New Hot Tub Electrical Install

[Taylor1584]

The electricians are coming in 2 days to run wire from a dedicated circuit to the new hot tub. I am also installing a Salton Mini SWG. Since this is all new wiring run through the attic to the other side of the house I am thinking of what other electrical I need. Per the dealer's suggestion wire is being run into the hot tub instead of plugging in, also a dedicated kill switch. I was to the instal of the SWG nice and clean. I don't know what to suggest to the electricians I just don't want extension cords etc.There is currently 1 outside outlet nearby. Other landscape lighting, low voltage, is in the yard, and on separate lines.

So how to make it all neat and tidy without wires everywhere. Any suggestions. So excited I have never had a hot tub before.

Christine

 

[RDspaguy]

Neat and tidy takes a back seat to safe and up to code.
I would suggest a sepatate dedicated 20 amp gfci protected circuit for your salt cell and future needs. Many disconnect boxes have additional breaker space, so if the main circuit to the disconnect is upgraded you can use it as a sub-panel and run additional circuits from there.

 

[Taylor1584]

Neat and tidy takes a back seat to safe and up to code.
I would suggest a sepatate dedicated 20 amp gfci protected circuit for your salt cell and future needs. Many disconnect boxes have additional breaker space, so if the main circuit to the disconnect is upgraded you can use it as a sub-panel and run additional circuits from there.

So electricians are running 60 amp from the house panels that are in attic at the other end of the house. So for the 20 amp gfci protected circuit does that go on the main panel and more wire is run to the location. I really do not want to have an extension cord for the salt cell. The electricians are coming tomorrow and salt cell is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, so I have not seen the SWG or the instructions. Hanging a dedicated circuit for the cell makes sense to me. I will call them first thing in the morning so they have a heads up.

Per the hot tub dealer, I shared this with the electricians already.
"Gfci breaker by the hot tub for emergency shut off. Insight of tub but no closer than 5 feet
2014 N elec code for wiring for Ht and spa 680.22 code number."

 

[RDspaguy]

No less than 5ft, no more than 25ft, in a direct line of sight from the hot tub. And this can be a subpanel containing your spa gfci breaker and additional circuits. If your spa needs 50 amps and they are pulling #6 wire use a 60 amp main, and 50 amp gfci plus 20 amp 120v gfci for dedicated circuit.
I think those cells come with a cord and would not recommend hard-wiring an over-the-side type cell.

 

[Taylor1584]

No less than 5ft, no more than 25ft, in a direct line of sight from the hot tub. And this can be a subpanel containing your spa gfci breaker and additional circuits. If your spa needs 50 amps and they are pulling #6 wire use a 60 amp main, and 50 amp gfci plus 20 amp 120v gfci for dedicated circuit.
I think those cells come with a cord and would not recommend hard-wiring an over-the-side type cell.

thank you for the clarification. The bullfrog does require 50 amp, but I read here to go with 60 amps main for the tub, so that is what I have spec'd. I am not quite following the rest. So I need another 50 amp gfci, is that at the panel or outside, and a 20 amps 120 v gfci for the dedicated circuit, is that for the Salton Mini. I wasn't going to have the over-the-side SWG hare-wired, but would like it not like a bunch of wires over the landscape. I want it safe and right and neat and appreciate your advice, I know nothing about electricity as you can probably tell.

 

[RDspaguy]

Use a standard, non-gfci breaker in the main panel. Your gfci breakers go in the disconnect /sub-panel. This is to code, and allows a plug to be close to the spa (as it is on a gfci breaker).
The breaker in the disconnect should not exceed the amp rating on the spa.

 

[Taylor1584]

Use a standard, non-gfci breaker in the main panel. Your gfci breakers go in the disconnect /sub-panel. This is to code, and allows a plug to be close to the spa (as it is on a gfci breaker).
The breaker in the disconnect should not exceed the amp rating on the spa.

Got it thanks for the advice. I want it to be safe for sure.

 

[phonedave]

thank you for the clarification. The bullfrog does require 50 amp, but I read here to go with 60 amps main for the tub, so that is what I have spec'd. I am not quite following the rest. So I need another 50 amp gfci, is that at the panel or outside, and a 20 amps 120 v gfci for the dedicated circuit, is that for the Salton Mini. I wasn't going to have the over-the-side SWG hare-wired, but would like it not like a bunch of wires over the landscape. I want it safe and right and neat and appreciate your advice, I know nothing about electricity as you can probably tell.

You need two things for your hot tub.

1) Power for the tub itself - as you said 60 amp, on a dedicated circuit, with a disconnect that is visible from the tub, and at least 5 feet away. The theory here being that you don't want somebody who is IN the tub to be able to touch the disconnect. However somebody who is working on the tub who has disconnected the power can see the disconnect and stop somebody from accidently reenergizing the circuit.

2) A standard 120V receptacle for the SWG. A 120V receptacle must be at least 6ft from the tub if GFCI protected (and 10 ft if not, but since this is an outdoor location, it is going to be GFCI anyway).

As far as GFCI breakers are concerned, you only need one on the circuit. Oddly enough, it is cheaper to buy the exterior breaker box with the GFCI included, than it is to buy just a new GFCI breaker for your main panel (so use the one in the disconnect box)

I would not hard wire the SWCG. As per code, the receptacle for it needs to be at least 6' away from the tub, so figure out how you want that cord to run, and where you want to place the receptacle.

 

[RDspaguy]

However somebody who is working on the tub who has disconnected the power can see the disconnect and stop somebody from accidently reenergizing the circuit.

The disconnect requirement is a fire/safety code, and is there so emergency services can easily find and disconnect power in the event of an incident. This is also the reason for the 5ft minimum, so in the event of a fire, for example, it can be turned off without danger.

120V receptacle must be at least 6ft from the tub if GFCI protected (and 10 ft if not,

There is no minimum distance from water for a gfci receptacle. In fact, that's one of the things they were made for. Non-gfci receptacles must be 6ft from any water source.