Obs. on test kit expiration dates

[Molch]

So I cleaned out some ancient storage in the science lab at work and found some very old water test kits from Wards - the strip kind that has little squares for chlorine, hardness, alkalinity and pH.

I check the expiration date and it says: Feb. 2001. Bwuaahaahaa. Might as well throw them away, right?....

... except, why not try them on my tanks, just for kicks. I compared results from the old kits with those of a new one I have and..no difference.

:rofl: not to encourage anyone to ignore expiration dates, but I'm just saying....there may be no need to throw your test kit away for a few years after they expired.:rofl:

 

[SludgeMunkey]

I used to have a large stock of MIL-SPEC pH strips that I used for years, dated as AUG 1986 as date of Manufacture. (I ran out of them a few years back.)Once compared to similar, new products I found them to still be viable. (Well, as viable as pH Test strips can be...)


I would think that as long as they have not been exposed to high humidity, some of them may still be useful.