If you have an older Colloid Master or lost your manual you can get a replacement at the links below:

Colloid Master Instructions Manual all models 2010-to-present

Colloid Master Manual All Models 1997-2010 also

 Colloid Master Quick Start Instruction

(Note: some of these instructions are to equipment from over twenty years ago, so things change and it can be noted that we now always include a electrode holder regardless of the unit you have). 

X-Q: Start Here The two most common issues

A: After 20 years and counting of providing technical and customer support for the Colloid Master, we usually know within a minute when talking to a customer what the issue is. The following is usually what we go over during any technical support call.

The two most common problems that people experience are; (1) the green light won’t stay on and (2) The process seems to be running too long or won’t shut off by itself. When either of these things occur, the typical response is to wonder if there is a problem with the Colloid Master. After you follow the tests below, you will see for yourself that by following the procedures below, any issues are determined and that dysfunctional Colloid Masters are rare to none.

The first thing we want to do is to assure you that we will take care of you and make sure you are happy with your Colloid Master. Because we are the manufacturer we can and will fix the problem if there is a problem. We also service the Colloid Master when it is out of warranty.

That said, the number one issue is water quality, although you should follow the troubleshooting steps 1 – 4 which will allow you to test all functions of the Colloid Master and assist you in correcting issues that can cause problems. All of this is covered if you keep reading and follow the simple steps explained below.

The Colloid Master was designed with the idea that it should be automated and shut itself off when the correct ppm is reached, thus making a reliable ppm each time. But that is not the only reason we designed the automatic shut off feature, we also wanted to ensure that the process would not work if contaminants were present in the water. The first step of every technical support call is to walk the customer through a few steps that either confirm that the Colloid Master is working correctly, or confirm that there is a problem with it. These tests are done as follows;

Since the Colloid Master was designed to monitor and respond to PPM, it can also be used to verify water quality. It is important to note that: the Colloid Master is only designed to work with pure distilled water, not tap or spring water. The water quality test is related to the fact we have built the Colloid Master to have an automatic shut off feature. This test involves two steps.

(Step 1) The water quality test:

Fill your jar with water but not so full that it will spill if moved.

Suspend the electrodes into the water using the electrode holder which keeps the electrodes 1 1/4 inches apart. You may also hang the electrodes from the rim of the jar but the distance that the electrodes are apart should not exceed 2 1/2″ inches. If a custom electrode holder is used the electrodes should be set at 1 /1/4″ inches apart and no closer than 3/4″ of an inch apart. The flat side of the electrodes should face each other.

Plug the wall power supply into the Colloid Master, turn the PPM adjuster dial to the highest setting (setting 16 PPM), press the green start button. If the green light does not stay on the water has more than 16 ppm of something in it and is not usable.

If the green light stays on, then very slowly turn the dial down toward the lowest numbered setting and observe where the green light goes out. If the green light does not go off at all, and instead remains on, this is very good and means the water is very pure. If the green processing light does not go off at any setting, it means the water has less than 1 PPM of dissolved solids in it and is pure.

If the green light goes out somewhere around setting #1 PPM (bottom of the dial) the water is acceptable, if the green light goes out at or above setting 3 PPM (just below the 4 PPM indicator), the water is not generally considered pure enough, and a better quality water should be gotten or the distilled water you are using may need post-filtering. Also see the section titled “Dealing with water quality issues“.

(Step 2) Testing automatic shut-off feature:

For this test to work correctly, you must first validate the water quality test as described above in (Step 1), then proceed to this step.

First depress the spring loaded tab that connects the electrode wires to the back of the Colloid Master and remove each wire.

Then press the spring loaded tabs again and reinsert the electrode wires into the back of the Colloid Master, visually inspecting to make sure that only the metal wire not the plastic shielding makes contact with the visible metal part of the connector on the back of the Colloid Master.

With your jar of water and the electrodes still ready from having done (Step 1) above, now connect the electrode wires from the Colloid Master to the silver electrodes in the water.

Turn the PPM adjustment dial on the Colloid Master to setting 16 PPM, then press the start process button.

The green processing light should stay on, if it doesn’t stay on proceed to the section below titled: “The green light won’t stay on unless the start button is held in”.

