Blue smart 12V/30 amp charger is getting very hot I'm afraid it will burn I use it to charge my 400 amp lifepo4 battery.Is it normal for it to get this hot, is my device broken on the way?
asked
Blue smart charger is heating much
Hi @uguraladag
They can get hot in continuous service, but will derate their output if it gets excessive. This wouldn't normally happen if mounted as designed and there's sufficient ventilation.
How hot is it? If you can still touch it and it's producing full output, then nothing to worry about.
I have 2 of the 12/15 bluetooth chargers but only charging a 40A/h and a 60A/h respectively. They both remain cold when charging but that is because of the small capacity batteries. Any charger will get hotter the higher the current being supplied to the battery. Yours is probably running at its limit which in electronic terms is not ideal. Electronic components although designed to be able to run at high temperatures will ultimately fail quicker when running at highest end of thermal limits. I could have gone with smaller chargers but I prefer to build in a huge safety margin. My personal suggestion would be a bigger charger say 50A if possible.
Victron also has the IP65 and IP67 rated battery chargers, both doing up to 25A of charge current, and both without any fan.
I've got the IP67 17A model, charging a big LiFePO4 battery at 17A continuous, and it doesn't get hot. The heat sink model enclose probably does it's job well...
I don't understand why Victron made a IP22, IP65, and IP67 charger, all with more or less the same charging specs. I would say: make one IP67 charger, covering them all, and also preventing issues with fan noise.
The IP22 comes in a 30A model plus models of one output or three outputs. The 65 version is only 25A And it’s a bit cheaper. And will mount better in my case due to its longer slender size.
If I put an egg on it, it will cook.I guess it should be a thermal protection. I mounted it on a Formica panel, there is no mistake in the assembly. But the fact that it gets hot at this level is still frightening.
Is the fan in the charger running when it gets this hot?
Indeed, the Blue Smart 12/30 charger is a IP22 rated model with internal cooling fan. This fan should be running at higher temperatures. You can change the fan settings in the app, like a "Night Mode" which causes the charger to charge at 50% current, preventing the fan to run. Maybe check the settings first, if the you can't hear the fan running.
I have attached a snip of an email to Victron sales. I did not want a fan permanently running (like computer fans which are mostly the first items to play up) and was hoping to be able to turn it off. I know that I could half its capacity (and fan off) by putting the charger in night mode but as email replied 'Yes' I purchased the 12/15 (no fan) charger instead. Maybe my email was misunderstood or not clear but I understood that the fan ran continuously. Does the fan actually only kick in under load?
The fan only kicks in under load. The 12/15 will run the fan, if required at 15A. At 7A or Night Mode (also 7A), the fan won’t run. What are your ambient temps?
My Blue Smart IP65 Charger (12V 15A) is getting very hot also. I returned my first one because I discovered that the bottom case was warped, the stickers had bubbled and curled back. I'm using the new one now and even though there's a fan blowing at it, I measured the hot spot at 72℃ which seems quite high for plastic. It's not deforming but it looks like the big sticker is starting to bubble.
