Another Test Kit Woes Thread!

[beviking]

Seems my Nutrafin Master Kit has some bad reagents. Only took me 2 weeks to catch it! In my defense, I've had some bad things going on so I've been distracted. Anyway, been testing a couple times a week and adjusting PO4, Fe, and NO3 accordingly. Easter morning while the kids were busy getting their sugar high, I tested, dosed, and re-tested. The PO4, NO3, and Fe were NOT what I dosed. I had some old reagents from the individual PO4 kit (but not expired) and used them...ta da, there's the PO4 I dosed! Ran a few other tests just to be sure (dosing tap water with high concentration, checking against kits I was using). Thankfully BigAls is a consumer friendly company and they're going to replace it.
BUT, the lady seemed concerned that the next kit may have the same problem. I assume she is thinking it's the user (me) not the kit and I assured her that I have/like the individual PO4 kit and that's why I ordered the Master Kit. What are the chances another kit will be bad?
If they sit in the warehouse, get hot/cold, will this alter the reagents?

OK Timmain42, I'll say it...you were right! :o

[happychem]

Heat can affect the lifetime of the reagents. A number of them are fairly sensitive to degradation and so should be kept at or below room temperature (ideally, refrigerated) and out of direct sunlight.

[beviking]

Thanks happychem. I don't know how they hold/store the kits and I'm a little worried that the next one I receive will have the same problems. Just makes sense that they get a bunch in that experienced the same travel/storage...? Maybe I'm overthinking this.