
1) Is refrigerator temperature better or too cold for long term reagent storage? If a cool basement is good, is the frig. at 40º F better or somehow detrimental for reagents not needed for maybe 12 months (or more)?
2) If reagents are stored UNOPENED at whatever the optimal temp (and darkness) are, do they keep their same potency for a lot longer than the dates on the bottles?
3) If reagents are stored OPENED, say at between 50º - 70º F, does their potency actually drop off near the dates on the bottles? (I'll be curious of the dates on the "On Sale" reagents I just ordered. ;o)
4) Is it a good idea to shake or at least overturn once or twice before using, or do they all stay essentially 100% in solution and don't require shaking?
5) What happens when a reagent is past its date or has aged to be less affective?

I just bought a full refill reagent kit from TFtestkits.com because they are having a 20% off sale until 3/31/24, I believe. I am looking to change from Bromine to chlorine and need three reagents not in my K-2106 Taylor Bromine test kit. Those alone would have cost $47. A complete reagent refill kit for the Taylor K-2006 CHLORINE test kit was $52.60 ($41.60 + $11 shipping). A bonus is that all the reagents are 1 oz., not .75 oz. that come in the Taylor K-2006 $85 test kit. Plus they give you (3) 1 oz bottles of R-0013 (CA test), instead of (2) .75 oz that come in the Taylor K-2006 kit! They did warn the buyer that the larger bottles won't fit in the OEM blue Taylor kit box. I'll probably make some mods so they DO fit! ;o)

 

[Mdragger88]

The cya reagent is the longest lasting one- it could possibly go longer than the rest.
I would think that a cool dark basement is the ideal location & a fridge would be overkill or possibly too cold. What you don’t want is temperature fluctuation.
I personally am a shaker/swirler for most of my reagents- may be an unnecessary habit but it makes me feel better
What happens when a reagent is past its prime?
Well, You get skewed results.
I suspect you’ll use your reagents within 2 years time so I wouldn’t sweat it. Use it as an excuse to test often!

Here’s another good thread on the subject
listing out specific reagents

PSA : Check your Reagent Expire Dates

So yes, it can happen to even the most seasoned of us.... This morning I was out by my pool testing my water using my K-1004 "Troubleshooter" test kit after making some adjustments the day before. It's nice because I can easily do pH, TA and FC/CC tests with it. The chlorine test is a color...

www.troublefreepool.com