Blue Sea Systems DC Main + 22 Positions, White Toggle User Manual

Marine Electrical Prod

ucts

DC Power Distribution Panel

Panel Specifi cations

Material: 0.125” 5052-H32 Aluminum Alloy
Primary Finish: Chemical Treatment per Mil Spec C-5541C
Final Panel Finish: Graphite color 2 part textured Polyurethane
Amperage Rating: All components are sized for 100 Amps of

Voltage Rating: Panels are rated for 12 volts DC. Panels can be

Overall Dimensions: 8380/3380 10-1/2 x 11-1/4 400.10 x 190.50
8381/3381 14-3/4 x 11-1/4 400.10 x 254.00

Panel Features

8380 / 3380

• One 100 Ampere C-Series DC main circuit breaker

• Twenty-two circuit breaker positions, Sixteen 15 Ampere branch
circuit breakers installed

• Analog Voltmeter 8-16V DC PN 8028 with 3 position switch for

• DC Analog Ammeter 0-100A DC PN 8250 with remote shunt

• Owner upgradeable to 24 V DC with PN 8243, 18-32V DC Micro

8381 / 3381

• One 100 Ampere C-Series DC main circuit breaker

• Thirty-fi ve circuit breaker positions, Twenty-six 15 Ampere branch
circuit breakers installed

• Analog Voltmeter 8-16V DC PN 8003 with 3 position switch for

• DC Analog Ammeter 0-100A DC PN 8017 with remote shunt

• Owner upgradeable to 24 V DC with PN 8240, 18-32V DC Voltmeter

PN 8380 / PN 3380 / PN 8381 / PN 3381

continuous current

upgrade to 24 volts with a 18-32V DC Voltmeter

PN Inches Millimeters

multiple battery banks

Voltmeter

multiple battery banks

Document 6680 Rev.C

WARNING

@ It is not possible within the scope of these instructions to fully acquaint

the installer with all the knowledge of electrical systems that may be
necessary to correctly install this product. If the installer is not
knowledgeable in electrical systems we recommend that an electrical
professional be retained to make the installation.

@ If either the panel front or back is to be exposed to water it must be

protected with a waterproof shield.

@ The panels must not be installed in explosive environments such as gas

engine rooms or battery compartments as the circuit breakers are not
ignition proof.

@ The main positive connection must be disconnected at the battery post to

avoid the possibility of a short circuit during the installation of this
distribution panel.

Guarantee

Any Blue Sea Systems product with which a customer is not satisfi ed
may be returned for a refund or replacement at any time. Reference Blue
Sea Systems’ Digital Meter installation manual for specifi c meter
warranty information.

Blue Sea Systems Inc. Phone [phone]
425 Sequoia Drive Fax [phone]
Bellingham, WA 98226 USA E-mail [e-mail]
www.bluesea.com

Installation

1. Disconnect all AC and DC power

Disconnect all AC power originating on or off the vessel. This includes
inverters, generators, shore power attachments and any other device
capable of supplying AC power to the ship’s circuits.

Disconnect the main positive DC cable from all batteries to eliminate the
possibility of a short circuit and to disable the inverter while installing the
distribution panel.

2. Select mounting location and cut opening

If this panel is to serve as your main shore power disconnect circuit
breaker, select a location which is not more then 10 feet from the shore
power inlet or the electrical attachment point of a permanently installed
shore power cord as measured along the conductors of the feed wires. If
it is more then 10 feet additional fuses or circuit breakers must be
installed within 10 feet of the shore power inlet.

Select a mounting location which is protected from water on the panel
front and back and is not in an area where fl ammable vapors from
propane, gas or lead acid batteries accumulate. The circuit breakers
used in marine electrical panels are not ignition protected and may ignite
such vapors.

Using the panel template provided, make a cutout in the mounting
surface where the distribution panel is to be mounted. Do not yet fasten
the panel to the mounting surface.

3. Select positive feed wire and negative return

Determine the positive feed (red) and negative return (black or yellow)
wire size by calculating the total amperage of the circuits that will be
routed through the panel. Blue Sea Systems’ electrical panels are rated
at 100 amp total capacity. The positive feed wire must be sized for 3%
voltage drop at the 100 amp panel rating or the maximum amperage
that will be routed through the panel in any particular installation, which
ever is less. It is recommended that the positive feed wire be sized for
the full panel capacity, which, in most cases, will require at least 2 AWG
wire, assuming a 10 foot wire run between the panel and the batteries in

12 volt systems. Refer to the Wire Sizing Chart for other situations. In the
case of panels with two or more columns of breakers, jumpers from
positive bus to positive bus and from negative bus to negative bus
should be the same size as the positive feed and the negative return
wires.

Remember that the length of the circuit is the total of the positive wire
from the power source and the negative wire back to the DC Negative
Bus. Be certain that there is a fuse or circuit breaker of the correct size
protecting the positive feed wire.

4. Install shunt, positive feed wire and negative return

The panel is supplied with an external shunt ammeter that must be

connected in the positive feed line to the panel. The shunt may be
mounted at any point in the feed line, but mounting it close to the panel
will keep the sense wires that run to the meter short, minimizing
voltage loss and interference, creating the most accurate meter
reading.

Connect the positive feed wire from the positive source to either of the

2 large bolt terminals on the shunt top. This is now the shunt positive
terminal. Connect two additional lengths of feed wire from the remaining
shunt terminal, now the negative terminal, to both panel positive buses.
Next, connect a minimum 16 AWG red wire from the screw on the side of
the shunt positive terminal to the meter positive terminal and connect a
black or yellow wire from the shunt negative terminal to the meter
negative terminal. There should be a 1 ampere fuse in both sense wires
near the shunt terminal. Be certain that on all 4 shunt connections the
wire ring terminals sit directly on the brass blocks of the shunt without any
washers in between.

