Creating a home for my Hot Tub

   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub
  • Thread Starter
#11  
El,

I agree with you about not wanting to hoof it too far to get to the hot tub. Especially the trip back when I'm all warmed up and the evening has cooled off!!! Nothing to do about it besides dress for it, but part of the plan will include a paver walkway to it from our porch.

VA,

Did you say that my tractor is too big? THANKS!!!! hahahaha

Mark,

The electrical setup didn't leave too many options. I did consider upgrading some of the components to 220 to get more power and heating ablity, but it got kind of complicated. Double the lines to the hot tub was the simple, each solution.

I've never put in GFCI circuts in a sub panel. I'll look into them and see what's involved. Thanks.

Don,

While testing it out, the kids had a blast sitting in it with cold water right from the hose. It became the "indoor" pool for them. hahaha

Steph won't swim in the ponds, so she's already claimed the hot tub for her to be able to get into some cool water on a hot day. I'm not sure how it will work out, but it's gotta be cheaper then running the heater all summer long.

There will also be a ceiling fan above the hot tub. We've sort of decided on an outdoor model from Home Depot that comes with a light kit. I'm gonna through the light kit away and just install the fan.

I'm putting in four bucket (recessed) lights into the ceiling for lighting. Might even put a dimmer switch on them to set the mood!!!!

Egon,

Thanks for the offer. I was really hoping to come across a free hot tub while I was looking for one. I did see a few, but none were worth salvaging. Sure wish you were close enough to take advantage of your offer!!! Thanks.

Robert,

I like the idea of the hot tub being parialy sunken into your deck. That would be ideal!!!!! I've done some tests with both lines connected to seperate 20 amp outlets in my shop and was impressed with how well it worked. The water tempature was 110 degrees and the pump ran continuously.

Of course, after a few days of hot water and no chemicals, we had to disapoint the kids and drain it. Now they keep asking when we'll fill it up again. With the slab on the ground, they know it's just a matter of time.

hitek,

I haven't bought any circut breakers, just a 125 amp, outdoor, sub panel. The original wiring had a GFCI on the extension cord. I figured I'd do the same, but have each line plug into it's own GFCI outlet.

I'm gonna look into putthing a pair of GFCI breakers into my sub panel. Something new might be good for me!!!

Thanks,
Eddie
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #12  
For those really cold days add a wood fired steam room. You will not mind the walk back to the house. Heck, if you got snow you might even roll in it to cool down. It would also help all those sore aching muscles after a hard days work!:D
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #13  
hitekcountry said:
Eddie

In this type application my preference is to use GFCI breakers in the sub panel. The way you describe it you'll have unprotected voltage running over to the hot tub. GFCI breakers are more expensive I know but everything down stream of the sub panel will be protected.

I will second that, GFCI cost you your first born, but it is always better to apply as much security as possible.
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #14  
I am not sure but I think the GFCI breakers are code for a hot tub sub panel. I know we had to have them in our sub panel when we put a hot tub on a screen porch. Hope Inspector 507 sees this tread and lets us know.

MarkV
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub
  • Thread Starter
#15  
There's no code here where I live as I'm ouside of city limits. I want to do it right, so the GFCI circuts at the sub panel will be what I use.

Just to make sure I understand this, I will have two dedicated 20 amp lines to the hot tub. The tub has two cords that will plug into there own outlet. Each outlet has it's own 12/2 line to the sub panel.

Here's where I'm a little confused. If I put in GFCI circuts, then I'm assuming that I use regular 20A recepticles to plug in the hot tub. Then wire in the 12/2 wire to the GFCI circut breakers in the sub panel?

This seems simple enough, but some confirmation would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
Eddie
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #16  
EddieWalker said:
There's no code here where I live as I'm ouside of city limits. I want to do it right, so the GFCI circuts at the sub panel will be what I use.

Just to make sure I understand this, I will have two dedicated 20 amp lines to the hot tub. The tub has two cords that will plug into there own outlet. Each outlet has it's own 12/2 line to the sub panel.

Here's where I'm a little confused. If I put in GFCI circuts, then I'm assuming that I use regular 20A recepticles to plug in the hot tub. Then wire in the 12/2 wire to the GFCI circut breakers in the sub panel?
/QUOTE]

yes, thats correct. Basically you create a circuit behind GFCI and all connections after that are standard. I have one circuit in the shop I use for all my outdoor extension cords and also for the pond fountain and one GFCI circuit in the house covering the crawl space and bathrooms.

Here it is in better english than mine:))

How GFCIs Work
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #17  
GFCI circuit breakers wire a little differently in that you connect both the black and white wires of your circuit to the breaker. The breaker has a "pig tail" white wire that you connect to the neutral buss bar. The ground wire connects to the ground buss bar the same as always and the rest of you wiring from there out is all standard.
Pic of a sub panel with GFCI breakers.
 

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   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #18  
Another example - In my pump shed I have a GFCI breaker for the outlets in the shed and the outside outlet and the light. All standard outlets and all are now GFI protected.

One time I was in the pump shed hosing things down and had no idea that I had splashed water into any of the outlets until the GFCI tripped
 

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   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #19  
psssstttt

you should have your nutral and ground bars tied together in your pannel

and any sub pannel will require its own ground rod ;)
 
   / Creating a home for my Hot Tub #20  
Hi Eddie, I've installed two hot tubs now under the eye of an actual electrician. I've done it two ways with respect to the GFCI. First, both tubs were 220 volt with the last one being 50 amp and this newer one being 60 freaking amps. I can't imagine only 500 watts for a tub when mine get 12000.

Anyway, the first tube was a panel mounted GFCI just as hitekcountry details. It was slick and met code with no need for any kind of outside mounted emergency disconnect or other BS, very clean installation so long as there is an existing GFCI 110 outlet within so many feet. The GFCI 220 breaker cost almost 100$ at the time and was somewhat rare but I have noticed more of them at the HD.

This last tub I went with the "spa panel" option where you run a regular breaker at the main panel to feed a GFCI breaker/disconnect/110 GFCI outlet at a location near the tub. The spa panel was also around 100$ and mounts within sight and so many feet so is a little less aesthetically pleasing but more functional since I can shut it off without going to the main panel.

We love hot tubs. Our power bill has gone up by 15 bucks a month for both tubs and we regularly use it. I use sodium dichlor to chlorinate the water. No bromine for me thanks. We don't use the jets mcuh but just soak in there under the stars. No gazebo since that would block the stars. Oh and the cover when new is lightweight. As it gets older it will get heavier and heavier soaked with water. I sometimes wish I had purchased one of those fancy cover lifter racks but instead jsut hoist it up there myself while I am still hot from the tub but rapidly cooling. You've got about a minute before your wetness will cause coldness so maybe you should look at a cover lifter to help save you time to get back to the house. Or just dry off as soon as you get out. I suppose in Texas none of this really matters but the cover will get heavy.
 
 
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