disconnecting a hot tub

[Megpinni]

Hi - first time posting. Hope it's the correct area. We inherited a hot tub with our house, and it's not our thing - especially with two young children. Besides, the slab it's on is perfect for a generator. Better use, I think.

I know enough about electricity to change outlets, switches, light fixtures, but have never disconnected anything major like this. I flipped the two breakers shortly after we moved in, and we flipped the switch on the box outside. How would we go about disconnecting the whole shebang?

My sister's friend is interested in taking the tub off our hands (thank you!), but I'm wondering if we should just hire an electrician instead?

If it's too difficult for me to do alone (hubby isn't too handy), then I won't even try, but would like to hear from someone who has actually done this. Advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[ishiboo]

You'll be fine working inside the panel if the main breaker is shut off and you are smart and careful. When the main breaker is off, anything below it is not energized - even so, there is no need to ever touch the bus bars. Take a look at how panels are constructed before you do this. There are certain panels which are harder to work "safely" in - i.e. I had a Pushmatic with the neutral bar right at the top.

Loosten the clamp that secures the hot tub wire. Shut the main breaker off. Pull the hot tub breaker out as far as you can and disconnect the two hot tub wires. Disconnect the neutral and ground wires from the bus bars and pull the wire out of the panel. (It may be easier to CUT the wires and remove them in pieces) Remove the clamp that secured the wire and replace it with a plug.

Another option would be to simply disconnect the two wires in the panel, cap them with wire ties and leave everything ready so if you ever changed your mind or needed it, it would still be there. Depending on the size of your generator and if it's 4-wire, it could very well be possible to also use that wire for the generator feed with an interlock breaker in the panel in the future.

 

[Megpinni]

Thank you, Ishiboo!

The second option sounds easier and possibly more cost-effective, with keeping the panel and just capping them off with wire nuts inside (if I understood you correctly!).

I'm not sure what kind of generator or when we're getting it (we'd only need the heat/ac, fridge/freezer and a few outlets, etc., and the house isn't huge), but it might be smart to keep the exterior panel if it will work, or at least get it switched to something compatible. It's just there, next to the doorwall and isn't hurting anything other than being ugly. The kids know to not mess with it, and I have the option to padlock it on or off...which I should probably do, just in case.

If I could just keep them off the hot tub cover...at least there's no water in it.

Thanks again!

 

[Mustang51js]

What you could do is use that wire in the box and hire someone to change it out to a generator box and then install a interlock kit on your panel cover. But as far as disconnecting the hot tub as long as breakers are off to it there's no electricty. And then just a matter of loosening a couple screws and removing locknut to take the whip out. You shouldn't have to go in your main panel since there should be a 50-60 amp spa panel ,that's where you will be disconnecting wire out of. But you may have it hooked up directly to main panel if it was done a long time ago.

 

[Aceman]

If you're not comfortable, hire an electrician. This job would take less than an hour. Shouldn't cost much.

 

[Highbeam]

I flipped the two breakers shortly after we moved in, and we flipped the switch on the box outside. How would we go about disconnecting the whole shebang?

Do all your work to the "box outside". Wires run from the spa to that box. Be certain that the hot tub breakers in the main panel are off and then open that "box outside" and disconnect the wires that run from the "box outside" to the spa. You can now abandon all electrical junk between the "box outside" and the spa. Maybe your relative wants that too. You could just cut the wires/conduit off just under the ground surface and leave it there forever.

That "box outside" is your spa panel and it might also be a disconnect. Inside you will find a little spot where the wires from the house end and the wires to the spa begin. Regular screwdriver tools are all you'll need. The spa panel can stay on the wall forever or you can go a step farther and remove the whole shebang from the main panel too. I would leave it on the wall for the next guy.