Hooking up HOT TUB

[johnwilliams]

I have a quick question:
I am setting up a HOT TUB it is 240v and I have a Cuttler-Hammer GFCI 50a Breaker installed in breaker box.
Now I see three(3) slots for wires one slot just below it has a white (PigTail) wire coming out of it and is connected to the GROUND bar inside the main panel box.
Now I do know that there are two legs coming out with 120v and one leg (Neutral)
I know the two hot legs will go to the line 1-2 leg on hot tub for the 120v current = 240v for tub operation. I also have two things that are 120v that need to run.
MY QUESTION IS: Does Neutral coming out of the back of the GFCI Breaker have current that will run the 120v items on the HOT TUB??
I also have a ground rod beside my HOT TUB does the ground wire (solid copper) hook to the ground lugs on the electric motor and the control panel inside the HOT TUB Housing.

 

[pattenp]

The white wire on the breaker as you said connects to the neutral/ground panel bar in the panel. You get 120V at the hot tub by using one hot leg with a neutral from the tub back to the breaker neutral connection. The hot tub should have a four wire connection if it uses 240V and 120V, 2 hots and a neutral along with a ground, all going back to the panel.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Hot tubs dont need ground rods as far as the NEC goes but it may be a local amendment that requires it...

 

[schmelpboy]

My hot tub, and most 240v powered ones tell you to make sure that you DO NOT hook the white wire into the panel inside the house, or the breaker will constantly blow. It is to be hooked into the breaker.
Here's a great link for hooking your stuff up:

http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedia/wiring-hot-tub-spa.htm

 

[schmelpboy]

The white wire on the breaker as you said connects to the neutral/ground panel bar in the panel. You get 120V at the hot tub by using one hot leg with a neutral from the tub back to the panel neutral bar. The hot tub should have a four wire connection if it uses 240V and 120V, 2 hots and a neutral along with a ground, all going back to the panel.

This is wrong. Do not connect the white wire to the interior panel...if your hot tub was made in the last 5 years or so, it will just blow the hot tub breaker over and over and you'll pull out your hair trying to figure it out...it's the #1 mistake of people trying to wire hot tubs....Trust me...took me about 3 hours to figure it out myself.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My hot tub, and most 240v powered ones tell you to make sure that you DO NOT hook the white wire into the panel inside the house, or the breaker will constantly blow. It is to be hooked into the breaker.
Here's a great link for hooking your stuff up:

http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedia/wiring-hot-tub-spa.htm

And that is because its a GFCI breaker, so when there is 120v equipment running, the breaker senses that theres extra current flowing on one of the hot legs but doesnt see it returning on the neutral terminal and trips to protect life!!

 

[schmelpboy]

And that is because its a GFCI breaker, so when there is 120v equipment running, the breaker senses that theres extra current flowing on one of the hot legs but doesnt see it returning on the neutral terminal and trips to protect life!!

I know, I understand why it works...I'm just giving a heads up to someone that might run into the same problems I did...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

This is wrong. Do not connect the white wire to the interior panel...if your hot tub was made in the last 5 years or so, it will just blow the hot tub breaker over and over and you'll pull out your hair trying to figure it out...it's the #1 mistake of people trying to wire hot tubs....Trust me...took me about 3 hours to figure it out myself.

I think what pattenp meant was the white pig tail wire from the breaker should go to the neutral bar. This should definitely be connected to the neutral bar in the panel. The neutral wire from the tub then connects to the neutral terminal on the breaker!

The white wire on the breaker as you said connects to the neutral/ground panel bar in the panel. You get 120V at the hot tub by using one hot leg with a neutral from the tub back to the neutral terminal on the breaker. The hot tub should have a four wire connection if it uses 240V and 120V, 2 hots and a neutral along with a ground, all going back to the panel.

There...fixed it for ya!!

 

[johnwilliams]

I think I follow you all and I thank You All very much for your input. THE VIDEO WAS BIG HELP TO!!
Now the next question.....I'm trying to learn something here. IF I do not use the NEUTRAL leg on my GFCI breaker and just hook up the TWO hot legs and the GROUND from MAIN panel box.....Am I going to be resetting breaker all the time? I know I can connect jumper wire from the Line 1 or Line 2 Lug on the Spa Pack to run my 120v blower and ozonator.
Manufacturer of the Spa Pack does show this in one of the set ups.
However short of having to run another wire to accommodate for neutral wire that I May or May not use....IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I think I follow you all and I thank You All very much for your input. THE VIDEO WAS BIG HELP TO!!
Now the next question.....I'm trying to learn something here. IF I do not use the NEUTRAL leg on my GFCI breaker and just hook up the TWO hot legs and the GROUND from MAIN panel box.....Am I going to be resetting breaker all the time? I know I can connect jumper wire from the Line 1 or Line 2 Lug on the Spa Pack to run my 120v blower and ozonator.
Manufacturer of the Spa Pack does show this in one of the set ups.
However short of having to run another wire to accommodate for neutral wire that I May or May not use....IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?

