125A Hot Tub GFCI protection

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Bighorns53

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Helena, MT
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Electrical Journeyman
I am wiring a large custom home in Montana and our spa specifications came in at a whopping 125A 240v feed for a main control panel mounted to the hot tub. Does anybody how one would GFCI protect this? Likely the designers will not go for a large 200A 3R fused disconnect sitting on the side of the house so I am proposing a shunt trip style breaker enclosure in the mechanical room with an emergency stop mounted outside… My problem however is how to GFCI protect this spa?

The feed for the spa is called out from a 400A Single phase 240 Eaton bolt on style panel. BOB breakers not the expensive molded case style.

Has anyone seen a BOB GFCI 125A breaker? I cant find one from cutler hammer/eaton. If it is out there, would a shunt trip breaker downstream interfere with it? I haven't done a shunt trip for awhile now but I recall 120V with a neutral being used. Would a 125A 240V contactor make more sense than a shunt trip for this scenario?

Any recommendations on how I can GFCI protect this large load and avoid putting a chunky disconnect outside? I already know the designers are going to lose their mind over one, if it was my place id be shooting for a small E-stop too.

Thanks
 
I was under the assumption all swimmming/spa equipment/pumps was to be GFCI protected. Maybe i need to visit 680 again…
 
These systems usually come with a pool panel that's listed for a few different brands of breaker. Then the actual circuits are gfi breakers. That is what every pool I've wired had. Even multicircuit hot tubs have been this way.
 
This spa is a custom made deal, its sitting flush in a large underground concrete poured access room with pan decking above and all the spa equipment is to be mounted on the frame.

Originally it had remote equipment in the mech room but now everything is on board, but still accessible for service from this underground room per say. I was told this “Rheem” unit has a 125A main lug. These guys are impossible to get ahold of ive been fighting for some submitta documents. I will upload a picture of what I was sent for a similar product.

Letgomywago:
Are you saying this 125A control panel on the spa frame is likely to have its own GFCI breakers on board?

Thanks all
 
Bighorns53 said:
This spa is a custom made deal, its sitting flush in a large underground concrete poured access room with pan decking above and all the spa equipment is to be mounted on the frame.

Originally it had remote equipment in the mech room but now everything is on board, but still accessible for service from this underground room per say. I was told this “Rheem” unit has a 125A main lug. These guys are impossible to get ahold of ive been fighting for some submitta documents. I will upload a picture of what I was sent for a similar product.

Letgomywago:
Are you saying this 125A control panel on the spa frame is likely to have its own GFCI breakers on board?

Thanks all
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Not Letgo, but that is what I would think.
 
So I'll say this i did a "container pool" last year and it came with standard breakers in it and i had to supply the gfi ones where needed. Basically all that wasn't gfied at the end was the 1 20 amp that ran the computer inside the control panel and was hardwired.
 
I think you'll need to supply multiple circuits to this. If it's like normal insta hots you'll need 2 or 3 30 to 60 amp for the heat and then one more for the controls, pump, and lights. All this would need to be from a 3r panel for the hot tub within sight.
 
letgomywago said:
I think you'll need to supply multiple circuits to this. If it's like normal insta hots you'll need 2 or 3 30 to 60 amp for the heat and then one more for the controls, pump, and lights. All this would need to be from a 3r panel for the hot tub within
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Hmmm. And a soaking wet swimmer would have to shut off all the breakers for an “emergency”. My NEC is on-site but someone chime in. Isnt this disconnect required for emergency not service? And all those circuits would need to be shut off simultaneously?

I really appreciate the help sense the manufacturer in my case doesnt seem to have any electrical knowledge. Last year I ran into my first hot tub that required multiple branch circuits, like a 30a 2p and 2 20a 120. It was new to me, cant remember what i ended up doing. I believe its actually common and some company made a tiny GFCI sub panel for that scenario.
 
I would wait and see if the individual circuits are GFCI. Is this is for a SF Dwelling, and emergency disconnect is not required.
 
Yes its a single family dwelling, my apologies. Haven't done a home in awhile nor do I have code book in front of me. Trying to google stuff.

“Lockable style breaker” vs “within sight” (5-50’wouldn't imagine this would work with hot tubs.

Think they may be stuck with something substantial in size on the side of the home whether they like it or not.
 
Bighorns53 said:
Yes its a single family dwelling, my apologies. Haven't done a home in awhile nor do I have code book in front of me. Trying to google stuff.

“Lockable style breaker” vs “within sight” (5-50’wouldn't imagine this would work with hot tubs.

Think they may be stuck with something substantial in size on the side of the home whether they like it or not.
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Go to for the dual circuit hot tubs is a qo 6-12 space 3r with a lockable cover. If listed I would plan on using one of those. If pricing plan on supplying all the gfi breakers.
 
Bighorns53 said:
Yes its a single family dwelling, my apologies. Haven't done a home in awhile nor do I have code book in front of me. Trying to google stuff.

“Lockable style breaker” vs “within sight” (5-50’wouldn't imagine this would work with hot tubs.

Think they may be stuck with something substantial in size on the side of the home whether they like it or not.
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This is all from recollection here, but a packaged spa needs a disconnect within sight regardless where it is located.

Other spas need disconnecting means at/near equipment but that equipment is often not at/near/within sight of the spa so some means to kill circulating pumps is still required for emergency situations. This kill switch is not a servicing disconnect by any means.

Water inlets over the years have been designed so that the risk of someone getting stuck on a suction fitting is lesser than it used to be but the emergency stop switch has still remained in NEC but is not required in single family dwellings.
 
GFCI is not required per 680.44(B).

A disconnect within sight is required by 680.13.

BAB2125S is the shunt-trip breaker that can be used w/ an e-stop.

I would be less concerned with what a designer thinks and more concerned with what is safe. I regularly work on high-end custom homes with notable owners, as well as many commercial pool/spa applications; no one has a problem when you explain injuries that can be sustained within a spa and why an immediate and recognizable means of turning it off are necessary.
 
brantmacga said:
GFCI is not required per 680.44(B).

A disconnect within sight is required by 680.13.

BAB2125S is the shunt-trip breaker that can be used w/ an e-stop.

I would be less concerned with what a designer thinks and more concerned with what is safe. I regularly work on high-end custom homes with notable owners, as well as many commercial pool/spa applications; no one has a problem when you explain injuries that can be sustained within a spa and why an immediate and recognizable means of turning it off are necessary.
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The issue I see with the way its built currently is it looks like there will be multiple circuits to all the equipment inside. It looks like the control box will need a circuit and then the 2 to the insta hot. All those would be under 50amps. The only cable I see going to the insta hot at the moment looks like it's a small 14 awg sow cable no where near the size to run that heater.
 
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