Residential Sauna - heater GFCI protected

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Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
Hello ,
I was wondering if there is code requirement to have a residential Sauna heater protected by GFCI. I cannot seem to find it in either NEC or the manufacturer.
2017 NEC or 2019 CEC California.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
The reason I ask is plan check is requiring it and I never hear of such a requirement.
 

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
If it's not required under any equipment specific code and it is not in a location (210.8(A) or(B)) that it is required then NEC is not requiring it.
I'm assuming the sauna you are referring to is a manufactured self contained steam room, the only ones I've had contact with had internally provided GFCI but not sure which components were being protected or if the heating element was also protected. One was a cord/plug connection and slightly more portable the other required direct wire perminant installation.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
I have never seen any 240v Sauna heater that is internally GFCI protected nor have I seen any that the instructions call for GFCI protection
.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Saunas don't require gfci unless the manufacturer is requiring it however it depends on what code cycle you are under as it may be required under 210.8
 

mikeames

Senior Member
Location
Germantown MD
Occupation
Teacher - Master Electrician - 2017 NEC
So the NEC requires GFCI on a dryer that DRYS clothes where its likely used in a normal environment with a fully clothed and dry person, BUT...... If you sit naked sweaty wet in a sauna next to a metal appliance with the same voltage and power as a DRYER..... that's OK, no GFCI needed there. They leave that up to the manufacture. Although would it might be considered to be under (indoor damp or wet locations) 210.8(A)(11)

I am not advocating it I am just venting.
 

retirede

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
So the NEC requires GFCI on a dryer that DRYS clothes where its likely used in a normal environment with a fully clothed and dry person, BUT...... If you sit naked sweaty wet in a sauna next to a metal appliance with the same voltage and power as a DRYER..... that's OK, no GFCI needed there. They leave that up to the manufacture. Although would it might be considered to be under (indoor damp or wet locations) 210.8(A)(11)

I am not advocating it I am just venting.

A regular sauna would not be damp or wet. The only moisture would come from the user’s perspiration.
A steam sauna, on the other hand, I think would be.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
A regular sauna would not be damp or wet. The only moisture would come from the user’s perspiration.
A steam sauna, on the other hand, I think would be.
I still think that would be a listing or manufacture thing as I don't see anything in the code.
 

tortuga

Code Historian
Location
Oregon
Occupation
Electrical Design
I always opt to put a sauna on a GFCI, but as Dennis said there is nothing other than 210.8 that would require it.
I have had a problem with one a few years back it was a 120V Sauna on a GFCI,
since I have installed quite a few on 240V GFCI breakers with no issues
I called the mfr and researched the problem
This was due to capacitive coupling of the heater elements
turns out UL 875 section 43.2, it allows a leakage of .75ma on sauna EGC.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
I always opt to put a sauna on a GFCI, but as Dennis said there is nothing other than 210.8 that would require it.
I have had a problem with one a few years back it was a 120V Sauna on a GFCI,
since I have installed quite a few on 240V GFCI breakers with no issues
I called the mfr and researched the problem
This was due to capacitive coupling of the heater elements
turns out UL 875 section 43.2, it allows a leakage of .75ma on sauna EGC.
You mean 7.5? GFCI trip is around 5 ma.

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tortuga

Code Historian
Location
Oregon
Occupation
Electrical Design
You mean 7.5? GFCI trip is around 5 ma.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
The UL spec is .75 not 7.5.
that one particular sauna was one of those 'assemble it yourself sauna kits' they sell on amazon.
I might have a thread about it on here, it has several 'heating panels' that all plugged into a controller as part of the kit.
The manufacturer claimed that each heating panel could be considered separately per UL, combined they would trip a GFCI.
If I unplugged any one heating panel the GFCI would hold.
Upon re-reading the UL standard my opinion is the test should be done from the cord cap for the entire unit.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
If thee were not a common 120V controller, splitting the heating panels between L1 and L2 would allow most of the leakge current to cancel.
This is also a situation in which 240V heating panels on a 120-0-120 supply would not cause a problem (the NET leakage per panel would be much smaller.)
 
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