Blue Sea Systems 7531, 7532 User Manual

BATTERY CHARGER

User Manual

7531 and 7532

P12

Read and understand the contents of this User Manual. It contains important safety, handling, and operational instructions for P12 Battery Chargers.
This User Manual describes the product mentioned herein at the time of its publication. Specifications and performance are subject to change at the discretion
of Blue Sea Systems. To view the most current revision of this publication visit bluesea.com/P12.

Scan for
additional
product
information

Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information.

1

Table of Contents

Important Safety Instructions 1–2

P12 Battery Charger Overview 3–4

Specifications 5

Installation Tables 5

• Table A: Minimum Recommended Wire Size

• Table B: Recommended DC Circuit Protection

• Table C: Typical AC Regional Wire Colors

• Table D: AC Wire - Circuit Protection Selection Chart

• Table E: Default Voltages by Battery Type

Product Dimensions and Installation Clearances 6

Included Components 7

Supplies Needed 8

Installation Instructions 9–10

Initial Charger Setup 11

Advanced Charger Setup 12–13

Reset to Manufacturer Defaults 13

Absorption Parameters and Timers, Energy Save Feature Control 14–15

Temperature Parameters 15

Equalization 16–17

Screen Summary 18–19

Alert Screens and Diagnostics 20–21

Optional Installation 22–23

• Automatic Charging Relays (ACRs)

Warranty and Contact Information 24

P12 Charge Management System 25

WARNING

Refers to a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

The P12 Battery Charger should be installed by a qualified marine electrician. Improper installation can result in electrical shock which may cause serious
injury or death. To reduce the risk of electrical shock, mount vertically in a dry, well ventilated location. Charge these battery types: Flooded, AGM, Gel, or
TPPL Lead Acid batteries. Consult battery manufacturer specifications for other battery types to avoid damage. This batter y charger is not intended for use
by persons (including children) with lack of ability, experience, or knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the
battery charger by a person responsible for their safety. Do not recharge non-rechargeable batteries. Children should be supervised to ensure that they do
not play with the appliance. Avoid serious injury or death from electrical shock, turn off AC supply power before opening terminations cover.

Risk of Explosive Gases

Working in the vicinity of a Lead-Acid battery is dangerous. Batteries generate explosive gases during normal battery operation. Explosive gasses can ignite
and may cause serious injury or death. Ensure battery location is properly ventilated according to batter y manufacturer or industry standards. To reduce risk
of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by the battery manufacturer. Do not smoke or cause a spark in the area around batteries
and engines. Each time before using your charger read this manual and follow the instructions. Do not use any accessory devices that directly connect to
the charger other than those manufactured by Blue Sea Systems and designed for use with the P12 Battery Charger. Do not operate the charger if it has
been dropped or damaged. Contact Blue Sea Systems on how to proceed. Wear complete eye protection and protective clothing when dealing with lead
acid batteries. Remove personal metal items such as jewelry & rings when working around batteries.

CAUTION

Refers to a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in injury.

Before beginning electrical installation, read the instruction manual. Disconnect all AC and DC power sources. Do not make final connections to the
batteries until DC connections on the charger are made and verified. Do not make or break electrical connections to batteries while charging or for up to
30 minutes after charging. Other than parts accessed under the termination cover, there are no user serviceable parts within the battery charger enclosure.
Contact Blue Sea Systems for servicing. Charge only user selectable type batteries, other types of batteries may burst causing personal injury and damage.
Do not use the battery charger to charge dry cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliance. These batteries may burst and cause injur y to
person and damage to property. Never charge a frozen battery.

