My jacuzzi was installed years ago with no GFI type protection. I purchased from spa tec a 220 gfi breaker box designed to be installed in the vicinity of the jacuzzi. This new box has 2- 60 amp gfi type breakers one on each 110 leg.
My question is that at the main panel the wires feeding the jacuzzi are running through 2- 50 amp non gfi breakers. If I bi pass these breakers the two 110 legs will still be protected by the main breaker only and then it would run about 40 ft to the remote jacuzzi panel. Or should I leave the 50 amp breakers in place which doesn't sound right to me?
Could the 50’s interfere with the operation of the 60" somehow. I know they are big enough for the cable but not sure if having them might somehow cause a malfuntion in the 60’s.
I’m an electronicist, not an electrician.
My **guess **is that you want to replace the 50s, not leave them in the circuit.
But, verify first that the wiring and everything else can take 60 amps, with an ample safety margin. Be sure you don’t need 50 amp breakers, or even lower.
How many watts does the thing really pull? Any idea?
(If you plan to resell the place, a certified electrician might be a good idea. )
Wire size in plenty big, I know the motor is a 15 amp not sure about the heater but I would imagine it is in about the same range so proably 30 to 35 amps. I will double check that tomorrow. Spa company recomended this GF 60 amp set up for my unit.
To answer just the question, if everything was up to code before (and safe), then installing the box, with the GFCI breakers, by the spa, isn’t going to hurt anything. But, to keep it up to code, make sure that that any wire running from the new box, to the spa is rated for 60 amps. The wire from the house to the new box can be rated for 50 amps though.
In theory, the entire system will blow if it pulls more then 50 amps so you could just reuse the smaller wire, but if you want to do it right…
The thing is, you’re not looking to protect your self from over amperage with this box, though code may require a shut off within X feet of the spa, you’re looking to add GFI protection because of the water.
I don’t think you understand wire size. If you have a wire rated for 40 amps on a 50 amp breaker, what happens if a fault in the motor or heater causes the circuit to start drawing 45 amps? You’re going to burn up the wire. Best case scenario…it burns up in the breaker box or in some steel conduit somewhere and happens quickly. Worse case scenario…it smolders slowly in a wall and starts a house fire.
Now, if you have a wire rated for 50 or more amps on a 50 amp breaker, the breaker will blow before the wire will catch fire and you won’t burn your house down. This is literally exactly what circuit breakers (well, fuses) were designed to do.
I have 6 gage wire comming from the main panel to the jacuzzi junction box, the breaker will blow before the wire heats up.
My only real concern is if the 50 amp breakers comming before the 60 amp GFI breakers can interfere with the gfi safety feature. Thats my basic question.
I was just rethinking this statement and while I still believe it to be correct, I would feel better saying that all the wire in the entire project should be rated for 50 amps, the size of the smallest breaker. The reason being that if someone ever takes out the 60 amp breaker and ties the wires together, that would create a problem. Not even that, but even if someone were to someday replace the 60 amp breaker and figure that since the one in the basement is 50 amps, that’s all they need here too.
Besides, since you’re just splicing into what’s already there, it shouldn’t really make a difference anyways.