Wiring a Spa. Do I use #8 awg or 6/3 romex slimpull ?

**nail bender** · 11-01-2007, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Alectrician

I would twin up a couple of 15 amp lighting circuits and use full size breakers for the 240 volt loads. If any of the 15 amp circuits are RED, avoid using twins on them or get more detailed instruction here.

Pics are helpful.

Be careful dammit!!

I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say "twin up" but, here is a link to a couple of pics of my service panel. Tell me what you think.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...epanelopen.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...rvicepanel.jpg

**Alectrician** · 11-01-2007, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by nail bender

I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say "twin up" but, here is a link to a couple of pics of my service panel. Tell me what you think.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...epanelopen.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...rvicepanel.jpg

Crap. all the single pole breakers are already twins (or thins). A full size single pole breaker would be half the size of your 2/30 and 2/40.

I'd unhook the dryer and put a 2 pole 50 for the spa and deal with the dryer issue when you sell the house.

**nail bender** · 11-02-2007, 02:46 PM

I'd unhook the dryer and put a 2 pole 50 for the spa and deal with the dryer issue when you sell the house.

The dryer breaker is 2" wide and I discovered that HD has a 30 amp 2 pole breaker but half the width or @ 1".and a 50 amp 2 pole cbrkr 1" wide as well. I was thinking of taking out the double wide dryer cb and replacing it with the two mentioned above.

Will this work for what I am trying to do?

If I try and sell the house it would be ideal to have both features operating if at all possible.

**Speedy Petey** · 11-02-2007, 03:10 PM

This would not work in your GE panel, but you can make it work.

GE panels are weird in that when using skinny breakers the "phasing" is a bit off.
You CANNOT put a two pole 1" breaker in the top spot. The top spot is the same "phase" for the top two 1/2" spaces.
Let me see if I can draw it out..

1a---------2a
3a---------4a
5b---------6b
7b---------8b
9a---------10a
11a--------12a

The uppermost two pole breaker would have to go in space "3a/5b" or "4a/6b"
1a or 2a would have to begin with a 1/2" single pole breaker.

All it would take is some shifting around of some breakers, but you can do it.

**Alectrician** · 11-02-2007, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by nail bender

The dryer breaker is 2" wide and I discovered that HD has a 30 amp 2 pole breaker but half the width or @ 1".and a 50 amp 2 pole cbrkr 1" wide as well. I was thinking of taking out the double wide dryer cb and replacing it with the two mentioned above.

Will this work for what I am trying to do?

If I try and sell the house it would be ideal to have both features operating if at all possible.

GE MIGHT make a quad breaker (2/30...2/50) which would allow two, 2 pole breakers in the space taken up now by your dryer. That's the easiest way.

If not, you will need the narrow 50 PLUS a narrow 30.

Turn OFF the main breaker and use a meter to insure the power is off. Then you can pull out the existing dryer and four of the single pole breakers under it.

Install the new 2 pole breakers, one in the center of the existing dryer space (leaving a space above and below it) and one in the center of the four breakers below it (leaving a space above and below it), then put the existing single poles back in the empty spaces.

Crap....I coulda done it TWICE by now

**nail bender** · 11-02-2007, 05:55 PM

Thanks Petey and Alectrician
I value all your advice and I will follow the given instructions.
Aaand I am sure I will have another question on this very topic as soon as I go to the next step (i.e. sub panel)

For ex. which sub panel will be adequate for this job ?
I found this inexpensive Rainproof 2-4 circuit nonmetallic(plastic) 125amp box for $18. Any advice on this?

**Speedy Petey** · 11-02-2007, 05:57 PM

I can only assume this would work.
The tub did not come with one? Usually they come with the panel with the GFI breakers already installed.

**Speedy Petey** · 11-02-2007, 05:59 PM

I was asked a question via PM from another member. With permission I'm re-posting it here:

Why can't you use more than 6' of the liquidtite? I got about 12' to go from the GFCI to the tub and was planning on using flex all the way (4x #6, ground included).

The answer is simply it is a code restriction.
NEC reference 680.42(A)(1)

**nail bender** · 11-02-2007, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

I can only assume this would work.
The tub did not come with one? Usually they come with the panel with the GFI breakers already installed.

No it did not. This is a used spa handed down to me by a friend.
I will try and find out the spec on it.

**nail bender** · 11-02-2007, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

I was asked a question via PM from another member. With permission I'm re-posting it here:

The answer is simply it is a code restriction.
NEC reference 680.42(A)(1)

I should be ok with the six feet rule. It might end up between 5 -6 feet anyway.

**Alectrician** · 11-02-2007, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by nail bender

I found this inexpensive Rainproof 2-4 circuit nonmetallic(plastic) 125amp box for $18. Any advice on this?

WTH? I have never seen a plastic panel.

As long as it's an outdoor panel and has your gfci breakers in it you are good.

**frenchelectrican** · 11-02-2007, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Alectrician

WTH? I have never seen a plastic panel.

As long as it's an outdoor panel and has your gfci breakers in it you are good.

yeah i did see few of them but myself i am not a strong fan with plastic box.

BTW Nailbender., with that box you got there one thing you have to watch out is the room to bend the wire[s] with #6's it might get pretty tight in few spots.

If i know what that box brand name i can able tell ya the fastest and safest route to land the wires.

and if you going to run the GFCI on the plastic box make sure you bring out netural wire but ground wire have to be insluated green wire [ once it get outside of building ].

Merci, Marc

**RickD7** · 11-03-2007, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

I was asked a question via PM from another member. With permission I'm re-posting it here:

The answer is simply it is a code restriction.
NEC reference 680.42(A)(1)

Thanks Speedy Petey,

So solid plastic pipe buried all the way (18 in., right?). Will a 1" pipe be ok for four #6 wires in regards to heat dissipation?

**nail bender** · 11-03-2007, 11:22 AM

Thxs Alectrician & Frenchelectrician

Hey French, here is a link to the box I'm looking at ,. tell me what you think.

http://catalog.geindustrial.com/data...CC=MA&Profile=

The only thing the pic does not show is the front cover(or lid)
It covers the whole front and the access door is just small enough to access the actual cbrkrs alone.

**Bob NH** · 11-03-2007, 12:58 PM

You can't run the NM wires outside in conduit of any kind. You will have to use THWN or some other kind of wire that is rated for wet locations. You will usually find that wire rated for THHN also rated as THWN.

The wire you need is #6 for the hot conductors (#8 will actually handle 50 Amps), and #8 for the white and ground. Those will fit in a 3/4" rigid or flex conduit. You may need the 1" if they are all #6.

The load calculations would let you run smaller wires (THWN) but the inspector on a recent project that I did required the larger wires.

Rigid PVC is easy to run and it is easy to pull if you use lubricant. You can connect flex to the end using a adapters and pull the wire through both at once.