GROUNDING PRECAUTIONS

Marine battery chargers and inverters have two grounding connections, one from the AC system and one from the DC system. ABYC requires
the AC grounding system to be connected to the DC grounding system through the distribution systems. Additionally, the chargers make
connections to both systems. It is very important the systems be connected properly before the charger is installed. Otherwise the charger
grounding system may become the sole connection between AC and DC ground and it may not be sized large enough to provide system wide
safety function. The AC grounding conductor is the conductor with green, or green with yellow stripe included in the AC power cable and should
be sized the same as the power and neutral conductors (see Table C page 5 for AC wire color). This will connect to the right most terminal in
the AC connection block. There is also chassis connection terminal for a DC safety grounding wire. The DC safety ground should be green or
marked green and sized equal to, or one wire size smaller, than the DC charge wires.

READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS – This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for battery charger Models 7531 and 7532.

2. Do not expose charger to rain or snow.

3. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.

4. Do not operate charger with damaged cord – replace the cord immediately.

5. Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualified serviceman.

6. Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualified serviceman when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of

electric shock or fire.

The battery charger must be properly assembled in accordance with the assembly instruction before it is used.

7. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not reduce this risk.

8.

WARNING – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.

a) WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING

NORMAL BA

TTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS

EACH TIME YOU USE THE CHARGER.

b) To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you

intend to use in vicinity of batter

y. Review cautionary marking on these products and on engine.

9.

PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS

a) Consider having someone close enough by to come to your aid when you work near a lead-acid battery.
b) Ha

ve plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes.

c)

Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery.

d) If batter

y acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters eye, immediately flood eye with running cold water for at

least 10 minutes and g

et medical attention immediately.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information. Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Warnings

Specifications

Terminations

Display

2

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

CEC Compliance

The Blue Sea Systems P12 Battery Charger is dry mount device designed for use in marine applications and other harsh environments where
reliability, ease of use, and high performance are of primary importance. The P12 is designed in Bellingham, Washington, USA.

The P12 is designed to charge three electrically independent batteries or battery banks. The P12 has the unique capability to individually move each battery out of the
Absorption charging stage. This ensures batteries near their full charge do not continue to receive high constant voltages necessary in the Absorption stage. This is optimal
treatment for long battery life. Charge Coordination integrates with the Blue Sea Systems family of Automatic Charging Relays (ACR) to force separation of the battery banks
while the P12 is operational, to allow the batteries to individually exit the absorption stage. After fourteen days of continuous Float, the charger will repeat the normal charge
cycle to assure good battery health.

For reliability, the P12 has a rugged cast aluminum housing with high heat dissipating capability for minimum cooling fan run times. The electronic design has given special
consideration to operation in areas of inconsistent AC power quality. The P12 has a Power Factor Corrected nominal AC input range of 115V to 230V AC within which it will
produce its full rated DC charging output. It will continue to produce reduced DC output to as low as 75V AC. After a shut down below 75V AC or when there is interrupted
switching between AC sources, like switching between generator and shore power, the P12 will automatically perform an orderly restart.

Central to the P12’s ease of use is the large plain-language full graphics control screen capable of displaying in French, English, Italian, German and Spanish. The plain
language display enables clear communication with the operator for setting precise charging parameters and providing a broad range of easily understood fault
communications and operating history. An optional remote display brings much of this functionality to a secondary location away from the charger.

The P12 contains charge profiles for most batteries available today, including Flooded Lead Acid (FLA), Gel, Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL), and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM).
In addition, a user configurable charge profile is available for other battery types.

The P12 has built-in safety features including: ignition protection, over and under temperature protection (sensed internally and at the batteries), DC reverse polarity
protection, DC over voltage protection, surge, and short circuit protection.

The definitions of the P12 charging stages are defined below. The charging stage LEDs on the front of the charger will indicate the current stage.

Absorption (Constant voltage)

In the Absorption charging stage the batteries complete their charging by being “topped off”. This is a less aggressive charging stage than bulk where the current going into a
particular battery bank will significantly reduce with time. The conditions for a battery bank to be considered “full” var y based on many different factors. In order for a battery
bank to leave the Absorption stage a number of different parameters must be met. The main parameters are the Absorption Timers which can be seen on
page 14. Outputs move individually from Absorption to Pre-Float. When all batteries have completed Absorption, the charger will move them into the Float stage.