If the green processing light stays on at setting # 16 PPM, then the most direct way to test if the automatic shut off feature is working is to now move the silver electrodes to an angle that causes them to touch IN THE WATER so that the energy goes into the water, not the Colloid Master.

If the green processing light on the Colloid Master shuts off when the electrodes are touched together in the water it is working correctly. It is not a feature that partially works, if it works it works correctly, if it becomes dysfunctional it will not work at all.

As mentioned in all Colloid Master literature, the process is designed only to work with distilled water. The Colloid Master was designed to make reliably a consistent ppm each time. But that is not the only reason we developed the automatic shut off feature, we wanted to ensure that the process would not work if contaminants were present in the water. The most widely available water to use that meets this criterion distilled water. Note: If you have access you may use deionized water, or pass your distilled water through deionization media to prepare the water for processing, although it is not a requirement.

If you have used the Colloid Master water quality test function with your water, and it failed the quality test, there are several things to consider;

The easiest solution generally speaking is to purchase a different brand of distilled water.

The second solution is to post-filter the distilled water. This is usually only needed if you are distilling your own water, and the reasons for this may include that; the stainless that was used to make your distiller may be leaching its metal into the final distilled water. Also, If you are distilling your own water the coconut-charcoal final filter may not be working adequately, or may need replacement.

The best quality to use is deionized reagent standard distilled water, but we get very good results using simple readily available methods to post-filter and increase water purity. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to post filter or clean-up distilled water is with a Zerowater ® pitcher filter. Their product literature claims 99.9% removal of contaminants. Most people have reported excellent results using that system.

Optionally, you can also confirm water quality with a portable water tester that digitally displays the total dissolved solids, or lack of them. We sell the TDS-EZ PPM Meter here.

If you started here you should check out the FAQ items above now.

X-Q: The green light won’t stay on unless the start button is held in

A: As described in the water test above, the Colloid Master knows if the water is pure or not. Turn the dial to the highest setting, press the start button, if the green light goes on while the button is depressed, but it then the light goes off when you take your finger off of the start button, the following describes what you should do.

This may indicate such things as highly contaminated water containing things like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). However, this symptom can also be one of the only indicators of a dysfunctional Colloid Master.

How to determine if the problem is the Colloid Master or a water quality issue.

Plug in the wall transformer and plug it into the Colloid Master.Press the spring loaded tabs on the back of the Colloid Master and completely removed the electrode wires.Set the Colloid Master to 16 PPM, plug the power supply into the Colloid Master and press start.If the green light stays on by itself, the Colloid Master is ok. If the green light only stays on with the start button pressed in the Colloid Master has possibly been affected by an intense power line surge or lightning strike to the power line are among the main reasons that the Colloid Master behaves like this. In this case, you should call or email us and arrange to send the power supply along with the Colloid Master to us for repair.To avoid problems with the Colloid Master, you should only plug your power supply into a surge-protector or better yet a surge protector lightning arrestor.If your Colloid Master green light stays on after pressing the start button and stays on without holding the start button, then nearly 100% of the time it is a water quality issue. See the sections titled “Using the Colloid Master built in water quality test function” and “Dealing with water quality issues“.

Neither the green light nor the red light will go on

The main reasons why the Colloid Master will not power up are:

The power supply is wrong (lost in a move, misplaced or confused with another wall transformer and is the wrong one.)Bad contact from power supply into the Colloid Master (symptom: power flickers)The power supply is bad.The Colloid Master is dysfunctional.When the Colloid Maser does not power up, 99.9% of the time it is due to a faulty or simply from trying to use an incorrect power supply altogether. The Colloid Master is designed, constructed and so well built that we almost never have a problem with them, ever. However; if you have the correct power supply and the Colloid Master does not power up, and then we ask that you call or email us to arrange to send both the power supply and Colloid Master to us for our tech dept to review your equipment.

If you are in an international location, due to shipping costs involved, it is usually a safe bet that the fix 99.9% of the time is just to order a replacement power supply from us rather than sending the whole unit to us.

