Our Hotsprings Will Be Here Tomorrow Morning!

[roromissd]

Hey! I'm so very excited that our hot tub will be here tomorrow! We went through a ridiculous amount of trouble with financing, thanks to someone's credit reporting error, but we made it through and our rate was actually dropped by a half percent. Not to mention our salesperson knocked another $500 off the sale price of our tub.

So, our tub will be here tomorrow morning and my husband and my father will be wiring the hot tub to the subpanel(GFCI) once the delivery guys are gone. The predelivery booklet states a licensed electrician should be wiring the tub. But my husband and my father( and electrical engineer) will be actually wiring it. Apparently this tub (Limelight Flair) requires an extra ground wire from the tub to the panel. Have any of you done this before or seen this? I'm sure this isn't that difficult, I've looked at the schematics and understand it all myself and I'm no electrician.

Anyway, how many of you have wired your own tub and is it really that difficult?

Oh! I should also mention that my husband does know what he's doing as well. He's wired many things in our home. So, we're not completely incapable.

Did I mention how incredibly excited I am about getting this tub tomorrow?

And this morning I was thinking it wouldn't happen due to someone else's mistake screwing my husbands credit. Somehow a miracle occured and we were able to get it squared away.

I will show you pics of all of us in the tub once it's all heated up and we're all in it.

Anne

[r5ran]

Hi,

I just wired up my H/S Vanguard, and it was no problem at all. I'm very much a DIY'er, bit I'm no electrician, in fact this is the first major house electrical project I had done. Just follow the instructions very carefully and watch where they tell you to install the ground and neutral. Not sure of Limelight, but the GFCI subpanel that H/S supplies is an excellent feature (all tubs should include a subpanel, but I think very few do) and very easy to wire and use.

Take your time, and you'll be soaking very soon...! Takes about 8 hours to heat the water initially, too.

Enjoy, Randy

Hey! I'm so very excited that our hot tub will be here tomorrow! We went through a ridiculous amount of trouble with financing, thanks to someone's credit reporting error, but we made it through and our rate was actually dropped by a half percent. Not to mention our salesperson knocked another $500 off the sale price of our tub.

So, our tub will be here tomorrow morning and my husband and my father will be wiring the hot tub to the subpanel(GFCI) once the delivery guys are gone. The predelivery booklet states a licensed electrician should be wiring the tub. But my husband and my father( and electrical engineer) will be actually wiring it. Apparently this tub (Limelight Flair) requires an extra ground wire from the tub to the panel. Have any of you done this before or seen this? I'm sure this isn't that difficult, I've looked at the schematics and understand it all myself and I'm no electrician.

Anyway, how many of you have wired your own tub and is it really that difficult?

Oh! I should also mention that my husband does know what he's doing as well. He's wired many things in our home. So, we're not completely incapable.

Did I mention how incredibly excited I am about getting this tub tomorrow?

And this morning I was thinking it wouldn't happen due to someone else's mistake screwing my husbands credit. Somehow a miracle occured and we were able to get it squared away.

I will show you pics of all of us in the tub once it's all heated up and we're all in it.

Anne

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I'm sure this isn't that difficult, I've looked at the schematics and understand it all myself and I'm no electrician.

And this morning I was thinking it wouldn't happen due to someone else's mistake screwing my husbands credit. Somehow a miracle occured and we were able to get it squared away.

Anne

That statement will help you. If you're a decent DIYer and you follow directions you'll be fine. The problem sometimes is with people/electricians who think "directions bah, I know how to wire a spa" and don't pay enough attention to the directions/schematic and have to backtrack later when it doesn't operate properly.

Glad to hear you got the credit issue resolved. I'd hate to see hubby dressed like a pirate playing guitar and singing for tourists in a seafood restaurant because his credit got hacked!!

[B0Darc]

I'm sure this isn't that difficult, I've looked at the schematics and understand it all myself and I'm no electrician.

And this morning I was thinking it wouldn't happen due to someone else's mistake screwing my husbands credit. Somehow a miracle occured and we were able to get it squared away.