Float* (Constant voltage)

Float is the final charging stage for fully charged batteries. Batteries in this stage are being maintained at their defined float voltage. Typically Float voltage
has a 1.0V or greater difference from the Absorption voltage.

Pre-Float (Constant voltage)

The Pre-Float charging stage is unique to the P12. Since the size of battery banks typically vary from one output to the next, there is a need to charge each bank independently.
Once all batteries are in Absorption battery banks may finish charging at different rates. Once a battery bank has met its unique Absorption parameters, the P12 Charger will
independently move it into the Pre-Float stage. Pre-Float is the initial stage to maintain a fully charged battery. Batteries in Pre-Float can have up to a .5V difference
between batteries in Absorption. Up to two outputs can be in Pre-Float simultaneously.

Bulk (Constant current)

The Bulk charging stage is the first stage in the battery charging process. It is where a majority of the charging actually takes place leaving batteries at approximately
75% to 80% of their final capacity. The goal of the Bulk stage is to drive current into the batteries quickly to increase their voltage. Once all the batteries have reached the
defined Absorption voltage then the charger will move them into the Absorption stage.

14.5V

14.0V

T I M E

Absorption

Absorption

Absorption

PreFloat

Bulk

13.5V

Battery 1

Battery 2

Battery 3

PreFloat

Float

Example of Flooded Lead Acid Battery

14.5V

T I M E

Absorption

Bulk

13.5V

Battery 1

Battery 2

Battery 3

Float

Forced Absorption: A period when batteries are potentially over charged.

Example of Flooded Lead Acid Battery

Absorption

Absorption

Forced Absorption

Forced Absorption

Conventional Three Stage Battery ChargingFour Stage Battery Charging

Four Stage Battery Charging

P12 Battery Charger Overview

3

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

*Energy Saver Mode (CEC)

a) After the absorption cycle is completed for all outputs, the charger moves to “rest” mode – not float.
b) As the battery(s) rests, the voltage will drop. If loads are active, the voltage will drop more rapidly.
c) When the voltage has dropped to the lower target re-float voltage, the charger will re-start and attempt to enter float mode for a minimum of 4 hour s.
d) The charger will enter rest mode again and the cycle will repeat.

NOTE: The CEC test is performed on batteries that have no active loads.

e) NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine.
f) Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto batter

y. It might spark or short-circuit battery or other electrical part that

ma

y cause explosion.

g) Remo

ve personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a

shor

t-circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn.
h) Use charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended to supply power to a low voltage electrical system other than in a starter-motor
application.

Do not use battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst and

cause injur

y to persons and damage to property.

i) NEVER charg

e a frozen battery.

10.

PREPARING TO CHARGE

a) If necessar y to remove battery from vessel to charge, always remove grounded terminal from battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are
off,

so as not to cause an arc.

b) Be sure area around batter

y is well ventilated while battery is being charged.

c) Clean batter

y terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.

d) Add distilled water in each cell until batter

y acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. Do not overfill. For a battery without removable cell
caps, such as valve regulated lead acid batteries, carefully follow manufacturer’s recharging instructions.
e) Stud

y all battery manufacturer’s specific precautions while charging and recommended rates of charge.

f) Deter

mine voltage of battery by referring to vessel owner’s manual and make sure it matches output rating of battery charger.

11.

CHARGER LOCATION

a) Locate charger as far away from battery as DC cables permit.
b) Ne

ver place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.

c) Ne

ver allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading electrolyte specific gravity or filling battery.

d) Do not operate charg

er in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.

e) Do not set a batter

y on top of charger.

GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS – This battery charger should be connected to a grounded, metal, permanent wiring system; or an equipment-grounding

conductor should be run with circuit conductors and connected to equipment-grounding terminal or lead on battery charger. Connections to battery charger
should comply with all local codes and ordinances.

Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information. Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information.