However, if you have completed the steps in the section above titled The green light won’t stay on unless the start button is depressed, and the green led on the Colloid Master did not stay on with the wires NOT connected to the silver in water. Then you will need to send the Colloid Master to us for repair. If you are having a problem, us the Contact Us Link.

As mentioned in all Colloid Master literature, the process is designed only to work with distilled water. The Colloid Master was designed to make reliably a consistent ppm each time. But that is not the only reason we developed the automatic shut off feature, we wanted to ensure that the process would not work if contaminants were present in the water. The most widely available water to use that meets this criterion distilled water. Note: If you have access you may use deionized water, or pass your distilled water through deionization media to prepare the water for processing, although it is not a requirement.

If you have used the Colloid Master water quality test function with your water, and it failed the quality test, there are several things to consider;

The easiest solution generally speaking is to purchase a different brand of distilled water.

The second solution is to post-filter the distilled water. This is usually only needed if you are distilling your own water, and the reasons for this may include that; the stainless that was used to make your distiller may be leaching its metal into the final distilled water. Also, If you are distilling your own water the coconut-charcoal final filter may not be working adequately, or may need replacement.

The best quality to use is deionized reagent standard distilled water, but we get very good results using simple readily available methods to post-filter and increase water purity. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to post filter or clean-up distilled water is with a Zerowater ® pitcher filter. Their product literature claims 99.9% removal of contaminants. Most people have reported excellent results using that system.

Optionally, you can also confirm water quality with a portable water tester that digitally displays the total dissolved solids, or lack of them. We sell the TDS-EZ PPM Meter here.

If you started here you should check out the FAQ items above now.

As described in the water test above, the Colloid Master knows if the water is pure or not. Turn the dial to the highest setting, press the start button, if the green light goes on while the button is depressed, but it then the light goes off when you take your finger off of the start button, the following describes what you should do.

This may indicate such things as highly contaminated water containing things like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). However, this symptom can also be one of the only indicators of a dysfunctional Colloid Master.

How to determine if the problem is the Colloid Master or a water quality issue.

Plug in the wall transformer and plug it into the Colloid Master.Press the spring loaded tabs on the back of the Colloid Master and completely removed the electrode wires.Set the Colloid Master to 16 PPM, plug the power supply into the Colloid Master and press start.If the green light stays on by itself, the Colloid Master is ok. If the green light only stays on with the start button pressed in the Colloid Master has possibly been affected by an intense power line surge or lightning strike to the power line are among the main reasons that the Colloid Master behaves like this. In this case, you should call or email us and arrange to send the power supply along with the Colloid Master to us for repair.To avoid problems with the Colloid Master, you should only plug your power supply into a surge-protector or better yet a surge protector lightning arrestor.If your Colloid Master green light stays on after pressing the start button and stays on without holding the start button, then nearly 100% of the time it is a water quality issue. See the sections titled “Using the Colloid Master built in water quality test function” and “Dealing with water quality issues“.

Neither the green light nor the red light will go on

The main reasons why the Colloid Master will not power up are:

The power supply is wrong (lost in a move, misplaced or confused with another wall transformer and is the wrong one.)Bad contact from power supply into the Colloid Master (symptom: power flickers)The power supply is bad.The Colloid Master is dysfunctional.When the Colloid Maser does not power up, 99.9% of the time it is due to a faulty or simply from trying to use an incorrect power supply altogether. The Colloid Master is designed, constructed and so well built that we almost never have a problem with them, ever. However; if you have the correct power supply and the Colloid Master does not power up, and then we ask that you call or email us to arrange to send both the power supply and Colloid Master to us for our tech dept to review your equipment.

If you are in an international location, due to shipping costs involved, it is usually a safe bet that the fix 99.9% of the time is just to order a replacement power supply from us rather than sending the whole unit to us.

However, if you have completed the steps in the section above titled The green light won’t stay on unless the start button is depressed, and the green led on the Colloid Master did not stay on with the wires NOT connected to the silver in water. Then you will need to send the Colloid Master to us for repair. If you are having a problem, us the Contact Us Link.