Anne

That statement will help you. If you're a decent DIYer and you follow directions you'll be fine. The problem sometimes is with people/electricians who think "directions bah, I know how to wire a spa" and don't pay enough attention to the directions/schematic and have to backtrack later when it doesn't operate properly.

Glad to hear you got the credit issue resolved. I'd hate to see hubby dressed like a pirate playing guitar and singing for tourists in a seafood restaurant because his credit got hacked!!

LOL!

I have a friend who had a friend do her electric and it was somehow substandard... I mean it worked but would regularly trip. I likely paid more than anyone on the planet to have my electrical installed. My panel/box for my main house was 10 feet away but every slot was wired with a breaker, so they had to run a line from the opposite side of the house. That gauge wire is over $3 a foot, a breaker is $50 and a waterproof box is more (and electricians like to drive Corvettes).

I was glad to have it done by the book and warrantied by someone else, but was unhappy about the cost of running 150' of wire and two electricians ($1,400) ACK! buuut it was done masterfully, is fully waterproof in every way, and has never tripped once. My friend who saved a couple hundred bucks is screwing with hers regularly (false tripping) I mean $1,400 buys a lot of frosty beverages, but you can't enjoy them if your getting in/out o' your tub to reset the breaker because the jets *and* the heater came on at once.

Take your time and get it right, don't cut corners, and post some pictures on here if you can figure that out too ;-) (get a photobucket account LOL)

[roromissd]

I'm sure this isn't that difficult, I've looked at the schematics and understand it all myself and I'm no electrician.

And this morning I was thinking it wouldn't happen due to someone else's mistake screwing my husbands credit. Somehow a miracle occured and we were able to get it squared away.

Anne

That statement will help you. If you're a decent DIYer and you follow directions you'll be fine. The problem sometimes is with people/electricians who think "directions bah, I know how to wire a spa" and don't pay enough attention to the directions/schematic and have to backtrack later when it doesn't operate properly.

Glad to hear you got the credit issue resolved. I'd hate to see hubby dressed like a pirate playing guitar and singing for tourists in a seafood restaurant because his credit got hacked!!

LOL!

I have a friend who had a friend do her electric and it was somehow substandard... I mean it worked but would regularly trip. I likely paid more than anyone on the planet to have my electrical installed. My panel/box for my main house was 10 feet away but every slot was wired with a breaker, so they had to run a line from the opposite side of the house. That gauge wire is over $3 a foot, a breaker is $50 and a waterproof box is more (and electricians like to drive Corvettes).

I was glad to have it done by the book and warrantied by someone else, but was unhappy about the cost of running 150' of wire and two electricians ($1,400) ACK! buuut it was done masterfully, is fully waterproof in every way, and has never tripped once. My friend who saved a couple hundred bucks is screwing with hers regularly (false tripping) I mean $1,400 buys a lot of frosty beverages, but you can't enjoy them if your getting in/out o' your tub to reset the breaker because the jets *and* the heater came on at once.

Take your time and get it right, don't cut corners, and post some pictures on here if you can figure that out too ;-) (get a photobucket account LOL)

ROFLMAO!!! Yeah, I could see my husband in that getup singing the credit report song!

He's just finished roto hammering through the concret foundation and is now mounting the subpanel. We fortunately already had just enough #6 wire to go from our main breaker box, to the subpanel. And then he went to our local hardware store where he knows everyone and they had a remnant of #8(what is called for in the schematics) 25' long so he got it for about $10!! What a steal! It cost $15 for everything with the conduit and all! We're really saving $$ everywhere we look. I have to go back over to the store and get another condulet for him right now. So, better dash!

Fortunately my husband is a "jack of all trades" of sorts, he is constantly amazing me at his talents. We have a full worshop in our basement. He's a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician, an autorepaiman, an appliance repairman, a cook, and he cleans! What more could a girl ask for? Oh! But his actual job is running an oysterdredge. Free seafood whenever we want!!

Well, I'm out of here! I'll let you know how it all goes and thanks for your suggestions!

