Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 120V

Important Safety Instructions

• SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS – This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for Blue Smart Charger models.
• Do not expose charger to rain or snow.
• Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by Victron Energy may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.
• To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by plug rather than cord when disconnecting charger.
• An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of an improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock. If extension cord must be used, make sure:
  • That pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size, and shape as those of plug on charger;
  • that extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition; and
  • that wire size is large enough for ac ampère rating of charger as specified in “Technical Specifications"
• Do not operate the charger with damaged cord or plug; contact your service agent or the manufacturer.
• Do not operate the charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; contact your service agent or the manufacturer.
• Do not disassemble the charger; contact your service agent or the manufacturer when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or fire.
• To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not reduce this risk.
• WARNING ⚠️ – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.
  • BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT EACH TIME BEFORE USING YOUR CHARGER, YOU READ THIS MANUAL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.
  • Follow these instructions and those published by the battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of the battery.
• PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS
  • Consider having someone close enough by to your aid when you work near a lead-acid battery.
  • Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes.
  • Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near a battery.
  • If battery 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 get medical attention immediately.
  • NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of a battery or engine.
  • Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. It might spark or short-circuit the battery or an other electrical part that may cause explosion.
  • Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn.
  • Do not use the battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and damage to property.
  • NEVER charge a frozen battery.
• PREPARING TO CHARGE
  • If it is necessary to remove the battery from a vehicle prior to charging, always remove the grounded terminal from the battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.
  • Be sure that the area around the battery is well ventilated while the battery is being charged.
  • Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.
  • Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. Do not overfill. For a battery without cell caps, such as valve regulated lead acid batteries, carefully follow the charging instructions of the manufacturer.
  • Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions while charging and recommended rates of charge.
  • Determine the nominal voltage of the battery by referring to the owner's manual of the vehicle and make sure it matches the output rating of the battery charger.
• CHARGER LOCATION
  • Locate the charger as far away from the battery as DC cables permit.
  • Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage the charger.
  • Never allow battery acid to drip on the charger when reading gravity or filling the battery.
  • Do not operate the charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.
  • Do not set a battery on top of the charger.

DC Connection Precautions

• Connect and disconnect the DC output clips only after removing the AC cord from the electric outlet. Never allow clips to touch each other.
• Attach clips to battery and chassis as indicated in 14(e), 14(f), 15(b), and 15(d).

Following Steps When Battery is Installed in a Vehicle (A spark near the battery may cause a battery explosion. To reduce risk of a spark near battery):

• Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by hood, door, or moving engine part.
• Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause injury to persons.
• Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N, −) post.
• Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If the negative post is grounded to the chassis (as in most vehicles), see (e). If the positive post is grounded to the chassis, see (f).
• In case of a negative-grounded vehicle, connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip from the battery charger to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of the battery. Connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to the chassis or engine block of the vehicle, away from battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gage metal part of the frame or the engine block. Connect the AC cord to the socket.
• In case of a positive-grounded vehicle, connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from the battery charger to the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, −) ungrounded post of the battery. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip to the chassis or engine block of the vehicle, away from the battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gage metal part of the frame or the engine block. Connect the AC cord to the socket.
• When disconnecting the charger, disconnect the AC cord, remove the clip from the chassis of the vehicle, and finally remove the clip from the battery terminal.
• See "charge algorithms" for length of charge information.

Following Steps When Battery is Outside of the Vehicle (A spark near the battery may cause battery explosion. To reduce risk of a spark near the battery):

• Check the polarity of the battery posts. The POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, −) post.
• Attach at least a 24-inch-long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, −) battery post.
• Connect the POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post of the battery.
• Do not face the battery when making the final connection.
• When disconnecting the charger, always do so in reverse sequence of the connecting procedure and break the first connection while as far away from battery as practical.
• A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine use.

Quick User Guide

GROUNDING AND AC POWER CORD CONNECTION INSTRUCTIONS – Charger should be grounded to reduce risk of electric shock. Charger is equipped with an electric cord having an equipment-grounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an outlet that is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.

DANGER ⚠️ – Never alter AC cord or plug provided – if it will not fit outlet, have proper outlet installed by a qualified electrician. Improper connection can result in a risk of an electric shock.