The main reasons for this problem are:

Electrodes too far apart or curved outward in the water, the process is being influenced by solar events such as a coronal mass ejections, large of a batch size

Are some of the most common reasons. You can avoid this problem by reading the section on Making standard batches or Making larger batches below. The other main reason that batches can run longer or not shut off, as usual, may be surprising at first glance, and some people will doubt the veracity of this instruction until their experience proves that it is true that; solar flare energy/radiation that reaches Earth, can affect the colloidal production process. This issue is covered below in the section titled: “Solar events and environmental influences that affect the process”.

The Colloid Master only cares about making small particles and only shuts off at the right ppm, the main thing that changes is the time it takes to make a batch. If you make a batch that is larger than 32 ounces, the electrode distance as well as the electrode size you are using effects the time it takes to make a batch, but the ppm and particles, in general, will still be consistent.

Generally speaking, you get the best results when making a 32-ounce batch, and using an electrode holder to keep the electrodes at 1 1/4″ inches apart. A 32 ounce batch with water that tests 1 ppm or less before beginning the process, using electrodes that a 6″ inch X 1/2″ or 1/4″ inch .999 silver will average approximately 3.5 to 6 hours.

If you are using a custom electrode holder, the optimal electrode distance is 1 1/4″ inches to no closer than 3/4″ of an inch apart. If the electrodes are curved outward in the water, this can cause the unit to take longer to shut off.

Other reasons that production time can vary

Production time and parts per million, in general, will change primarily due to factors such as water quality, power source, having the jar too close to 220 Volt AC power lines or anything that creates moving magnetic fields such as a 220 Volt AC motors. Surprisingly one of the biggest concerns is the Sun, in particular, solar events such as coronal mass ejections. At first, this may seem odd, however; we have monitored numerous solar events that correlate to observed changes in the colloidal production time and resulting colloid for more than 13 years at the time of this writing. This issue is covered below in the section titled: “Is it true Solar coronal ejections effect making colloids here on Earth?”

A reliable distance to keep the electrodes apart is about 1 1/4″ inches apart. Our electrode holders accomplish that, so make or use the electrode holder we sell and that come with the kits.

A stand batch is whatever size and attributes serve you best, but anywhere form 16 oz to one gallon is usual in that sense.

A rule of thumb for standard as far as our kit newcomers are concerned is to use 32-ounce jar and an electrode distance of 1 1/4″ inches to no closer than 3/4″ of an inch and no further apart than 2 1/2 inches. Whenever a batch runs longer than usual for 12 hours or more, we call that batch done and shut it off. The only time this will ever occur is when energy from solar flares is saturating Earth. Also, see Solar flares and environmental influences below.

The general range of time it takes to produce colloid is dependent upon; the setting used, the total volume of water, electrode distance, electrode size and environmental conditions. 

The average time expected for setting 10 PPM using .999 silver electrodes that are 6″ inches long by 1/2″ or 1/4″ inch, making a 32-ounce batch, takes approximately 3.5 to 6 hours, if the water tests 1 ppm or less. Increasing the electrode distance increasing the time to make a batch by several hours, and increasing volume such as making a gallon can increase the time from 8 to 24 hours per batch.

The water quality, environmental and other variables such as how large is the volume of water used for the batch, the electrode distance and electrode size will cause variations in a manner that primarily affect the time to complete the process. You will become familiar after making several batches, and with experience you will familiarize yourself with the subtleties of the process. Most people become creative and make the process their own in their unique ways.

The time required to produce a batch of colloid at the same setting may vary slightly from one batch to the next, even when using the same water. We believe the cause if this is the subtle influence of fluctuations caused by cosmic radiation that reaches Earth, as well as atmospheric interplays with such energies and the magnetic field of the Earth itself, and when conditions are sufficient to effect the production process, they do.

The good news is that even with constantly changing influences that collectively have an impact on the process, the resulting colloid is very predictable overall. A consistently small particle size is maintained by the Colloid Master from batch to batch. As a result, the colloid is stable batch to batch, and the PPM is very repeatable. We have colloid in storage from over a ten years ago that has remained about the same PPM as when first stored, meaning within approximately 1 PPM of what it was originally when stored. As a note, the stored colloid we have ranges from 10 to 24 PPM.

Note: Batch size should not exceed 1 gallon.

If you make a batch larger than 32 ounces, do not exceed 128 ounces (1 gallon).

