The Standard Conditions
Sealed in the original carton, between 5 and 35 °C, away from direct sunlight, kits hold a five year shelf life. Those three conditions are not arbitrary and each one protects a different part of the kit.
- Sealed carton — protects the adhesive and mastic from dust and airborne contamination
- 5 to 35 °C — keeps adhesive and mastic in a stable state and away from any thermal creep
- Away from sunlight — UV degrades exposed polymer surfaces and fades pigments
What Degrades First
Not the tubing. Radiation cross linked polyolefin is extremely stable and a tube stored badly for years will still recover correctly. What suffers is the adhesive and the mastic.
Mastic that has been stored hot becomes soft and can migrate within the packaging. Mastic that has been stored very cold becomes hard and needs more heat to flow. Neither is fatal but both change the installation behaviour, which is why the temperature window exists.
Stock Rotation in Practice
- Rotate on first in first out by production batch, not by delivery date
- Every carton carries a production record — use it for rotation and traceability
- Keep cartons off the floor and away from external walls in humid climates
- Do not open a kit until the moment of use — an opened kit loses its dust protection
- Record kits issued against jobs so consumption data drives the reorder level
Kits That Have Exceeded Shelf Life
A kit past five years is not automatically scrap. It should be inspected and ideally trialled on a non critical installation before being used on a live network. Check that mastic is pliable, that adhesive liners are intact and that no component shows surface degradation.
If in doubt send us the batch number from the carton and we will tell you what was in it and when it was made.
Storing Bulk Tube and Spooled Product
Spooled tube should stay on its spool and stay wrapped. Loose coils of expanded tube left unsupported can take a set which makes them harder to slide over a connector. The material recovers correctly regardless but handling is easier if the product is stored as supplied.