This appliance is rated more than 15 amperes and is for use on a circuit having a nominal rating of 120 volts and is factory-equipped with a specific electric cord and plug to permit connection to an acceptable electric circuit. Make sure that the charger is connected to an outlet having the same configuration as the plug. No adapter should be used with this charger.

1. Connect the charger to the battery or batteries (see figure 1).
2. Connect the charger to the wall socket. The BULK LED will indicate that the mains cable is connected to the wall socket.
3. If required, press the MODE-button to select another charging algorithm (the charger remembers the mode when disconnected from the mains and/or the battery). If reconditioning is selected, the RECONDITION LED will be on, and will flash when reconditioning is active. The charger switches to NIGHT by pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds. The NIGHT LED will turn on. The NIGHT mode automatically ends after 8 hours, and can be ended earlier by again pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds. The charger switches to LOW by pressing the MODE button during 6 seconds. The NIGHT LED will blink twice per second. The LOW mode remains activated until the MODE button is pressed again during 6 seconds. When NIGHT or LOW are on, the output current is reduced to max. 50% of the nominal output and the charger will be totally noiseless.
4. The battery is about 80% charged and ready for use when the absorption LED switches on.
5. The battery is fully charged when the FLOAT or STORAGE LED is on.
6. Stop charging at any time by interrupting the AC supply.

Figure 1: The figure shows the charger's LED indicators (NIGHT, BULK, ABS, FLOAT, STORAGE) and the MODE button. It also displays charging modes like NORMAL (14.4V), HIGH (14.7V), RECONDITION, and LI-ION.

Mounting Instructions

Mount vertically with the power terminals facing downward. Observe a minimum clearance of 4” (10cm) under and above the product for optimal cooling.

We recommend to use 4 screws, one on each corner, type: self tapping pan head #8 or #10 with a length of ¾" (diameter 4.8mm, length 19mm).

1. Align the product on the surface and use it to mark the location for the screws.
2. Fit the two lower screws to the surface but leave them about 1/8" (3mm) from the surface.
3. Place the product on the two lower screws and hold it while fitting the two upper screws. Do not overtighten the screws.

If necessary, the lower screws can be tightened with a hand screwdriver. Pay attention not to damage the powercord.

Blue Smart version

Set-up, monitor and update the charger (add new features when they become available) using Apple and Android smartphones, tablets or other devices with the Victron Connect App.

Victron Connect is available to users of Windows PCs, macOS X, iOS and Android phones, as well as tablets.

https://www.victronenergy.com/support-and-downloads/software#victronconnect-app

VictronConnect: Blue Smart IP22 Charger pages

When the Blue Smart charger is powered-up it will be discoverable using the VictronConnect app on your device.

The 'home' page shows information about the battery voltage, charge current, and where your battery is in the charging-cycle.

To access the Settings button, click on the cog icon ⚙️ at the top right of the screen. From here you can choose a preset charge algorithm, you can select the charge current; and you can choose to employ the charge algorithm for a Li-ion battery when that is appropriate.

The screenshot shows the VictronConnect app interface displaying "Bulk charge" status with Voltage: 13.80V and Current: 30.0A.

'Must Know' Features and Facts

2.1 Ultra high efficiency 'green' battery charger

With up to 95% efficiency, these chargers generate up to four times less heat when compared to the industry standard. And once the battery is fully charged, power consumption reduces to 0,5 Watt, some five to ten times better than the industry standard.

2.2 Durable, safe and silent

• Low thermal stress on the electronic components.
• Protection against overheating: the output current will reduce as temperature increases up to 60°C, but the charger will not fail.
• When the NIGHT or LOW mode are activated, the maximum output current is reduced to 50% of nominal, and the fan will be off.

2.3 Temperature compensated charging

The optimal charge voltage of a lead-acid battery varies inversely with temperature. The Blue Power IP22 Charger measures ambient temperature during the test phase and compensates for temperature during the charge process. The temperature is measured again when the charger is in low current mode during float or storage. Special settings for a cold or hot environment are therefore not needed.