If you decide you need to make larger batches we have found that using premature colloid almost a prerequisite. The time saved by adding up to one quart of previously made colloid to 3 quarts of fresh distilled water, obviously results in a batch of 3-quarts of new colloid. But we have found that for larger batches this more than offsets this seeming disparity. Try it out yourself, you will son develop your own preferences and technique.

If you are making one-gallon batches, the time it takes to complete the batch can range from 5 hours to more than 24-hours, depending on water quality and electrode size and distance it can be sooner than 5 hours but it should not take longer than 24 hours. If a gallon batch runs more than 24 hours, see the section on solar and environmental influences. Also, some people heat the water to 120 degrees and devise an insulated jacket for the container which improves the speed and potency of the batch.

Some people have decreased electrode distance to 1″ for larger batches with success.

Regarding the Colloid Master stability, it functions the same way every time, however; there are other factors to consider. Changes in environmental conditions have an effect on the process such as ionization in the air that transfers to the container during the process, as well as forms of cosmic energy from space and energy from solar events that reach Earth. That is why we do not use a timer, we have found that, to maintain small particles a precise adaptive process is required, realizing this is what lead to the creation of Colloid Master auto-shut off configuration.

The finished colloid should be filtered to remove the silver oxide material that falls to the bottom; a simple non-bleached coffee filter is often adequate. The colloid can be filtered and used or stored immediately after the process completes. Although you can use the finished batch immediately, it is usually best to wait for 36 to 72 hours as mentioned above, when the particles have finished dispersion and reached the stable phase.

The approach that you take to filter the final product needs should be carefully considered, concerning the intended purpose. If you use any filter media made from plastics, it can adversely effect on the ions in the solution and can even cause the colloidal particle clusters to aggregate. The easiest method we have found is to use three non-bleached coffee filters in a funnel gravity filter system. A better approach is to use paper filter media and a vacuum filter.

That said, we have found if you use paper filter media, it is best if that paper is not chemically treated (as is the case with white bleached coffee filters), as that may negatively affect the colloid. It is best to use paper that is non-bleached and does not contain antimicrobial or other chemicals.

Such things as formaldehyde possibly used during the paper production process of bleached paper very undesirable. We are not a lab supply and because of the complexities involved we do not sell filter media or systems. A search for the term lab supply provides plenty of options. For most of our work, we use 3-4 brown paper coffee filters and a gravity or vacuum filter method with appropriately sized paper filter discs.

Such as: https://www.homesciencetools.com/product/vacuum-filtering-set/

The usual reason that a batch will shut off sooner than expected is because the distilled water is not pure enough (also see the section titled “Using the Colloid Master built in water quality test function”. However, we need to qualify what is meant by sooner. If a batch runs less than 45 minutes with less than pure water, that is normal. With very pure distilled water, the process runs approximately 1.5 hours with a 1 1/4″ inch electrodes spacing and about 3-6 hours with a 2 1/2″ inch electrode spacing, as averages for a 32-ounce batch.

The next most common reason that a batch shuts off sooner than normal is when the electrodes are closer than 1″ inch, which can cause the process can turn off faster.

The electrodes should not be closer than approximately 1 1/4″ inch to 1″ inch apart, unless the batch is larger than 32 ounces.

The Colloid Master only cares about making small particles and only shuts off at the right ppm, the main thing that changes is the time it takes to make a batch. If you make a bigger than 32-ounce batch that changes the time, the electrode distance as well as the electrode size you are using effects the time it takes to make a batch, but the ppm and particles will still be consistent.

Generally speaking, you get the best results when making a 32-ounce batch, and using our electrode holder to keep the electrodes 1 1/4″ inches apart. If you are using a custom electrode holder, the optimal electrode distance is 1 1/4″ inches to 1 3/4″ of an inch apart. If the electrodes are curved inward toward each other in the water and are too close, this can cause the unit to shut off sooner. If you have reviewed this material and still have questions or concerns feel free to call or email us.

