Is this considered a spa?

[badewe23]

A stand alone wooden shack with a heater than heats " stones' has water poured over it by people, generating heat, moisture and wetness. This is considered a sauna, should it be treated like a spa. It has 220 connection, no neutral. Does this have to be GFI protected. I personally think this would be considered a wet location, so i would say yes. Any advise would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[GoldDigger]

A stand alone wooden shack with a heater than heats " stones' has water poured over it by people, generating heat, moisture and wetness. This is considered a sauna, should it be treated like a spa. It has 220 connection, no neutral. Does this have to be GFI protected. I personally think this would be considered a wet location, so i would say yes. Any advise would be helpful. Thank you.

If the entire shack and contents or the heating element with stones are manufactured products, UL-listed, what do the installation instructions have to say?

 

[Ponchik]

I can not picture what it is but what is the benefit of not having a GFCI protection?

 

[iwire]

A stand alone wooden shack with a heater than heats " stones' has water poured over it by people, generating heat, moisture and wetness. This is considered a sauna, should it be treated like a spa. It has 220 connection, no neutral. Does this have to be GFI protected. I personally think this would be considered a wet location, so i would say yes. Any advise would be helpful. Thank you.

It is not even close to a spa.

From the definitions found in 680

Spa or Hot Tub. A hydromassage pool, or tub for recreational or therapeutic use, not located in health care facili-ties, designed for immersion of users, and usually having a filter, heater, and motor-driven blower. It may be installed indoors or outdoors, on the ground or supporting structure, or in the ground or supporting structure. Generally, a spa or hot tub is not designed or intended to have its contents drained or discharged after each use.

As far as a wet location, very likely but that fact does not mean GFCI protection required.

 

[jwelectric]

A stand alone wooden shack with a heater than heats " stones' has water poured over it by people, generating heat, moisture and wetness. This is considered a sauna, should it be treated like a spa. It has 220 connection, no neutral. Does this have to be GFI protected. I personally think this would be considered a wet location, so i would say yes. Any advise would be helpful. Thank you.

It is a sauna and is not mentioned in the NEC.

 

[kwired]

It is not anything covered by art 680.

If you had same construction with a household range and pot of boiling water on top what would you call it?

If I sit in front of my house on a hot July day I have about the same thing, with the bonus of a tanning booth:happyyes:

 

[George Stolz]

If the entire shack and contents or the heating element with stones are manufactured products, UL-listed, what do the installation instructions have to say?

What led you to the conclusion that the "shack" was UL-listed?

 

[sethas]

These are a stand alone sauna unit that is listed:

http://www.costco.com//.product.113..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default

The plug into a standard receptacle. A quick glance through the manual, and nothing about GFCI protection....it was very quick though. It just required a dedicated circuit. Now, is that receptacle located in an area that requires GFCI protection?

 

[kwired]

These are a stand alone sauna unit that is listed:

http://www.costco.com//.product.113..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default

The plug into a standard receptacle. A quick glance through the manual, and nothing about GFCI protection....it was very quick though. It just required a dedicated circuit. Now, is that receptacle located in an area that requires GFCI protection?

If you install that outdoors, in an unfinished basement, bathroom, or dwelling garage then GFCI protection is required for the 15 or 20 amp 125 volt receptacle no matter what is plugged into it. Outside of those areas where is any risk of electric shock going to come from that is above any risk in areas that do not require GFCI protection. The thing is made of non conductive material and electrically is not much different than a typical living room or bedroom when considering the risk of electric shock. So we bring a little water into it and boil it, so what. You can do same thing with a steam vaporizer in your bedroom. There are no grounded surfaces around you to increase risk of shock should you contact an ungrounded conductor for some reason.

 

[sethas]

I didn't say it had to be GFCI protected. I simply asked where the receptacle was to be located. That would be the only thing, besides the manufacturer requiring it, to cause it to be required to have GFCI protection.

 

[kwired]

I simply asked where the receptacle was to be located.

Hopefully close enough the cord reaches it:lol:

I see what you were asking now.

 

[sethas]

Hopefully close enough the cord reaches it:lol:

I see what you were asking now.

Close enough the cord reaches, LOL.

I only know about the one Costco sells as I have installed some circuits for them. It's over 100 in the summer here, just pour some water on the concrete out in the driveway, same stupid thing!

 

[kwired]

Close enough the cord reaches, LOL.

I only know about the one Costco sells as I have installed some circuits for them. It's over 100 in the summer here, just pour some water on the concrete out in the driveway, same stupid thing!

Something tells me that sales go down in summer months.

 

[hurk27]

Around here we have a few companies who custom build them on site, mostly for high end custom homes, most have a suna steem box heater kit heating element with the stones with a water proof heater element that the user poors water over the stones to produce steam, most here are made out of cedar and look very nice, but as for GFCI protection, the ones we done have a line voltage thermostat acessable to the user from inside, so we have always put them on a GFCI, all the ones we did were 240 volts, and we installed wet location lighting or cans with glass trims and a dimmer, these also got GFCI protection, even if the NEC doesnt address it, it was a liability choice for us as wet wood can still conduct and we didn't want to take any chances.

The last ones I done was at a hotel and they had 10 of them off the pool deck.

 

[renosteinke]

I've wondered about this myself.

Arguments in favor of wet location / GFCI include:
1) Water is splashed about right were the electric is;
2) Folks are likely to be barefoot and sweaty; and,
3) GFCI's a pretty much a no-brainer, low-cost, proven safety device.

Arguments against:
1) Sealtite isn't going to like the hot location;
2) The wiring and controls of the unit itself is clearly not 'wet location;
3) Instructions say nothing about GFCI; and,
4) I've never hear of anyone getting hurt in this application. Whatever we've been doing, it obviously works.