Light fixtures near a spa inside a gazebo with a door.

[matt1972]

I am a homeowner in Illinois and have a question regarding light fixture placement inside the gazebo. The fixtures are wall mount and on all four sides of the structure and are each less than 5 feet horizontally from the water surface of the tub. The electrician called today and said they didn't think it would work. The village elec inspector is on vacation until Wednesday and this is a major impediment. Earlier, the elec contractor (the owner of the company) had sent me an article from IAEI News July/August 2003 when we were thinking about putting a ceiling fan above the tub that talked about the height we would need. In that article, it describes light fixtures and how close they can be. The articles reads that for an indoor spa or hot tub, luminaires and celing fans located less than 12 feet above the spa and within 5 ft horizonatlly must be GFCI protected. It also states that luminaires and ceiling fans cannot be located within 7.5 feet above the water level of an indoor hottub with the exception of surface mounted or recessed luminaire with a glass or plastice lens or globe, nonmetallic or electrically isolated metal body or trim and suitable for use in damp locations.

Also, above the hot tub are two skylights that are electric powered and although they are recessed into the ceiling, they are less that 7.5 feet at their lowest point from the water level.

How do you tell if an electrical fixture has electrically isolated trim? The fixtures are approved wet location but do have some metal trim.

The elec inspector when he reviewed the plans said that everything was ok and must follow article 680 of NEC.

Any input from you all would be appreciated. I have referenced the electrician who called me to the article his boss sent me so we'll see what his take is on it.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[tom baker]

Re: Light fixtures near a spa inside a gazebo with a door.

The article in IAEI news is taken from Article 680. It would be the requirements for your application.
As far as electrically isolated, I would guess non metallic. You could find out the fixture manufacturer and get a catalog number and call their rep or customer service.