2.4 Adaptive Battery Management

Lead-acid batteries should be charged in three stages, which are [1] bulk or constant-current charge, [2] absorption or topping charge and [3] float charge.

Several hours of absorption charge are needed to fully charge the battery and prevent early failure to sulfation¹ . The relatively high voltage during absorption does however accelerate aging due to grid corrosion on the positive plates.

Adaptive Battery Management limits corrosion by reducing absorption time when possible, that is: when charging a battery that is already (nearly) fully charged.

2.5 Storage mode: less corrosion of the positive plates

Even the lower float charge voltage that follows the absorption period will cause grid corrosion. It is therefore essential to reduce the charge voltage even further when the battery remains connected to the charger during more than 48 hours.

2.6 Reconditioning

A lead-acid battery that has been insufficiently charged or has been left discharged during days or weeks will deteriorate due to sulfation¹ . If caught in time, sulfation can sometimes be partially reversed by charging the battery with low current up to a higher voltage.

Remarks:

• Reconditioning should be applied only occasionally to flat plate VRLA (gel and AGM) batteries because the resulting gassing will dry out the electrolyte.
• Cylindrical cell VRLA batteries build more internal pressure before gassing and will therefore lose less water when subjected to reconditioning. Some manufacturers of cylindrical cell batteries therefore recommend the reconditioning setting in case of cyclic application.
• Reconditioning can be applied to flooded batteries to 'equalise' the cells and to prevent acid stratification.
• Some battery charger manufactures recommend pulse charging to reverse sulfation. However, most battery experts agree that there is no conclusive proof that pulse charging works any better than low current / high voltage charging. This is confirmed by our own tests.

2.7 Lithium-ion (LiFePO4) batteries

NEVER attempt to charge a Li-ion battery when its temperature is below 0°C.

¹ For more information about batteries, please refer to our book 'Energy Unlimited' (downloadable from www.victronenergy.com), or http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it

² For more information about Li-ion batteries please see http://www.victronenergy.com/batteries/lithium-battery-12,8v/

Charge Algorithms

3.1 Smart charge algorithm with optional reconditioning for lead-acid batteries

Charge voltages at room temperature:

For 24V chargers: multiply all voltage values by 2.

NORMAL (14,4V): recommended for flooded flat plate lead antimony batteries (starter batteries), flat plate gel and AGM batteries.

HIGH (14,7V): recommended for flooded lead calcium batteries, Optima spiral cell batteries and Odyssey batteries.

The MODE button

After connecting the charger to the AC supply, press the MODE-button to select another charging algorithm if required (the charger remembers the mode when disconnected from the mains and/or the battery).

If reconditioning is selected, the RECONDITION LED will be on, and will flash when reconditioning is active.

The charger switches to NIGHT by pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds. The NIGHT LED will turn on. The NIGHT mode automatically ends after 8 hours, and can be ended earlier by again pressing the MODE button during 3 seconds.

The charger switches to LOW by pressing the MODE button during 6 seconds. The NIGHT LED will blink twice per second. The LOW mode remains activated until the MODE button is pressed again during 6 seconds. When NIGHT or LOW are on, the output current is reduced to max. 50% of the nominal output and the charger will be totally noiseless.

Seven step charge sequence for lead-acid batteries:

1. BULK
   Charges the battery with maximum current until absorption voltage is reached. The battery will then be about 80% charged and is ready for use.
2. ABS - Absorption
   Charges the battery at constant voltage and with decreasing current until it is fully charged. See table above for absorption voltage at room temperature.
   Adaptive battery management: The absorption time is short (minimum 30 minutes) if the battery was (nearly) fully charged and increases to 8 hours in case of a deeply discharged battery.
3. RECONDITION
   Optional reconditioning for deeply discharged lead-acid batteries. Reconditioning is applicable to the charge algorithms NORMAL and HIGH and can be selected by pressing the MODE button one more time after selection of the required algorithm. When in RECONDITION mode the battery will be charged with low current up to a higher voltage at the end of the absorption phase. The RECONDITION LED will be on during charging, and will blink during the reconditioning period. During reconditioning the maximum current is equal to 8% of the nominal current until the maximum voltage is reached. Reconditioning is terminated after one hour or when the maximum voltage is reached, whichever comes first. See table.
   Example: For a 12/30 charger: the recondition current is 30 x 0,08 = 2,4A.
4. FLOAT
   Keeps the battery at constant voltage and fully charged.
5. STORAGE
   Keeps the battery at reduced constant voltage to limit gassing and corrosion of the positive plates.
6. READY (battery fully charged)
   The battery is fully charged when the FLOAT or STORAGE LED is on.
7. REFRESH
   Slow self discharge is prevented by an automatic weekly refresh of the battery with a short absorption charge.

