Hot Tub Question ... (Electrical)

[Dennis McGarry]

Ok dont know if anyone here can help with this. But I was just given an old Cal Spa hot tub, its in good shape, only one scuff on the tub itself, the wood surround is pretty bad but workable.

its a 220 I phase, 4 wire hook up.

Does anyone know of a way to wire it to just test it before running the 220 line out under the house and trenching and all that? Is is possible to rent a 220 generator and just put a plug on it?

I can not find anything on the motor/pump/heater to indicate It can be switched to 110v.

thanks

[Matt Meiser]

Only the smallest tubs will run on 110. Ours can in a seriously reduced capacity. Something like you only get 1/2 heat OR pump, not both. At 20A 220, you get full heat or pump. 40A 220 gives you full functionality, again from memory.

My 5500 generator is 4-wire but not big enough to run my hot tub.

You do know they need to be on a GFCI too, right? Lowes sells a "spa panel" that has the GFCI breaker installed. If you really want to check it out, you really should fill it and then you really should have it on the GFCI. Don't want to stick your hand in the water and find its live.

[Dennis McGarry]

Thanks, ya its a 40a 220v system.

I guess I will just have to break down and run the 220 line out and hope the pump and heater are ok.

I just hate to run it and then find out that the either pump or heater is shot.

I did some research on it and it has to be an OLD cal spa, as it doesnt have more then 7 jets if that, and its the old vacuum controls, three buttons and two dials. BUT the wiring in the control box looks like new still and no corrosion anywhere.

My electrician buddy comes back from his 2 week duty next week and will have it run the line then..

[Mitchell Andrus]

My Thermospa tub has 12 hp worth of pumps... 4 water pumps plus an air pump. 127 jets, 5 person. 60 amp service. ...yes, 60 amps just for the tub.

It's nuts, but it came with the house. Quite nice to relax and touch base with the spouse after a long day. If you get it working you'll enjoy it. Having said that, the older tubs can be money pits... don't get sucked into restoring a tub you can replace with a new tub for the same cost. A friend in NJ paid $100.00 for an old tub and then spent $800.00+ trying to keep it running and leak-free for a year. Have a serious talk with the local spa repair guy.
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[Lee Ludden]

You could always rent a large enough generator for a day to test it. There look to be a few places in Peoria that will rent them.

[Matt Meiser]

I want to say we spent $2500 for ours almost 7 years ago. Its a 3-person. Repair-wise we've been lucky. We needed to replace the pillows at $30/each, the cover at about $400, and a temperature sensor that was $25. I was able to diagnose the second myself saving a service call.

If you do rent a generator, I'd still wire in a GFI. I bet by the time you rent a big enough generator you can buy the materials and pay your buddy to do the work. If it doesn't work out, you'll be spa-ready.

Tool rental has kind of gotten stupid-expensive. I wanted to rent a chipper on Monday. I can pay someone to come do it for less than a 3-hour rental ($90). If they weren't so busy on the big jobs that is. I looked into renting a man lift at Home Depot earlier this year to do some tree trimming and for 1 day it was something like $150, plus you had to buy (not rent) a $90 fall harness if you couldn't show them you already had your own. I ended up buying an electric pole saw (which I couldn't find for rent) for $100.

[Lee Schierer]

Does anyone know of a way to wire it to just test it before running the 220 line out under the house and trenching and all that? Is is possible to rent a 220 generator and just put a plug on it?

Maybe I'm missing something, but buy a short length of wire and receptacle, make the electrical connections and run the wire out a window along the ground to the hot tub. Move the hot tub to a convenient location you can reach with your short wire. If it works, then dig the trench and do the permanent wiring to the final location.

[Chris Damm]

My spa had 2 120v motor (1 pump and 1 blower) but the heater required 240v. I don't think a 110v would power one very well. My heater finally crapped out and being almost 20 years old I parted the spa out. The pump is now working on my swimming pool. We don't miss the spa.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Tool rental has kind of gotten stupid-expensive.

I agree. My rule of thumb... if I can buy it for 2 to 4 times the rental cost, I buy it. Obviously there are exceptions, like sheet rock hoists, but stuff like chainsaws..... I'd rather own it and use it a few times - then it's free.
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[David G Baker]

Dennis,
I made an extension cord for my 50 AMP welder using 50 feet of #6 3 with ground romex wire, don't see why you couldn't make a similar set up to test your hot tub as Lee suggested. Should be fine as long as you use the right size wire for the load. I agree with the need for a GFI.

[Rob Russell]

One thing I'd suggest is - assuming you do the trenching and everything - run conductors large enough for a 60A circuit. That way in the future if you replace the tub with one that has more powerful pumps or a heater that draws more current, all you'd have to do is swap out the breakers and not worry about replacing the wiring.

[keith denbesten]

I ran mine for a couple of years with a 50 amp temp power cord pigtailed into a 50 amp breaker in the main panel. Worked fine. Not to code...

[Josh Bowman]

Maybe I'm missing something, but buy a short length of wire and receptacle, make the electrical connections and run the wire out a window along the ground to the hot tub. Move the hot tub to a convenient location you can reach with your short wire. If it works, then dig the trench and do the permanent wiring to the final location.

++ to Lee.
Depending on your electrical braveness, you can even remove the load wires on another of you houses devices, like a stove or AC and use it's breaker for the test. Make sure it's full of water 1st and when the pumps come on, make sure the pumps are pumping water not air. If you allow the heater(s) to come on and have air in the line, you get to buy a new heater. My spa will not activate the heater, after a power outage, until you bump the temperature control up.

[Jerome Stanek]

Why not buy enough wire the right kind and hook it up before you do any trenching. Then if it works trench that line in.

[Rollie Meyers]

Dennis,
I made an extension cord for my 50 AMP welder using 50 feet of #6 3 with ground romex wire, don't see why you couldn't make a similar set up to test your hot tub as Lee suggested. Should be fine as long as you use the right size wire for the load. I agree with the need for a GFI.

NM (Romex) is not a acceptable extension cord, the conductors are not designed for flexing & the conductor insulation and the sheathing is not able to withstand the use as a cord. This post is in reply to the use as a welder extension cord.

Electrical work must be done right or not done at all, there is no middle road.