Yet Another Newbie Seeking Electric Hookup Advice

[wandering_burr]

Our friends gave us their 1999 Hot Springs Sovereign tub and it is being delivered in the next week or so. I've searched for a sticky about the electrical options for 115V outdoor tubs but haven't found any, and I did try the search feature for some time without really learning much about what needs to happen-so please forgive the NewB questions.

The tub has a built in cord with GFCI and they have it plugged in about 12 inches from the back of the tub running around to the equipment panel. Assuming this used to be ok by code is it still alright?

Over burgers and beer a neighbor that is a professional electrician told me the most cost effective approach is to just plug it in 'like a lamp' in an available outlet and there is an excellent chance it would run fine. If it tripped the breaker then to call and have someone come out to upgrade the service. I have a Hot Springs outdoor outlet so it would at least be relatively safe from water exposure is there a danger that would give you pause here that my neighbor is not considering?

The original owners of my house do appear to have prep'd a couple outdoor outlets for a spa. There is one that looks to be on its own (i tripped its breaker and all the other outlets still work fine) that runs 110v but has 220 wiring ready to go according to a different electrician we had out a year ago for another reason. I'm guessing it would just need an upgrade at the panel to convert to 220 service. but since this tub is 115V I'm thinking it would be perfectly fine to plug the tub in there and use it as a dedicated outlet since it has GFCI at the breaker. How far away from the outlet does the tub need to be? I read on some page that you shouldn't have GFCI both at the outlet and the breaker box. The Hot Springs manual appears to call for both the GFCI in their plug as well as at the breaker. I'm assuming that is correct/safe.

I also found this mysterious junction box on the other side of my patio that would be a great spot if the tub can sit within a couple feet of the plug. Not understanding the lingo I'll desribe it as containing two small copper pair wires and one heavy three copper wire romex. Since the box has a blank plate and whoever installed them did not bother to cap them off I'm guessing that these too are behind the main panel waiting to be wired up to a breaker. This is probably plan A.

Finally, if I can't keep the tub withing 10 feet of an outlet (which I can't tell is a rule for just 220 or some other subset of spas or not) how crazy would I be just to plug it into an external outlet on the house. Definitely not dedicated but probably run off the same outlets that run the garbage disposal and a few over counter outlets that get very limited use.

Finally, do I need a disconnect panel within eyeline of the spa? I'm not excited about drilling into my Stucco house for this.

Unless one of these is a slam dunk i'll get Mr. Electric to come out (not the guy who told me about the lamp) and see what can happen. But I have 50-90 feet of solid cement between the panel and the possible spa locations so I really, really would like to find a safe option using existing wiring.

Thanks for reading the long post.

[lkneisler]

Congratulations on the new used hot tub!

Here goes my two cents

You should always have a dedicated circuit for your spa whether it's 230 or 115 v. Trust me, it's not worth it to do it any other way. House electricians can really know their stuff, while knowing zilch about spas. Call your nearest Hot Spring dealer and see if they have a recommendation.

I'd convert the spa and run it 230v. You'd need a special disconnect box with two gfci breakers, one 20amp, one 30 amp.

Cities have different codes and regulations so it depends where you live; you'd have to call around to get the correct information. My area, for example, is that you have to have a disconnect box within 5 to 15 of the spa and line of site; not sure how high off the ground though And that's only for 220v. Oh, and I can't have my spa within 4 feet of a border fence (ooops).

[Dr. Spa]

I believe that if it's plugged in, the plug counts as the disconnect.

[BigDfromTN]

As for the box away from the house in the picture........

It appears to me that it may have been for some low voltage lighting?????

The romex was 110V coming in and the black for the lights going out.

Just a guess you may can do some looking and figure that out.

I agree with the dedicated circuit and the 220 conversion. That way you can run any and all features at the same time with no worries. If you do convert dont forget the jumpers in the controls. They will need to be changed.

[Peteyboy]

IMO it depends what kind of climate you live in. If a somewhat warm climate I wouldn't worry about converting to 230.

I had my HS Classic in Virginia hooked up 115 and would not lose much heat. Your advantages to 230 in that spa are that it will heat approx 5 degrees per hour compared to 1 1/2 to 2. It will also heat while the jets are running - this would be good for colder climates.

I agree with the dedicated circuit - and it must be a 20 amp circuit for 115 volts. Make sure you don't just change the breaker, you need 12 gauge wire for 20 amps. I've seen people change a 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp using the existing 14 gauge wire and that creates a fire hazard.

Our code (Florida) says your electrical must be at least 5 feet from the spa water line and within site.