3.2 Lithium-ion (LiFePO4) batteries

When charging a Lithium-ion battery, the Blue Power Charger uses a specific charging algorithm for Lithium-ion batteries, to ensure optimum performance. Select LI-ION with the mode button.

3.3 When a load is connected to the battery

A load can be applied to the battery while charging. Please note that the battery will not be charged if the current to the load is higher than the output current of the charger. Reconditioning is not possible when a load is connected to the battery.

3.4 Triggering a new charge cycle

A new charge cycle will start when:

• The charger has reached float or storage, and, due to a load, current increases up to maximum current during more than four seconds.
• The MODE button is pressed during charging.
• The AC supply has been disconnected and reconnected.

3.5 Estimating charge time

A lead-acid battery is about 80% charged at the beginning of the absorption period. The time T to 80% charged can be calculated as follows:

T = Ah / I

Where:
I is the charge current (= charger output minus load current).
Ah is the amount of Ah to be charged.

A full absorption period of up to 8 hours is needed to charge the battery to 100%.

Example: Charge time to 80% of a fully discharged 220Ah battery when charged with a 30A Charger: T = 220 / 30 = 7,3 hours. Charge time to 100%: 7,3 + 8 = 15,3 hours.

A Li-ion battery is more than 95% charged at the beginning of the absorption period, and reaches 100% charge after approximately 30 minutes absorption charge.

3.6 High internal resistance

When a battery reaches the end of its cycle- or float life, or when it dies prematurely due to sulfation or corrosion, capacity will dramatically drop and internal resistance will increase. The charger will not reject such a battery during the test phase (it could as well be a nearly fully charged battery).

A very short bulk phase when charging a supposedly discharged battery does however indicate that the battery has reached the end of its useful life.

Remark: sulfation can sometimes be partially reversed by repeated application of the RECONDITION MODE.

3.7 Can be used as a power supply

The charger will supply DC loads when no battery is connected.

Technical Specifications

Compliance Statement

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions. (1) This device may not cause harmful interference. (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation."

This device complies with Industry Canada license exempt RSS Standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions. (1) This device may not cause harmful interference. (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes: (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit ac cepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement."

Contain FCC ID: SH6MDBT40

Contain IC ID: 8017A MDBT40

Frequency range: 2402 – 2480 MHz

Transmit power: -3.68dBm

Maintenance

The Blue Smart Charger is maintenance free. When cleaning the charger remove the plug from the power socket. Then use a damp cloth to clean the exterior.

Five year limited warranty

This limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship in this product, and lasts for five years from the date of original purchase of this product. The customer must return the product together with the receipt of purchase to the point of purchase.

This limited warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or malfunction resulting from alteration, modification, improper or unreasonable use or misuse, neglect, exposure to excess moisture, fire, improper packing, lightning, power surges, or other acts of nature.

This limited warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or malfunction resulting from repairs attempted by anyone unauthorized by Victron Energy to make such repairs.

Victron Energy is not liable for any consequential damages arising from the use of this product. The maximum liability of Victron Energy under this limited warranty shall not exceed the actual purchase price of the product.

Distributor Information

Distributor: [Placeholder for Distributor Name/Logo]

Serial number: [Placeholder for Serial Number]

Version: 00

Date: September 18th, 2020

Victron Energy B.V.
De Paal 35 | 1351 JG Almere
PO Box 50016 | 1305 AA Almere | The Netherlands

General phone: +31 (0)36 535 97 00

E-mail: sales@victronenergy.com

www.victronenergy.com