hot tub

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Charlie Bob

Senior Member
Location
West Tennessee
Customer wants a hot tub installed.
Manufactor calls for #8 thhn wire for ungrounded conductors, grounded conductor and EGC, a dedicated 50 amp circuit ( Hot tub name plate 230 v 40 amp)
The customer wants it in a garage, there's a few issues with the spot:
- right above it there's a garage door opener pluged into a recp.
-Above and 2 feet to the left there's a 2 bulb fluorescent light fixture.
-Above hot tub there's the rails for garage door

After talking inspector he told me that he doesn't require the concrete pad in the garage to be bonded but he will require the rails bonded.
As for the garage door opener recep., he tells me to take recep. out and put a blank cover on it.

Ok here's my questions:
1- Do you all agree on the garage door rails having to be bonded?
i would think they are not likely to get energized, and so be left out of the requierement.
2- Would that blank be enough?
3- I was thinking about removing fluorescent fixture and be done with it.
or install an adequate fixt. if customer desires.
4- since i need #8 EGC from the panel to subpanel, does #6 w/ground have a #10 or #8 EGC. ( I'll be using NM from panel to subpanel)

Thanks.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
It's "hairy" isn't it ? A lot of 5 ft rules, but they mostly speak of from the walls..guess that means in any direction, so:
1.Are the rails within 5 ft of the walls? If so, bond per 680.43(D)(4)
2.Is there a garage door opener ? If not, I'd say blanking the receptacle would be fine. I'd prefer a plastic cover.
3.Replacing the fixture with one specified in 680.43(B)(1) should work IF it's GFCI protected.
4. NM will not meet mfgs specs due to ground size.
 

Charlie Bob

Senior Member
Location
West Tennessee
Thanks augie47,
Yes there's a garage door opener, but if i blank the receptacle then the garage door opener could hang from up there right?
Since the NM would not meet msnufacture spec. i'm stuck with conduit from panel to subpanel?
The rails are about 5 feet from highest water level right above hot tub and about 2 feet from wall of hot tub.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
based on what the Code says about "highest water level" I'd say that was all height so 5 ft of the wall would need bonding.
I hope you get more input, because I'm shooting from the hip here.
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
so what's the plan for providing power to the garage door opener?

He can use one of these power devices.
67959.JPG
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
If you install NM cable anywhere in this run then you will not have a EGC that is #8 nor would the NM cable be rated 50 amps. You have now limited the circuit to a 40 amp cir. with the introduction of nm.
 

Charlie Bob

Senior Member
Location
West Tennessee
Dennis i'm at a dead end here.
Inspector told me to use 6/3 with ground to subpanel.I know i won't get my #8 EGC, but if i run conduit from panel box to subpanel i would have to break wall above panel to hook it up to panel box.So what would you all do here?
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
To heck with what the inspector says. If you stray from the literature, you bear the consequences alone if anything goes wrong with anything. Open the drywall if you have to, abide by the minimum standards of the NEC.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Dennis i'm at a dead end here.
Inspector told me to use 6/3 with ground to subpanel.I know i won't get my #8 EGC, but if i run conduit from panel box to subpanel i would have to break wall above panel to hook it up to panel box.So what would you all do here?
I would install it the way the tub manufacturer states even though I think it is BS that they put in those requirements. Pipe seems to be the only way to go.

As George stated NM is rated 60c not 75C. you will find this in art. 334.80
 
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