New Hot tub

[Oft]

Hey everyone. I am an inside wireman in Ca. My parents just purchased a hot tub for their new house and there is 2 hots and a Neut at the box where there was a hot tub previously. I tried to pull a ground wire in the conduit under the slab but it wouldn't budge. I'm thinking over the years a pipe may have been damaged. I used a meter and have the proper voltage but no ground. Could I just drive a ground rod and bond it to the GFCI breaker box? Or do I need to install new conduit? Any info from previous experience appreciated.

 

[GoldDigger]

Is the conduit metal, in which case it may, if not damaged or corroded, be usable as an EGC?

Do not under any circumstances try to substitute a local ground rod for an EGC connection back to the panel. It will not allow the breaker to open under fault current and has the possibility of electrocuting somebody in that case.
The grounding and bonding requirements in the NEC for hot tubs are very specific and for good reason.
One loosening of the requirements is in the case of a free standing cord connected tub assembly. And even for that you need an EGC.

 

[augie47]

Is the hot tub going to be located indoors or outdoors ?
The two locations are addressed quite differently by the NEC.
Is a neutral necessary for the hot tub operation or it it straight 240 ?

 

[Oft]

The hot tub is outdoors. However, upon further inspection of the previous electrician's work, the emt used as a stub up coupled to PVC conduit had been corroded and came apart. I will be replacing the entire conduit run. Thanks for the replies.

 

[kwired]

Could I just drive a ground rod and bond it to the GFCI breaker box? Or do I need to install new conduit? Any info from previous experience appreciated.

I'm sorry to have to say it but if you don't mind people being electrocuted go for it

If you don't understand why maybe you should leave it to someone that does.


A ground rod is never a substitute for an equipment grounding conductor, even a "low resistance" rod is still high enough resistance it will not draw enough current if a 120 volt conductor is shorted to it to blow even a 5 amp fuse in most cases.