Hello, I just picked up a used Hot Springs spa that is 110v 20amp. It has had the original GFCI plug cut off and replaced with a standard plug. I am setting the spa up in my garage and plan to share the receptical for my washing machine that is on a 20amp breaker. (Won't be running them at the same time). I am wondering if I can use a GCFI adapter in between the cord and outlet. The spa has 2 breakers on the control box already. Just want to be safe. Thanks for any help.
I would replace the washer outlet with a GFCI type instead of using an inline device. Have you tried using the tub without gfci protection, kinda makes you wonder why the safety was removed in the first place
Having never seen a a GFCI plug or a GFCI adapter I would be very suspicious about why the plug was cut off.
Very suspicious indeed!!!!!!!!! A possibly suspect (used) device on a wet concrete floor does not sound like very good recipe for safety (or death!).
Agree that the safest approach would be to install a proper GFCI for that device right at the point where it will be plugged in.
However a problem may that devices such as fridges, freezers and clothes washers etc. are motor driven and can sometimes trip GFCI outlets, especially as they start up. That is why GFCI are not recommended for fridge/freezer circuits.
And if a second outlet, not GFCI equipped was installed alongside the GFCI one there is a danger that the possibly suspect Hot Springs could be plugged into that thereby unknowingly perhaps, creating a hazard.
Also in case of an accident also there could be the question of liability or a refusal by an insurance company to honour the terms of a policy due to 'tampering'! Did (and does device now) comply with UL/ CSA standards.
Sounds like a need to be very careful indeed. And make sure everything is grounded and bonded including the water supply, as often required in bathrooms especailly those equipped with Jacuzzis etc.
Having never seen a a GFCI plug or a GFCI adapter I would be very suspicious about why the plug was cut off.
Very suspicious indeed!!!!!!!!! A possibly suspect (used) device on a wet concrete floor does not sound like very good recipe for safety (or death!).
Agree that the safest approach would be to install a proper GFCI for that device right at the point where it will be plugged in.
However a problem may that devices such as fridges, freezers and clothes washers etc. are motor driven and can sometimes trip GFCI outlets, especially as they start up. That is why GFCI are not recommended for fridge/freezer circuits.
And if a second outlet, not GFCI equipped was installed alongside the GFCI one there is a danger that the possibly suspect Hot Springs could be plugged into that thereby unknowingly perhaps, creating a hazard.
Also in case of an accident also there could be the question of liability or a refusal by an insurance company to honour the terms of a policy due to 'tampering'! Did (and does device now) comply with UL/ CSA standards.
Sounds like a need to be very careful indeed. And make sure everything is grounded and bonded including the water supply, as often required in bathrooms especailly those equipped with Jacuzzis etc.
Lots of manufacturers are installing GFCI plugs on things like hair dryers and even airconditioners. It's all a matter of CYA
I agree with RBM. Change the washing machine receptacle to a 20 amp GFI receptacle. It is probably cheaper than an inline device or GFI plug. The original GFI plug may have been removed because it was too bulky to plug into a weatherproof receptacle.
The current electrical code has specific requirements for hot tub installations. I can't recall everything from my code class, but I remember that the use of insulated mats was required on concrete floors around the perimeter of the tub where equipotential bonding has not been installed. Concrete is an excellent ground and stepping on it while wet would just make you all the more conductive if there was an electrical problem. Check out article 680.
Makes me wonder if the last owner was ignorant about GFCI. Or, if the interruptor kept tripping off, and he got tired of having to reset it all the time.
I wonder if the poster picked this spa up at an estate sale after the original owner was electrocuted!
BTW - The Spa really needs it's own circuit. Sharing with the washing machine is NOT a good idea. The spa will be coming on at random times to maintain temp, and once or twice a day it will run a filtration cycle.
Good question. Installing a GFCI outlet or replacing the breaker in the main panel with a GFCI breaker is what I would do. Also, I think
120V spas are of dubious value. They take a very long time to heat up, because the heating capacity is on the order of 1/4 what it is with a 240V spa. Also, in the ones I've seen, because of current limitations, the pump/blower and the heater cannot be on at the same time. From the above you get the following:
From a practical standpoint, you can't really keep it turned down to a lower temp to save energy, because to get it back up takes a long time. It could work if you have it on a timer and know that you want to use it everyday at a particular time, etc, but for spontaneous use, it doesn't work.