We do not use salt or bicarbonate of soda as a part of the colloidal production. There are or have been proponents of the utilization of those materials, which is used to increase conductivity in the water. Usually, this is done to compensate for the inadequacies of the overall control of the process, and speed the process up. However, taking this approach causes variations in the process and the resulting colloid dispersion that our opinion is undesirable, such as creating particle clusters that are too large, which causes the finished product unstable or otherwise degraded.

If one wishes to speed the process using the Colloid Master the only method that will work is the addition of 1 to 3 ounces of previously made colloid to the fresh distilled water before starting a new batch. After the water test is complete or when using water of known adequate quality, you may add a few ounces of colloidal silver you have made to a new batch as a starter, this will decrease the time needed for the process to complete.

Using already made colloid as a starter is the optimal method. The use of a 1 -3 ounces of already made colloid as a starter may decrease the time that the process takes to complete, but it does not increase PPM or otherwise measurably alter the end results from the usual outcome.

Heating the water is not required with the Colloid Master, it is designed to work at room temperature meaning an Environment: 60 to 105 F (15.5 – 40.5 Celsius).

Using water heated to 120 degrees, and using an insulating sleeve to keep the heat in the container through the process, we find to be preferable to a heating plate which produces strong magnetic fields. some people use heating plates to maintain the temperate and report good results, we find that magnetic fields tend toward a clear more ionic result, we prefer a yellow to golden full spectrum resulting batch.

Some people use a heating apparatus to maintain a water temperature below boiling, and they prefer this approach. We know that the advantage is because the bonds in the water are more malleable at warmer temperatures, and there may be a benefit in taking this approach for you. But such devices are usually 110 – 220 volts and you are working with water so the risk and the benefit is your own if you take such an approach. Again, as always, the Colloid Master is a very flexible device regarding how people use it. You are responsible for validating the resulting colloidal dispersion to see if the results are what you yourself need for your specific purpose, results with regard to all approaches taken will vary!

The Colloid Master shuts off automatically. At that point, the electrodes can be removed. The water (dispersion medium) combined with the silver particles will go through a dispersion-phase during the first 36-72 hours. During this time, the particles create stable associations forming nano-clusters. After the first 36-72 hours the particles are in a stable phase or state, relatively speaking. It is of particular importance to keep the colloid out of direct sunlight during the first 36-72 hours. The finished product is best stored in a brown glass container if the material is exposed to sunlight, or a clear glass container may be used while being stored in a dark location. Alternately amber glass or a ceramic container that does not allow any light through. Blue glass does not work as well as brown/amber glass. We usually filter the colloid after 72 hours then store it.

The Colloid Master does not use or need a mechanical stirring mechanism. The Colloid Master employs a current bi-directional pattern to the electrodes which electronically changes the positive and negative positions periodically. The pulse induced by the polarity change, in effect, causes the silver particles to be electrokinetically stirred. The Colloid Master was the first device of this type to employ these features, which have been a standard feature since 1998. By design, we addressed this issue long before others even thought to consider it.

We had noticed that when some users reported that they were using a fish tank bubbler to keep the water moving during the process, that then the solution was often colorless and transparent even after the 72 hour period. Although this is a rather complicated issue because the air itself now must be considered, as well as contaminants carbon, etc. must then be taken into account. The bottom line is this is the reason that a dispersion made this way can become mostly ionic and true colloidal particles may be inhibited from being produced. No offense, but If you choose to experiment with stirring, you are on your own.

Sometimes the question being asked is actually a matter regarding the intended end use. However, we do not provide advice or consulting concerning individual applications or use of the silver dispersion. 

That said, based on our research, it has been our long-standing opinion that the optimal range for making a stable silver dispersion with water as the dispersion medium is 10 to 17 PPM. 

One can achieve a higher PPM than the dial settings. The dial settings assume a 32 ounce batch 6″ x 1/4″ inch electrodes and fresh distilled water at room temperature. If you use 6″ x 1/2 electrodes, warmed water, previously made colloid as a starter the amount of “electronically” neutral colloidal particles is increased. The Colloid Master or any other device or approach to making colloid will encounter the same issue as concerns knowing what the actual resulting PPM is, which in the end is only reliably confirmed with high-end equipment at a lab.

This concludes the Colloid Master Trouble Shooting Section: Colloid Master 1997 to present instructions and Manual all models.