Outdoor Spa code interpretation

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sundog

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I have undertaken the installation of a portable spa outdoors on a deck connected to my house.

The disconnect box that I bought has a removable link, not a breaker, then a GFCI, then an additional 15 Amp breaker for an outdoor outlet to be installed <10 ft, and > 20 ft from the tub.

My plan was to attach the dicsonnect box about 8 feet from the hot tub, within code provisions. I am running 6/3 AWG to a box in the attic, and splicing to 6 AWG THWN wire inside EMT from the attic to the disconnect.
From the disconnect I ran 1/2 in EMT to the required outdoor outlet, all connected to the house, and under the deck, not contacting the ground. Then, ran 3/4 in EMT to the spa, again attached to the house, and then through the beams of the deck, not toughing ground.

Questions are,

1) Is the NM cable from service to the disconnect allowable, as I can't tell from the discussions whether the circuit is a feeder or branch.

2) Is the splice in the box in the attic OK?

3) Is EMT allowable for outdoor use with compression connectors if attached to the house, or deck without touching the ground.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Bryan
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

1) Romex is allowed within the dwelling to feed a spa.

2) A splice in a juction box in the attic if accessible is OK.

3) EMT is approved for wet locations if the materials are protected from corrosion.

The required 120 volt GFCI protected receptacle outlet should be not less than 5ft or more than 10 feet from the inside wall of the spa.

Some spas require a full size equipment ground from the panel to the tub per instructions...read the instructions.

shortcircuit2
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

Sundog
Help us out a little here with this statement, please:

The disconnect box that I bought has a removable link, not a breaker, then a GFCI, then an additional 15 Amp breaker for an outdoor outlet to be installed <10 ft, and > 20 ft from the tub.
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This panel has a removable ?link?. Would you elaborate on this link a little?
Is this a fuse link of just a pull-out blade?

Is this 15 amp breaker fed with the feeders from another source or from the panel feed?

Do you have an installation manual that came with the tub?
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

The connect is a Connecticut Electric box, web site http://www.connecticut-electric.com/spa.asp. There is a removable blade, feeding into a gfci, then the spa circuit, and the 15 amp circuit are fed off of a contactor.

So, the 220 V hot tub and the 15 amp 110 V circuits are both fed out of the disconnect box, which is fed from the main panel by the 6/3 awg NM and a 50A 220V breaker.

I'll check the installation manual, as it is a second hand tub that was not wired to code at the previous install site.
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

Sundog
After looking at this disconnect panel and reading a couple of code sections I have formed the opinion that this is a ?subpanel? and will need to be supplied with feeders and comply with the provisions of 680.25.

This tub is being installed on the outside of the dwelling unit so it will require a receptacle as required in 680.22:

680.22 (A) (3) Dwelling Unit(s). Where a permanently installed pool is installed at a dwelling unit(s), no fewer than one 125-volt 15- or 20-ampere receptacle on a general-purpose branch circuit shall be located not less than 3.0 m (10 ft) from, and not more than 6.0 m (20 ft) from, the inside wall of the pool. This receptacle shall be located not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in.) above the floor, platform, or grade level serving the pool.
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As outlined in 240.10 this receptacle can not be wired from a supplementary overcurrent protective device.

240.10 Supplementary Overcurrent Protection.
Where supplementary overcurrent protection is used for luminaires (lighting fixtures), appliances, and other equipment or for internal circuits and components of equipment, it shall not be used as a substitute for required branch-circuit overcurrent devices or in place of the required branch-circuit protection. Supplementary overcurrent devices shall not be required to be readily accessible.
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This 15 amp breaker that is factory installed is going to feed a required receptacle so this will now make this disconnect a panel and will fall under the provisions of:

680.25
(A) Wiring Methods. Feeders shall be installed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, liquidtight, flexible nonmetallic conduit, or rigid nonmetallic conduit. Electrical metallic tubing shall be permitted where installed on or within a building, and electrical nonmetallic tubing shall be permitted where installed within a building.

(B) Grounding. An equipment grounding conductor shall be installed with the feeder conductors between the grounding terminal of the pool equipment panelboard and the grounding terminal of the applicable service equipment or source of a separately derived system. For other than (1) existing feeders covered in 680.25(A), Exception, or (2) feeders to separate buildings that do not utilize an insulated equipment grounding conductor in accordance with 680.25(B)(2), this equipment grounding conductor shall be insulated.
(1) Size. This conductor shall be sized in accordance with 250.122 but not smaller than 12 AWG. On separately derived systems, this conductor shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.66 but not smaller than 8 AWG.
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:)

[ June 10, 2005, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: jwelectric ]
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

Bryan,
I am going to have to agree with JW, he nailed it on the head. It is a distribution panel at this point. The feeder will have to have an insulated equipment grounding conductor. Maybe you could just run a new circuit for the receptacle, or even tap of a legal circuit nearby that is inside of the home?
Jim
 
Re: Outdoor Spa code interpretation

Just another thought.

If you install a GFI breaker and enclosure outside near the hot tub, is the wire that feeds the gfi a feeder?

Feeder. All circuit conductors between the service equipment, the source of a separately derived system, or other power supply source and the final branch-circuit overcurrent device.

With that being said, does it matter if the outside receptacle was tapped off the circuit?

Edit "to make my point somewhat lucid"
The 6/3 in this case would be illegal.


Or do I just have "cold beer on the brain"
87 degrees,,,hazy,hot,humid!

[ June 10, 2005, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: volt101 ]
 
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