I am getting a hot tub this weekend and I have done some research and still have some questions on my specific setup. I will need a 240V 50Amp GFCI breaker for the tub per the manuf.
This is what I have now: Main panel and subpanel in the basement Subpanel is:
3 wire comming from the main panel (Square D 50amp 120/240vac AIC 10,000 breaker) going to the subpanel which has 2 breakers in the middle that read 30amp for each one hooked together with a plastic harness going out to the air conditoner then 2 15amp breakers on either side for lighting in the basement. The wire going out from the 2 30amp breakers go outside to another panel.Outside panel is:
2 wires going into the outside screws for the Line then 2 wires on the inside for Load going into the air condenser, and both ground wires hooked to a plate in the center screw. There is also a black cartedrige that you pull out on this box, im assuming this is a disconnect box.With that in mind this is what im planning:
I do not have any other available positions in the main panel for expansion for my tub. So instead of incurring the cost to add another subpanel now I would like to use the existing A/C subpanel for my new hot tub.
Question #1: The wire going from the subpanel(inside) to the disconnect box(outside) is a Type NM-B 600Volts 10/2 Operator 18. Will this be good enough for the hottub load? (240v 40amp 60hz tub specs), if not what size wire should I get?
Question #2: I think I will need to replace the subpanel breakers and get 50amp 2 pole is this correct? If so I still need to have the 2
15volts there for my basement lights so will this be ok? Do they sell 50amp 2 pole with 2 15amp breakers? Basiclly I want to chage the 2 middle ones from 30 to 50 but it looks like its all one unit,so I would need to buy a untit with all 4 this sound right?Question #3: I should not have to change anything in the main panel because its already 50amp 120/240Vac going to the subpanel right?
Question #4: I need to put the GFCI breaker somewhere since I already have a disconnect box outside that I want to use for the hot tub, can I just buy a GFCI type breaker that I described in Question 2?, or does the GFCI breaker HAVE to be outside in viewable distance of the hot tub, or can that be just the disconnect that I already have out there?
Question #5: I am going to run 4wire #6 AWG THNN Wire in liquid tight conduit (copper wire) from the disconnect to the tub, does this sound ok and the distance will be 30' is that ok?
Any other suggestions would be welcomed, also I have pics of all the breakers/panels that I have mentioned if you want me to email them to you
Thanks in advance Jason