Shelf Life of test kit reagents

[waterbear]

Someone on this board buys a quarter pound (or maybe a full pound?) of DPD R-0870 powder, wraps it in plastic and stores it in her refrigerator.

I vacuum seal mine with my FoodSaver! Air (oxygen) and moisture are the enemies of this reagent.
I just opened up a new one (I put it in smaller containers before I seal it) from three years ago and it's perfect! I don't keep it in the fridge but is does stay in the cabinet under the sink in the guest bathroom (which is close and convenient to the pool so it's my testing station.)

[docsobeck]

When you're ready to get new stuff, by all means buy direct from the manufacturer. i've found that to be considerably less expensive. i was able to buy much larger amounts for the same or less than the tiny bottles that come in the pool stores.