Installation, Continued) – Blue Sea Systems 8588 AC Main + 8 Positions [European] User Manual

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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 hot leg of the
LED from the AC Neutral Bus and connect it to the Load side of the
branch circuit breaker.

Note

This Blue Sea Systems electrical distribution panels is furnished with 15

amp or 8 amp circuit breakers for branch circuits. 15 amp circuit breakers
are used in all 120 volt panels and 8 amp circuit breakers are used in all
230 volt panels. These ratings were selected to minimize the need for
removing the panel’s circuit breakers and reinstalling different size circuit
breakers. It is very rare to have more than this amount of current flowing
in any one circuit. Therefore, these circuit breakers will satisfy the vast
majority of marine circuit protection situations.

The Purpose of a Panel

There are six purposes of a marine electrical panel:

l

Power distribution

l

Circuit (wire) protection

l

Circuit ON/OFF switching

l

Reverse Polarity Indication

l

Metering of voltage and amperage (In panels with meters)

l

Condition Indication (circuit energized)

Applicable Standards

l

American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Standards and

recommended Practices for Small Crafts sections: E-8, Alternating
Current Electrical Systems on Boats.

l

United States Coast Guard Code of Federal Regulations 33, Part

183, Subpart I, Electrical Systems on Boats.

Related Products from Blue Sea Systems

l

High Amperage Fuses and Circuit Breakers for positive feed wires

l

High Amperage Battery Switches

l

Terminal Blocks and Common Bus Connectors

l

AC Distribution Panels

l

DC Distribution Panels

l

AC and DC Digital and Analog Voltmeters and Ammeters

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.

4.

Install feed circuit wires

If the feed wires are from the shore power inlet or the electrical
attachment point of a permanently installed shore power cord and the
inlet or attachment point is more then 10 feet from this panel, an
additional fuse or circuit breaker must be installed within 10 feet of the
shore power inlet. The measurement is made along the conductors.

5.

Installation of Backlight System

6.

Apply circuit labels and mount panel

Remove the blank labels installed in the panel before installing your
branch circuit labels. Apply a label for each of the branch circuits from
the 30 basic labels provided. If the appropriate label is not included,
Individual labels are available from Blue Sea Systems for specific
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.

7.

Testing

]

Connect the vessel's shore power and verify the Reverse Polarity

light is not illuminated. If the red Reverse Polarity light is on then
either the hot and ground or the hot and neutral wires have been
crossed. Starting at the panel, trace the connections back as far as
necessary to locate the error.

]

Using a multimeter where the power source is connected to the

panel verify:

PN 8043 / 3043 / 8470 / 3470 / 8488 / 3488-120 Volt AC
a.

120 volts between hot and neutral
(nominal, this may vary depending on source voltage)

b.

120 volts between hot and ground.

c.

0 volts between neutral and ground.

PN 8143 / 3143 / 8570 / 3570 / 8588 / 3588-230 Volt AC
a.

230 volts between hot and neutral
(nominal, this may vary depending on source voltage)

b.

230 volts between hot and ground.

c.

0 volts between neutral and ground.

]

Turn on each branch circuit to verify power to each circuit.

Install the feed wires from the shore power inlet or other AC source.
Refer to the wire sizing chart to select the correct wire size. Connect
the black AC hot, white AC neutral and green AC safety ground as
shown in the illustration.

The backlight board is a DC device. When installing it in an AC panel
both wire leads must be connected to an appropriate DC source and
ground.

Connect the yellow negative wire to a DC ground. Connect the red
positive wire to any DC positive supply, usually a switch that controls
the vessel’s other nighttime illumination.

Installation

(continued)

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