Anne(excited new hot tub owner)

[B0Darc]

ROFLMAO!!! Yeah, I could see my husband in that getup singing the credit report song!

He's just finished roto hammering through the concret foundation and is now mounting the subpanel. We fortunately already had just enough #6 wire to go from our main breaker box, to the subpanel. And then he went to our local hardware store where he knows everyone and they had a remnant of #8(what is called for in the schematics) 25' long so he got it for about $10!! What a steal! It cost $15 for everything with the conduit and all! We're really saving $$ everywhere we look. I have to go back over to the store and get another condulet for him right now. So, better dash!

Fortunately my husband is a "jack of all trades" of sorts, he is constantly amazing me at his talents. We have a full worshop in our basement. He's a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician, an autorepaiman, an appliance repairman, a cook, and he cleans! What more could a girl ask for? Oh! But his actual job is running an oysterdredge. Free seafood whenever we want!!

Well, I'm out of here! I'll let you know how it all goes and thanks for your suggestions!

Anne(excited new hot tub owner)

How do I change my font to that "green with envy" color? Sheeesh #6 laying around!??! 25' feet of #8 for ten bucks! ...*and* he bought you a hottub!? Count your blessings Missy!! ;-) ...friiiied Oooystersss Oooooo I just might have to make me some o those!

[roromissd]

Oh yes! I definitely consider myself very blessed to have my hubby! He's one in a million.

Well, several trips to the hardware store later, and we finally got the job done! And tonight at about 11pm we had it at the temp we wanted. : ) It was so nice! I love how every seat has a different massage and all the jets are adjustable. The lounge feels nice, though with me being 5'4" it's difficult to really get my rear all the way in the seat and have my feet massaged at the same time, but I'm not complaining. I feel nice and relaxed.

I'm so glad we decided to buy a hot tub! It's hard to believe that it was only two weeks ago that we decided to do this and here we are with one in our backyard!

I could go for some BBQed oysters on the half shell. Mmmmm!

Anne

[spa_newb]

how bout some pics of the tub?

[roromissd]

how bout some pics of the tub?

I'll get some pics maybe tomorrow? I hope anyway. I kept forgetting to take my camera out there. I was in that tub 3 times today!

Hey, if you use the tub multiple times in a day, is it necessary to shock everytime, or just maybe at the end of the day? It seems excessive to shock several times in one day, but I don't know.

Anne

[B0Darc]

how bout some pics of the tub?

I'll get some pics maybe tomorrow? I hope anyway. I kept forgetting to take my camera out there. I was in that tub 3 times today!

Hey, if you use the tub multiple times in a day, is it necessary to shock everytime, or just maybe at the end of the day? It seems excessive to shock several times in one day, but I don't know.

Anne

congrats! nothing quite like it, eh? Well you should have ended on BBQ oysters and started a new thread with your water chemistry question. There's lots to know and it can be very simple. However there are many basic questions we would have to ask first, like what kind of water treatment did you get set up with... but wait don't answer that here. Go UP one level in this forum to the Hot Tub Water Chemistry and read some posts there first. I will tell you quickly you can add a little shock every time you get out... non-chlorine shock is like the "Chicken soup" of the spa world... "couldn't hurt. Get the Hubster online with you and check out all he good tips re: how to take care of your water... hehe maybe he'll make that one of HIS chores .

LOL maybe you could reverse the old washing machine (man!)trick and throw a red sweatshirt in the spa and turn it pink... then he won't let you touch any of the spa chemicals. Doh!? did I just tell a wife a Man secret about how we get outta doin' the wash? Oh and these are jokes don't *really* through a red sweatshirt into your spa it might in fact turn your water pink and stain your shell. Oh and I made all that up about us guys throwing red stuff in with your white stuff so we can get taken off laundry duty *cough* that's just an old Bill Cosby bit.

[Jimmyb]

It's likely to late, but here's some wiring info for ya!

I'm not an electrician, however, my father in law is and he gave me a copy of the most recent "Ontario Electrical Safety Code" a 2 inch thick book, and pointed this out to me....