Connect a negative return wire from both negative buses on the panel

to DC negative.

5. Install battery bank voltage monitor wires

The panel is supplied with a digital meter and switch to monitor the

Page 1 of 3

Installation (continued)

voltage of three separate sources, usually the batteries. Connect a
minimum 16 AWG red wire from each source to be monitored to each of
the corresponding input wires of the switch. There should be a 1 ampere
fuse in each positive wire near each source.

6. Install branch circuit wires

Determine the proper wire size for each branch circuit using the
guidelines in step 4. Verify that the standard 15 amp circuit breakers
installed in the panel are large enough for each branch circuit. Remove
and replace with a higher amperage any that are undersized. Connect
the positive (red) branch circuit wires to the load terminals of each circuit
breaker. Connect each negative (black) branch circuit wire to the DC
Negative Bus. DO NOT CONFUSE THE DC NEGATIVE BUS WITH THE
DC GROUNDING BUS.

7. Installation of Backlight System

Connect the yellow negative wire to the panel negative bus.

To activate the label lights by the boat’s battery switch, connect the red
positive wire to the DC panel positive bus.

To activate the label lights by an independent switch or breaker, connect
the red positive wire to the load side of the switch or breaker.

8. Optional - install grounding system wire

The grounding wire (bare, green or green with yellow stripe and normally
non-current carrying) should not be confused with the negative ground
wire (black or yellow and normally current carrying).

In Boatowner’s Illustrated Handbook of Wiring, Charlie Wing identifi es
three purposes of DC Grounding:

Reference

Wire Sizing Chart

1. Calculate the maximum sustained amperage of the circuit. Measure

the length of the circuit from the power source to the load and back.

2. Does the circuit run in an engine space or non engine space.

3. Calculate Famps (Feet x amps). Multiply circuit length by max. current.

4. Base the wire on either the 3% or 10% voltage drop. In general, items

which affect the safe operation of the boat and its passengers (running
lights, bilge blowers, electronics) use 3%; all other loads use 10%.

5. Starting in the column which has the right voltage and voltage drop,
run down the list until arriving at a value which is greater than the
calculated Famps. Move left to the Ampacity column to verify that the
total amperage of the circuit does not exceed the maximum allowable
amperage of the wire size for that row. If it does, move down until the
wire ampacity exceeds the circuit amperage. Finally, move left to the
wire size column to select the wire size.

Example

a. A 12 volt system at 10% drop with a 40’ circuit x 45 amps = 1800
Famps. A wire size of 8 is required.

1. Holding conductive housings of low voltage (under 50 volts) DC
devices at ground potential by providing a low resistance return
path for currents accidentally contacting the device cases.

2. Providing a low resistance return path for electrical current,
preventing stray currents that may cause corrosion.

3. Grounding metal electrical cases to prevent emission from inside
or absorption from outside of radio frequency noise (RFI).

ABYC requires that grounding wires be sized no smaller than one wire
size under that required for current carrying conductors supplying the
device to which the grounding wire is connected.

9. Apply branch circuit labels and mount panel

Apply a label for each of the branch circuits from the 60 basic labels
provided. If the appropriate label is not included, AC and DC Extended
Label Sets of 120 labels each may be ordered from your marine supplier
(PNs 8039 and 8067). Individual labels are also available from Blue Sea
Systems for specifi c applications. Refer to the label order form for a
complete listing of individual labels.

Fasten the panel to the mounting surface using the panel mounting
screws supplied with the panel.

10. Testing

@ Reconnect the main positive cable to the battery terminals and turn

the main switch on to supply power to the panel. Turn on all branch
circuits and test the voltage at the panel. Compare this voltage to the
battery terminal voltage to determine that the voltage drop is within
3%. With all branch circuits still on, test the voltage at one device on
each circuit to determine that there is a 3% or 10% drop as is
appropriate.

11.Optional Branch LED’s

This panel is supplied with LED’s pre-installed in all optional branch
positions. For future expansion of the panel remove the positive leg of
the LED from the negative bus and connect it to the load side of the
corresponding branch circuit breaker.

Note

All Blue Sea Systems’ DC electrical distribution panels are furnished
with 15 amp AC/DC circuit breakers. This rating was selected to minimize
the need for removing the panel’s circuit breakers and reinstalling
different size circuit breakers. As shown in the Wire Sizing Chart included
with these instructions, even 16 AWG wire, which is the minimum wire
size recommended by ABYC, has an allowable amperage greater than
20 amps. Additionally, it would be rare to have more than 15 amps of
current fl owing in any one circuit. Therefore, 15 amp circuit breakers will
satisfy the vast majority of marine circuit protection situations.

Applicable Standards

• American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC)
Standards and Recommended Practices for Small Craft sections:
E-1, E-3, E-9.

• United States Coast Guard 33 CFR Sub Part 1, Electrical Systems

The Purpose of a Panel

There are fi ve purposes of a marine electrical panel:

• Power distribution

• Circuit (wire) protection

• Circuit ON/OFF switching

• Metering of voltage and amperage (In panels with meters)

• Condition Indication (circuit energized)

Useful Reference Books

Calder, Nigel, 1996: Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual,
2nd edition, Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books, Inc.
Wing, Charlie, 1993: Boatowner’s Illustrated Handbook of Wiring,
Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books, Inc.

Related Products from Blue Sea Systems

High Amperage Fuses and Circuit Breakers for positive feed wires
High Amperage Battery Switches
Terminal Blocks and Common Bus Connectors
AC and DC Voltmeters and Ammeters

Questions and Comments

We invite your questions and comments. You may contact us at
the address above or by email at [e-mail]. To fi nd out
more about our full line of marine electrical products visit our web site at
www.bluesea.com.

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