jeff43222
Senior Member
- Location
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
I got called out to a job today involving connecting a new hot tub (self-contained) that was recently delivered to replace the old one. The owner told me that the new one is the same model as the old one.
I don't generally do hot tubs, so I'm not terribly familiar with the relevant code sections, but I have been doing a lot of reading. My impression is that a disconnect switch is required to be within sight of the unit, and a general-use receptacle must be installed between 10' and 20' of the inside wall of the tub.
Where things get interesting is that the existing outlet that was feeding the old tub is nothing more than a rectangular device box connected to the end of about 18" RNC sticking up from the concrete pad the spa is sitting on. Inside the box I found two red wires, two blue wires, a white wire, and a black wire. One red and one blue were hot. The only wire whose gauge I could read accurately was the white one, and it was #12. The whole circuit is protected by a 50A two-pole QO at the main panel.
I found the owner's manual online, and it said that the spa had to be fed with four #6 wires, protected with a 50A breaker, but not at the main panel. This part makes sense to me. I have no idea why there were more wires in the outlet box. The RNC sticking up from the ground was not all that large, and I suspect that pulling four new #6 wires through it might be not be too easy, and it might also violate conduit-fill rules.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to tell the homeowner that the existing wiring is not code-compliant and will require a complete rewire job.
I just wanted to double-check with you all that I'm not missing something obvious here.
I don't generally do hot tubs, so I'm not terribly familiar with the relevant code sections, but I have been doing a lot of reading. My impression is that a disconnect switch is required to be within sight of the unit, and a general-use receptacle must be installed between 10' and 20' of the inside wall of the tub.
Where things get interesting is that the existing outlet that was feeding the old tub is nothing more than a rectangular device box connected to the end of about 18" RNC sticking up from the concrete pad the spa is sitting on. Inside the box I found two red wires, two blue wires, a white wire, and a black wire. One red and one blue were hot. The only wire whose gauge I could read accurately was the white one, and it was #12. The whole circuit is protected by a 50A two-pole QO at the main panel.
I found the owner's manual online, and it said that the spa had to be fed with four #6 wires, protected with a 50A breaker, but not at the main panel. This part makes sense to me. I have no idea why there were more wires in the outlet box. The RNC sticking up from the ground was not all that large, and I suspect that pulling four new #6 wires through it might be not be too easy, and it might also violate conduit-fill rules.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to tell the homeowner that the existing wiring is not code-compliant and will require a complete rewire job.
I just wanted to double-check with you all that I'm not missing something obvious here.
What size conduit is in the slab and does it go straight back to the panel ?Could there be a junction where a switch loop is going inside the home (just grabbing at straws)