The code here in Ontario Canada clearly states if you have between 4 to 6 conductors in a single raceway (conduit) you must De-rate the wires' ampacity by a factor of 0.80 ... This applies to single insulated conductors as well as multiple conductor cables...

This means when running two separate cables (as is the case with my HS vista, one 30amp 10/3 cable and one 20amp 12/2 cable) all in one single conduit you MUST De-rate the wire!!!

De-rating the cable means up sizing the cable. So in my case the HS Vista now requires the 30amp service to be supplied with 8/3 and the 20amp service must be supplied with 10/2.

Since I had all ready purchased 10/3 and 12/2 cable I will have to run them in separate liquid tight conduit. Not a real big deal, however it would of been nice to have known this prior to purchasing the normal size cable.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that this code is the case in all the Canadian provinces and most likely the states as well.

For those in Ontario look up table 5C and see rules 4-004 and 12-2210 and Tables 2 and 4...

This makes me wounder how many tubs out there that are supplied with one conduit are actually against code???

[roromissd]

It's likely to late, but here's some wiring info for ya!

I'm not an electrician, however, my father in law is and he gave me a copy of the most recent "Ontario Electrical Safety Code" a 2 inch thick book, and pointed this out to me....

The code here in Ontario Canada clearly states if you have between 4 to 6 conductors in a single raceway (conduit) you must De-rate the wires' ampacity by a factor of 0.80 ... This applies to single insulated conductors as well as multiple conductor cables...

This means when running two separate cables (as is the case with my HS vista, one 30amp 10/3 cable and one 20amp 12/2 cable) all in one single conduit you MUST De-rate the wire!!!

De-rating the cable means up sizing the cable. So in my case the HS Vista now requires the 30amp service to be supplied with 8/3 and the 20amp service must be supplied with 10/2.

Since I had all ready purchased 10/3 and 12/2 cable I will have to run them in separate liquid tight conduit. Not a real big deal, however it would of been nice to have known this prior to purchasing the normal size cable.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that this code is the case in all the Canadian provinces and most likely the states as well.

For those in Ontario look up table 5C and see rules 4-004 and 12-2210 and Tables 2 and 4...

This makes me wounder how many tubs out there that are supplied with one conduit are actually against code???

Yes, I believe that code is the same here, one that we'd read ourselves and followed, but I'm glad you brought it up as it's one we might have missed if we hadn't been doing our homework.

How do you like your Vista?

[Jimmyb]

I like the vista, my wife loves "her" vista. The moto massage jet sold her on the tub. We looked and tested quite a few manufacturers, as a matter of fact we even traveled to the states to check a few out. I did a ton of research and narrowed the "her" choice down to a couple of well respected manufacturers... From there the choice was hers...

After she choose the vista I did manage to get the spa stone finish and the spaudio cast options added on...

[roromissd]

I like the vista, my wife loves "her" vista. The moto massage jet sold her on the tub. We looked and tested quite a few manufacturers, as a matter of fact we even traveled to the states to check a few out. I did a ton of research and narrowed the "her" choice down to a couple of well respected manufacturers... From there the choice was hers...

After she choose the vista I did manage to get the spa stone finish and the spaudio cast options added on...

I like that spa stone finish, it looks really nice! I saw a grandee in the store with the spa stone. We decided not to go with a sound system, it was just too much more money and we didn't think we'd use it enough to be worth the cost. I'm glad you and when I say you, I mean, of course your wife likes the vista!

I'm getting a whole lot out of ours already! I understand people now when they say it's a different lifestyle!

[sapoole]

In the states at least, they call out 'current carrying conductors'. You ground is not a current carrying condutor so it does not count to the conductors in conduit calculation.

[limulus]

In the states at least, they call out 'current carrying conductors'. You ground is not a current carrying condutor so it does not count to the conductors in conduit calculation.

I agree, that's why my cable was labeled 6/3 and not 6/4...the ground doesn't count. Also, I was required to a #6 gauge wire which is a much larger gauge tnan 10 or 12. That stuff was very stiff and heavy. I'm glad I paid an electrician to do it. We had to run over 100ft to our outside hot tub disconnect box.