- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
I handed myself a "headache" the other day! I was installing the electrical for a hot tub. The Spa store manager told me the tub didn't require a neutral. I've installed several that didn't require neutrals but I always pull the neutral anyway in case they get a different tub in the future that does require one.
This was a particularly difficult install as the house was on a hill by the lake. Part of it I could reach from the ground and other parts were 16' up. Hard to set up a ladder because of the incline. Also had to add a junction box and a disconnect in addition to the spa disconnect w/ 2-pole GFCI breaker. So I decided to just pull the neutral into the 1st disconnect and into the junction box but not splice them through.
When I was finished it was late and approaching dark. I was showing the lady how to test/reset the GFCI. Well, the GFCI wouldn't trip with the test button. I took the cover off and made sure the "pigtail" was on the neutral bar, and it was. I thought I just got a bad breaker so I told her I would get another breaker and come back later.
Now this place was almost an hours drive each way so I dreaded making a 2nd trip.
When I got home I was thinking about this being the 1st bad GFCI breaker that I had gotten brand new. Then that little "light bulb" went off in my head.
Yep, I landed the "pigtail" on the neutral bar ok, just didn't splice through the feeder neutral in the disconnect and JB.:slaphead:
Moral of the story: If anyone is unsure if the neutral from the GFCI breaker needs to be connected to the neutral bar even though there is no neutral load.
IT DOES!!!
Funny/Bad thing is I knew that to start with. Not thinking but just trying to save time on install, cost me a 2nd trip (and playing ladder balancing again)!:rant:
This was a particularly difficult install as the house was on a hill by the lake. Part of it I could reach from the ground and other parts were 16' up. Hard to set up a ladder because of the incline. Also had to add a junction box and a disconnect in addition to the spa disconnect w/ 2-pole GFCI breaker. So I decided to just pull the neutral into the 1st disconnect and into the junction box but not splice them through.
When I was finished it was late and approaching dark. I was showing the lady how to test/reset the GFCI. Well, the GFCI wouldn't trip with the test button. I took the cover off and made sure the "pigtail" was on the neutral bar, and it was. I thought I just got a bad breaker so I told her I would get another breaker and come back later.
Now this place was almost an hours drive each way so I dreaded making a 2nd trip.
When I got home I was thinking about this being the 1st bad GFCI breaker that I had gotten brand new. Then that little "light bulb" went off in my head.
Yep, I landed the "pigtail" on the neutral bar ok, just didn't splice through the feeder neutral in the disconnect and JB.:slaphead:
Moral of the story: If anyone is unsure if the neutral from the GFCI breaker needs to be connected to the neutral bar even though there is no neutral load.
IT DOES!!!
Funny/Bad thing is I knew that to start with. Not thinking but just trying to save time on install, cost me a 2nd trip (and playing ladder balancing again)!:rant: