Wiring Help Needed

[sld]

I recently installed a 4 person hot tub that plugs into a GFCI 110v outlet on the deck. The manual says it only pulls 13 amps max so no issues there.

The problem is I use my electric smoker on the deck also and running both will obviously trip the breaker. This particular outlet shares some other outlets as well on the same breaker but nothing that gets used much.

I would like to add a dedicated outlet for either the smoker or hot tub. I have heard you can tap into the 220v junction box mounted to the outside of the house that feeds the AC unit. Is this possible to tap into this for a 110v source? Since i drain the hot tub during the warm months it would never be used at the same time as the AC. The smoker gets used year around.

Ideally, I run wire to create new 220v outlet for the hot tub as it can also run on 220v. I am just not that motivated yet.

 

[davesl708]

yes it is possible to pull one leg of 220 to get 110. The outside AC unit is not also a heat pump for the furnace is it?
Best would be to run a dedicated line for the hot tub.

 

[PILOON]

yes it is possible to pull one leg of 220 to get 110. The outside AC unit is not also a heat pump for the furnace is it?
Best would be to run a dedicated line for the hot tub.

And since water is present a GFI should be used.

 

[oldnslo]

What size breaker is on the 220 service. Is there also a true ground wire or just a neutral wire in this service. True ground and neutral is required for GFI.

 

[MossRoad]

I thought the AC was usually on a dedicated circuit sized for the load. You may be moving the overload from the hot tub circuit to the AC circuit. It would be best to run a 110 GFCI circuit to the outside for the smoker. And if you're going to go to the trouble of running a second 110v circuit from the main panel to the outside, you may as well run a 220v circuit for the hot tub instead, and keep using the smoker on the 110v circuit that's already there. Its still just one cable pull, either way you look at it. It will take up two spaces in your box instead of one.

 

[joefromga]

You'll need a neutral which most likely doesn't exist and you're not supposed to use that 240v service for anything but that ac unit.

 

[LittleBill21]

What size breaker is on the 220 service. Is there also a true ground wire or just a neutral wire in this service. True ground and neutral is required for GFI.

Ground is not need for a gfci to work, it measure imbalance between hot and neutral

https://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/gfci-no-ground-31370/

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Another note to the wise. GFCIs installed outside or in damp areas have an extremely high failure rate due to corrosion of the components, especially where I am, in high humidity environment. Like the reference from the home inspectors it is likely they will fall into those statistics. Recommended practice for outside outlets is to put the GFCI in an interior receptacle circuit and daisy chain to the exterior outlets. Sometimes it is an easter egg hunt to find where the controlling unit is. I always label them. Check them often.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

First of all... a hot tub and smoker on the deck is a sweet luxury... I know... I have the same! If you can, I would bite the bullet and run a dedicated circuit for your hot tub and a better luxury is to put in a breaker switch box (subpanel) for the hot tub for draining/maintenance reasons.

I agree with Seabee here, an interior GFI outlet first in line on your circuit is ideal for all outdoor outlets. At a minimum, in general, I would waterproof/cover all of your exterior outlets.

 

[Al Mac]

Ground is not need for a gfci to work, it measure imbalance between hot and neutral

https://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/gfci-no-ground-31370/

So what is the "G" for in GFCI. It will test without a ground but is the unit protected. Would that make 2 smokers on the deck. One wet smoker and one dry smoker. :shocked:

Al