Rugged, finned
cast aluminum case

Fan vent

Screen selection
buttons

Charging stage
indicators

Termination
cover latches

Charging and
Alert indicators

Graphic LCD Display

Termination
insulating
cover

DC output

DC strain
relief clamp

AC strain
relief and
insulating cover.
AC input terminals
under cover.

Mounting holes

Clearance for:
M6, 1/4", or #12
mounting hardware
NOTE: Mounting holes screw
centers are not symmetrical.
Please see dimension drawing
on page 6

P12 Battery Charger Overview

4

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

Specifications

5

* Consult battery manufacturer specifications for other battery types to avoid damage. Do not mix battery types.

** Battery bank sizes are tested to California Energy Commission compliance (CEC). Larger and smaller size banks could charge well, but consume slightly
more power over the charging cycle.

Regulatory

Designed and constructed for compliance to UL-1236 Marine, CSA 22.2 No. 107.2, and ABYC A-31 standards.
CE Marked
Ignition Protection per ISO 8846 and SAE J1171. Meets FCC Part 15, Class B requirements. To view all regulatory specifications visit www.bluesea.com/P12.
California Energy Commission (CEC) compliant. The energy saving feature may be disabled by the user following the steps on page 14 of this manual.

7531 7532

Total Output Current (continuous) 25A 40A

Input AC Current 4.5A @ 115V AC / 2.25A @ 230V AC 7.5A @ 115V AC / 3.75A @ 230V AC

Nominal Output Voltage 12V DC 12V DC

Output Connections 3 positive, 1 negative 3 positive, 1 negative

Universal AC Input Voltage 115–230V AC 115–230V AC

Input Frequency Range 50–60 Hz 50–60 Hz

Typical Float Voltage 13.5V DC 13.5V DC

Output Voltage Accuracy 0.05V DC 0.05V DC

Minimum Operating Temperature −20°C (−4°F) −20°C (−4°F)

Full Output Maximum Temperature 45°C (113°F) 45°C (113°F)

Minimum Storage Temperature −30°C (−22°F) −30°C (−22°F)

Maximum Storage Temperature 80°C (176°F) 80°C (176°F)

Warranty 5 Year 5 Year

Battery Types* Flooded, Gel, AGM, TPPL

(Thin Plate Pure Lead) Flooded, Gel, AGM, TPPL (Thin Plate Pure Lead)

Recommended for Battery Bank Sizes**

60Ah Minimum,

Example: 1 x Group 24

330Ah Maximum, Example: 3 x Group 31

60Ah Minimum, Example: 1 x Group 24

440Ah Maximum, Example: 4 x Group 31

Conductor Length in feet (meters) Charger Rating

25A 40A

6 ft (1.83 meters) 14 AWG (2.5mm²) 8 AWG (10mm²)

10 ft (3.05 meters) 12 AWG (4mm²) 8 AWG (10mm²)

15 ft (4.57 meters) 10 AWG (6mm²) 6 AWG (16mm²)

20 ft (6.09 meters) 8 AWG (10mm²) 6 AWG (16mm²)

25 ft (7.62 meters) 6 AWG (16mm²) 4 AWG (25mm²)

Recommended Battery Fuse

30A 60A

Region Line Neutral Ground (Earth)

North America Black White Green

Europe Brown Blue Green-Yellow

Australia/ New Zealand Brown or Red Blue or Black Green-Yellow

Table A: Minimum Recommended Wire Size*

Appropriate Fuses and Fuse Holders Charger Rating

Fuse Type Fuse Holder 25A 40A

MRBF Terminal Fuses 5191 Terminal Fuse Block 5175 (30A Fuse) 5178 (60A Fuse)

AMI®/MIDI® Fuses 7720 Safety Fuse Block 5250 (30A Fuse) 5253 (60A Fuse)

Table B: Recommended DC Circuit Protection

Table C: Typical AC Regional Wire Colors

Table D: AC Wire - Circuit Protection Selection Chart

7531 (25A) 7532 (40A)

