Master Test Kit Test Tube Caps Leak

Hey all just a quick question in regards to the master test kit test tubes! I find when I do the ammonia and nitrate test, and shake the test tube, I lose a lot of the liquid and fear its causing fals positives or inaccurate results. The caps are a little lose so I cover with paper towel to shake, or else I'd have test liquid flying all over the place and getting on me. When I do this though, I lose at least a quarter of the liquid. Any idea how I can avoid this or am I looking at replacing the test tubes?

 

Do you press the caps firmly all the way down on the tubes? That's what I do and mine don't leak.

 

Hey all just a quick question in regards to the master test kit test tubes! I find when I do the ammonia and nitrate test, and shake the test tube, I lose a lot of the liquid and fear its causing fals positives or inaccurate results. The caps are a little lose so I cover with paper towel to shake, or else I'd have test liquid flying all over the place and getting on me. When I do this though, I lose at least a quarter of the liquid. Any idea how I can avoid this or am I looking at replacing the test tubes?

I have the same problem. I have to shake them with a tissue over the top.

Do you press the caps firmly all the way down on the tubes? That's what I do and mine don't leak.

I push mine firm and they leak. I'm not losing as much water as OP tho. Not 1/4 but they do leak.

 

What brand are ya'll using? I've had 4 API brand in my lifetime and never had that problem.

 

What brand are ya'll using? I've had 4 API brand in my lifetime and never had that problem.

It's API. I did buy mine from Amazon but that should make a difference.

 

API master test kit. I purchased it at petsmart, sealed and unused. I press the caps firmly down, and hold them down as I shake the tubes. Still leaks.

Maybe I got a defective batch

 

That happens to me with the nitrate test. What I found helps, it before capping, wipe the rI'm of the tube with a paper towel. Press cap on firmly. Then I wrap a piece of paper towel around the cap and shake while holding everything around the cap down firmly. It still leaks a bit, but it helps.

 

Mine leak too. One kit had tighter caps than the other, but even they leak a bit. I don’t worry too much about false positives/negatives. I figure it’s still pretty accurate.

 

It's API. I did buy mine from Amazon but that should make a difference.View attachment 426604

I have one of those "new style" kits at home unopened. Tonight I'll open it. I'm curious now.
By new style, the packaging has changed in the last couple of years.

 

They will leak. The caps honestly are terrible. That's the reason you can buy a 4 pack for like 5 bucks. Dont worry about an inaccurate test due to leakage though, the ratio is still the same. I don't shake the tubes much. I tip them back and forth because I hate the feeling of the reagent treated water on my hands. You're only trying to get everything evenly mixed anyway.

 

They will leak. The caps honestly are terrible. That's the reason you can buy a 4 pack for like 5 bucks. Dont worry about an inaccurate test due to leakage though, the ratio is still the same. I don't shake the tubes much. I tip them back and forth because I hate the feeling of the reagent treated water on my hands. You're only trying to get everything evenly mixed anyway.

You could use a tissue or a napkin over the lid too just so it can get really good and mixed without wet hands. I'm more worried about the chemicals on my hand then them being wet. Lol the smell after I pour them out makes me feel yuck. I'm sensitive to strong smells tho

 

Yeah, they smell bad, but are pretty safe. I wouldn't drink them, but they won't hurt your hands. I have pretty sensitive skin and it's never bothered me. It just has that weird feeling like when you've been pouring sweat all day and your clothes and skin get that nasty salty but not gritty feeling after a few days.

 

These don't leak, and the chemicals are mostly safe but I've gotten burns from the nitrate one

 

I contacted API and they said that they shouldn't leak. They've offered to ship me a courtesy replacement tubes. They also said you don't have to shake, just invert several times but the instructions for the ammonia and nitrate tests say to shake vigorously

Oh well. Hopefully the replacement works better and if not I'll just go to gently shaking or inverting the tube. I do use paper towel, especially with the ammonia and nitrate that have two testing solutions. I wrap it around the cap and gently pull it off, wiping the top of the tube as I go. Then I wipe inside the cap before placing it on the tube and shaking again.

 

Really? If they're not supposed to leak, they really need to make them better. Mine have always leaked, and I think most people's on here do too

 

#000 rubber stoppers.

 

Lol I have the same issue, hopefully dosent effect when I get a little on my hands

 

I opened my new style API kit. It only leaks when I don't shake it like this:

 

I opened my new style API kit. It only leaks when I don't shake it like this:

View attachment 426731

Mine leaked when holding it like that. To stop it from leaking, I had to put so much pressure that I thought the tube would break. The rubber stoppers are so much easier to use and clean up.

 

Mine leak... but only a small amount, so just shake wrapped in paper towel.
Testing KH and GH, I don't bother with the test tube caps, instead I just cut small pieces of cling film and use that.

 

They leak horrendously ...

But not all ... probably most ...

Way to tell ...

Pull the cap off and hold the test tube by the BOTTOM ... look at the test tube from the side while you're pointing the mouth of it at the ceiling - so sorta like you would if you were reading the results.

Now, while staring at the lip of the tube, slowly turn it.

Do you see an "uneven-ness" in the lip of the tube?

If so ... it's a leaker!!

Mouth of the tube has to be cut perfectly perpendicular to the sides of the tube - or the mouth won't seal on the cap - you'll have a gap, and test solution pours out.

Best thing ... mark the ones that DO NOT leak and toss the rest. Or use the rubber stopper, I guess, from farther up in this thread.

I have a rack of over 50 of these tubes bought from different sources.

 

The stock cap has a "stopper" built in but it's plastic so it can't deform to create a good seal with the top of the test tube. Push on it hard enough and it will eventually seal if it doesn't break.

I've never had any issues with the solution that leaked on my fingers but I've heard and read some have experienced irritation to varying degrees (I think it was the nitrite solution?).

 

The stock cap has a "stopper" built in but it's plastic so it can't deform to create a good seal with the top of the test tube. Push on it hard enough and it will eventually seal if it doesn't break.

Well I'm 6'2" 250 pounds and do 500 lbs deadlifts. I'm pretty strong and squeezing the bejabbers out of the cap while shaking doesn't prevent a tube with a slightly malformed lip from leaking. Tried dozens of times.

API has an issue with these tubes, and one they don't care about. So it's up to us to just deal with it.

 

Well I'm 6'2" 250 pounds and do 500 lbs deadlifts. I'm pretty strong and squeezing the bejabbers out of the cap while shaking doesn't prevent a tube with a slightly malformed lip from leaking. Tried dozens of times.

API has an issue with these tubes, and one they don't care about. So it's up to us to just deal with it.

I'm not exactly a weakling at 6' nuthin' and 210lbs. I deadlift 16oz at a time

I broke one when it dropped less than 2' onto hardwood and was surprised how easily they shattered. I don't want to stab my fingers with broken shards because the caps won't seal properly so the rubber stopper were a cheap and easy solution.