Bill H. and Others,
Am wiring up a spa located in the corner of an 18′ x 16′ sun porch. How far away from the unit does the disconnect/50A subpanel (sorry, not sure of the proper terminology here) need to be?
Am eager to here anything else about this type of install that ya’ll think might be helpful.
Am good parts-changer, not electrician.
Thanks
Live in the solution, not the problem.
Replies
I recall within 6'.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Spas and pools have a bunch of specialized requiremenst and I have not had need to study this so I am not up on this. So take what I have with a grain of salt.
http://selfhelpandmore.com/homewiringusa/2002/accessory/hottub/index.htm
"How far away from the unit does the disconnect/50A subpanel (sorry, not sure of the proper terminology here) need to be"
AFAIK a disconnect could be used. Just a switch or even a pull out disconnect like is used on AC's.
But they are require a GFCI and some need have separate 30 and 20 amp circuits so it is common to use a sub-panel with GFCI breakers.
The disconnect has to be accessable and in sight fo the spa, but no closer than 5 ft. Also you aren't suppose to have a receptacle or switch with 5ft of the water.
And the after the wire gets outside of the building it has to have a seperate insulated ground wire. IE, not just metalic conduit and no cables.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I picked up a Square D "pool and spa kit". Basically just a disconnect like you'd have on a heat pump, but with a 50A GFCI breaker inside.
Planning to run 8/3 inside 3/4 water-tite flex through the crawlspace from the panel to the under side of porch. Come up into panel (6 feet away), make connection, then back thru floor and up again at spa motor. Sound OK?
2 other concerns. I DO have outlets located within 5', but are GFCI protected. OK?
And the after the wire gets outside of the building it has to have a seperate insulated ground wire.
Not really clear on this "equipment ground".
ThanksLive in the solution, not the problem.
"I DO have outlets located within 5', but are GFCI protected. OK?"No, they need to be removed."8/3 inside 3/4 water-tite flex through the crawlspace from the panel to the under side of porch. Come up into panel (6 feet away), make connection, then back thru floor and up again at spa motor. Sound OK?"Here is the parts that are trickly and I am not sure about this. Some of it I have not seen in the code, but have read multiple places.8/3 implies a cable. And most cables, at least NM, does not have an insulated ground wire. It has a bare ground wire.Also #8 NM is not rated for 50 amps. But if you use THHN wire in conduit and the terminals on the connections are rated at 75* C (which most are) then the #8 can is rated for 50 amps."And the after the wire gets outside of the building it has to have a seperate insulated ground wire."What I was getting at was a separate wire that is used for the ground and not part of cable or the EMT.Now I have seen parts of the code that are slightly different about if the wire needs to be insulated or not. It might be from different versions of the code or might be for differencet between in ground pools, able ground pools, storage pools, spas, and therapy tubs. They all have common and separate requires.As I said it is a very trickly area and I have not tried to go through all of the details..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks for the info Bill,
Will be returning the 125' roll of 8/3 (yes it's nm cable w/ bare ground), and using 4 #8's. B,W,R, and G, right?
Expecting to find a chassis lug near the motor that will need a seperate wire. Never seen that installed as anything other than #6 or #8 bare CU.
Will be very glad when my elec. classes start in the Spring!!!!!!!!
Thanks againLive in the solution, not the problem.
Bill's right, usually a 50a hot-tub circuit is required by the manufacturor to be #6 copper, not #8. Especially when the run is over 50 feet. The installation manual will tell you.
For outdoor installation, you need at least one receptacle outlet, minimum 10' and maximum 20' from the inside edge of the tub. Any othere receptacle outlets must be minimum 10' from water. And all GFI protected of course.
Disconnect must be minimum 5' away from water or behind a permanant barrier, and visiblefrom tub equipment area.
Lights are an issue too, in terms of distance from the water line and GFI protection.
Ed
Disconnect must be minimum 5' away from water or behind a permanant barrier, and visiblefrom tub equipment area.
In other words, a transparent wall?
Just messing with you Ed. Thanks for the post. I ran #6 NM cable to the disconnect; all indoors (crawlspace), 80 ft. +/-.
Still not clear about the bare ground from the chassis of the unit. Haven't opened the sides up yet.
Lights are an issue too, in terms of distance from the water line and GFI protection
10' ceilings shouldn't be a problem should they?Live in the solution, not the problem.
Idid a hot tub install this spring, and the advice I got and followed was to use #6 THHN. I ran this through 3/4 rigid conduit to a square D 50 amp disconnect, then more conduit leading to the spa control. It works great, the only thing I would do differently is use 1" conduit. Getting 4 # wires through 3/4 was not fun, but I am happy knowing that I don't have to worry about the wiring.