Input Watts 450 750

120V AC Application 4.5A @ 100V AC 7.5A @ 100V AC

Minimum AC Wire Size 18 AWG (0.75mm²) 16 AWG (1.5mm²)

Circuit Breaker 10A 15A

230V AC Application* 2.25A @ 200V AC 3.75A @ 200V AC

Minimum Wire Size 18 AWG (0.75mm²) 18 AWG (0.75mm²)

Circuit Breaker 5A – 10A 5A – 10A

*

Typical of Europe

Type Absorb Volts Float Volts

FLA – Flooded Lead Acid 14.5V 13.5V

AGM – Absorbed Glass Mat 14.35V 13.3V

Gel – Gelled Electrolyte 14.1V 13.5V

TPPL – Thin Plate Pure Lead 14.7V

13.6V

¹

User Adjustable 12.5V Default 12.5V Default

¹ Taken from Odyssey Tech Notes, Northstar operation Manual

Table E: Default Voltages by Battery Type

Batteries should match in chemistry, although many AGM’s and flooded batteries are
compatible. Based on 25°C (77°F)

*

Based on 3% voltage drop. If fast charge recovery is important, use larger wire. Double the conductor

length entry to get a 1.5% drop, triple the conductor length to get a 1% voltage drop.

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information. Specifications are subject to change. See bluesea.com/P12 for current information.

Product Dimensions

6

WARNING

For drip proof performance, and to meet ABYC requirements, the P12 Battery Charger must be mounted vertically as shown below.

Installation Clearances

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

Clearance for
#12, Ø1/4" M6
mounting hardware

7.80"

(198mm)

11.18"

(284mm)

7.40"

(188mm)

8.46"

(215mm)

4.30"

(109.1mm)

12.94"

(328.8mm)

14"-20

TOP

Recommended
side clearance

1.97

"

(50mm)

Recommended

overall envelope width

12.40

"

(315mm)

Recommended

clearance
for wire access
and inlet airflow.

3.94

"

(100.2mm)

Recommended

overall

envelope height

19.00

"

(480.6mm)

Recommended
top clearance

1.97

"

(50mm)

Recommended

clearance

for cooling fan exhaust.

do not block!

5.91

"

(150mm)

Included Components

77

Dielectric Grease

Mounting Screws

#12 x 1-1/4" sheet metal
screws (Use #3 Phillips
screwdriver)

Dielectric Grease

Used for Temperature Sensor and the
Optional Accessory P12 Remote Display Connections. View the
MSDS for the Dielectric Grease at bluesea.com/P12

Temperature Sensor

Flying lead, Battery Temp Sensor with
peel and stick adhesive

AC Strain Relief Insulating Cover Screws

M3 x 25mm pan-head machine screws (Use #1 Phillips screwdriver)

Recommended torque: 5–10 in-lb (0.6–1.1 Nm)

Pan-Head Machine Screws

M3.5 x 6mm

Recommended torque:
10–15 in-lb (1.0–1.8 Nm)

DC Strain Relief Clamp Screws

M3 x 25mm pan-head machine screws

Recommended torque:
5–10 in-lb (0.6–1.1 Nm)

DC Termination Nuts

1/4"-20 serrated flange hex-nuts

(Use 10mm socket wrench with extension)
Recommended torque: 70–80 in-lb (8–9 Nm)

DC Safety Ground Nut

M6 hex-nut

P12

7531 AND 7532 BATTERY CHARGERS

ACR Screw
Terminal Connector

Battery Temperature
Sensor Screw
Terminal Connector

DC Termination Nut

1/4"-20 serrated flange hex-nut

Accessory Pack Includes:

AC Strain Relief
and Insulating Cover

DC Strain
Relief Clamp

DC Strain Relief
Clamp Screw

M3 x 25mm pan-head
machine screw

P12 Battery Charger Hardware:

DC Safety Ground Nut

M6 hex-nut