Not quite sure what you mean. If u wont be feeding a neutral to your tub, how will the 120v devices work. How would u hook them up- between L1 or L2 and what? Ground? If line and ground, thats a no-no because neutral return current COULD flow on any metallic pathway that the ground is bonded to! If your tub has 120v devices, then you HAVE to feed it with a 4-wire feed as pattenp already said. Theres no other safe way!

And yes, if you hookup the 120v devices between L1 or L2 and ground, you will be resetting the breaker constantly because the breaker will sense an imbalance of current between the 2 hots since some of the current flowing on one hot leg will be returning on the ground wire!

 

[johnwilliams]

http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedia/wiring-hot-tub-spa.htm
This web sight shows hooking up four wire and also three wire.
If I don't install the neutral in the back of the breaker and just the TWO hots would that work?
IF I do hook the neutral up. Do I have to run another (GROUND) from the Main panel box to the spa pack or could I use the GROUND rod beside the tub to (EARTH)ground the spa pack

 

[johnwilliams]

I was also wandering how does the (NEUTRAL) get electricity to operate the 120v on spa pack or any other appliance that requires (NEUTRAL)?
When you check current on the back of the BREAKER there is only 120v coming out of TWO legs? I'm not understanding how that works.

 

[RickP]

http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedi...ot-tub-spa.htm
This web sight shows hooking up four wire and also three wire.
If I don't install the neutral in the back of the breaker and just the TWO hots would that work?
IF I do hook the neutral up. Do I have to run another (GROUND) from the Main panel box to the spa pack or could I use the GROUND rod beside the tub to (EARTH)ground the spa pack

Your hot tub came with either a 3 wire or a 4 wire hookup. So you can't really choose how you want to hook it up - you have to do it the way the manufacturer built it. Inside the tub, you will probably find a 4 wire hookup, which will allow your 120v accessories to run.

So yes, you need to run 4 wires from your main panel to your spa pack.

 

[RickP]

I was also wandering how does the (NEUTRAL) get electricity to operate the 120v on spa pack or any other appliance that requires (NEUTRAL)?
When you check current on the back of the BREAKER there is only 120v coming out of TWO legs? I'm not understanding how that works.

Each of the L1 and L2 wires carries 120v to ground. So hooking a load up between L1 and neutral will give you 120v.

Hooking a load up between L1 and L2 will give you 240v, which is the sum of the two different phases on each of the two legs.

You need to hook up the neutral to your gfci breaker to be safe - this is not something you should fool around with if you don't understand it. Have you thought about hiring an electrician to hook it up?


Posted from Garagejournal.com App for Android

 

[sberry]

I am all for DIY but a hot tub shouldn't be a learner job, should at least be looked over by a legitimate electrician.

As a side note I was in a HD where the plumbing guy was coaching a home brew type on hot tub wiring,, yikes,, they were not even sure what voltage it was running on.

 

[pattenp]

Thanks for the clarification and correction. Wylie was reading my thoughts right. My wording was out of whack.

 

[johnwilliams]

I got the GROUND wire pulled ($28.00) well spent, and now ready for my certified electrician to look over all the wiring for me before I hook things up.
I have the two hot legs and the NEUTRAL ran along with my GREEN GROUND wire from panel box to the spa pack.
Spa pack is wired for either three or four wire it shows wiring diagram for either set up. I was just wandering if I had to run another wire to do the NEUTRAL. As I wrote earlier I went ahead and ran the fourth wire (GROUND) and now ready to hook up. (ALL 4 WIRES)
I really do appreciate every ones input on this issue. I really have learned quite a bit about these type of hook ups.
What I was confused about is the OLD circuit board just used the two hot legs and ground. Now the new one has the TWO HOT LEGS / NEUTRAL / GROUND.
Maybe that is why my hot tub BROKE? because I had the NEUTRAL from the gfci breaker hooked to the Ground lug on the tub. It worked for about a year and a half before it went on the fritz.
Thanks again for your alls input.

 

[johnwilliams]

On my CIRCUIT board It has LINE 1 / LINE 2 / NEUTRAL : From the manufacturer they have the BLOWER, OZONATOR hooked up to the NEUTRAL LUG.
Would this be like the common wire on a 120v to complete the circuit?

 

[pattenp]

Yes but I don't like referring to the neutral as a common because it can cause some confusion. The Line 1 and 2 are the hots and across them is 240V. Either Line 1 or 2 across the neutral is 120V.

On my CIRCUIT board It has LINE 1 / LINE 2 / NEUTRAL : From the manufacturer they have the BLOWER, OZONATOR hooked up to the NEUTRAL LUG.
Would this be like the common wire on a 120v to complete the circuit?

 

[johnwilliams]

Thanks to ALL!! I have it done and working so far.....so good!! HOT TUBING TOMORROW

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Great! So just to clarify, did u run 4-wires to the Spa Pack and also 4-wires to the tub?