And however hot it is when you start using it, that's as hot as it's going to get. Which is fine if you're using it for 15 mins, but if you want to have it going for a lot longer, the water is going to be slowly cooling off.
Good question. Installing a GFCI outlet or replacing the breaker in the main panel with a GFCI breaker is what I would do. Also, I think
120V spas are of dubious value. They take a very long time to heat up, because the heating capacity is on the order of 1/4 what it is with a 240V spa. Also, in the ones I've seen, because of current limitations, the pump/blower and the heater cannot be on at the same time. From the above you get the following:
From a practical standpoint, you can't really keep it turned down to a lower temp to save energy, because to get it back up takes a long time. It could work if you have it on a timer and know that you want to use it everyday at a particular time, etc, but for spontaneous use, it doesn't work.
And however hot it is when you start using it, that's as hot as it's going to get. Which is fine if you're using it for 15 mins, but if you want to have it going for a lot longer, the water is going to be slowly cooling off.
*I agree. I had forgotten about that aspect of the 120 volt spas. They really need to be plugged in and running all of the time to maintain the temperature. The heater will not operate when you are using the whirlpool jets. With this in mind I change my original opinion. You need to install a separate 20 amp circuit for the hot tub to operate properly.
Yes sounds like the new owner needs someone VERY knowledgeable. Probably not just an 'ordinary' electrician or amateur such as myself who be able to test this used unit. Maybe a 'pool' or jacuzzi technician? Also maybe, and whether such changes would even be to code, maybe the unit needs its own wiring or separate wiring for the heaters and pump circuits. Not just 'fixed up somehow' and plugged into a convenient garage outlet not even equipped with a GFCI. Be too late when some kid, (or adult) gets electrocuted! Water or even dampness can be deadly mix even at 115 volts!!!!
I got it from the original owner who was upgrading to a swim spa. He claimed the spa had served him well and had replaced heater and pump recently. Don't know why the GFCI was replaced at the cord, but I can only conclude that the GFCI plug that came with the spa ,is not a standard electrical 115v plug type and would not fit into the wall. I am going to install a GFCI (and rest everything) in the outlet as recomended and put some mats down. The 2 resets inside the tub are factory and one is for the heater and one for the pumps overload. Not sure if they are GFCI. Just will have to unplug the the hot tub to do laundry for now. Thanks for all the input guys!
I was thinking that the second breaker was interrupting the white neutral wire. Either that, or it's a 220 volt "two breaker" unit, and won't run very well on the 110 volt washing machine socket. any which way, it's confusion.
These 120V spas are sold as portables and designed to be plugged into a 20V outlet and can be used that way safely. The ones I've seen have their own GFCI. I would say if you use it as intended, it's safe and no electrician or rocket scientist is necessary. However, if you do start screwing around with changing the wiring, as suggested above, then you are on your own.
The 80's vintage spas had a GFCI plug that was prone to premature failure. If the circuit to which it was connected was protected by a GFCI, safety would still be maintained with a standard plugged. Actually it is improved with the elimination of the non-watertight connection to the outlet.
Not a good idea to share the spa and washer on the same circuit. One feature of the 120 volt spa is that the main pump and heater don't run at the same time. The heater may come on at any time along with a small circulating pump.
One breaker protects the jet pump, the other protects the heater. The spa needs a 20 amp GFCI protected circuit and the plug needs to be protected from contact with water.
Ok, update. I got the spa setup, but when I try to run the heater, the gfci trips. I can run the pump fine, but when I turn the pump off and turn the heater up, it shuts off the GFCI instantly. Bad heater element? Any ideas? Thanks
Mine does the same thing, I'm going to run a separate designated 20 amp lin e from the breaker box to see if that solves the problem. The instructions manual says designated 20 amp line not a shared 20 amp line. It did ran fin e when I removed the GFI breaker and put in a regular 20 amp breaker. But t hat is not the proper or Safeway to run the hot tub, so that is why I'm goi ng to run the designated 20 amp line to the hot tub to see if all my proble ms will go away. Good luck with yours
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