Whirlpool bath ????

[John C]

I have bought a whirlpool bath and was wondering if anyone can enlighten me
on the electrical installation requirements for this in the UK.

 

[abuse]

I have bought a whirlpool bath and was wondering if anyone can enlighten me
on the electrical installation requirements for this in the UK.

not for the UK but I can for the US

NEC requirements for spas

GFCI protection is required for both cord-and-plug and hard-wired spas
containing single-phase equipment [680.42, 680.44]. GFCI protection
isn't required for the outlet that supplies a spa that has integral GFCI
protection [680.44(A)]

and of course proper bonding.

heres a sample pic.
http://www.mrsandman.net/gifs/spa.jpg

 

[Richard Cunningham]

I've just started reading this newsgroup, and my background is an
electrician in UK. What does GFCI mean? What does a GFCI do?

My _guess_ is that it is another name for a RCD - a residual current device.
This measures the difference in current between the live and neutral, and if
it is over a specific value (30mA difference being the most common product)
cuts the power. In the UK these are required where there is higher shock
risk - for power tools in the garden for example.

Please someone in USA confirm

Regards,

Richard

I have bought a whirlpool bath and was wondering if anyone can enlighten me
on the electrical installation requirements for this in the UK.

not for the UK but I can for the US

NEC requirements for spas

GFCI protection is required for both cord-and-plug and hard-wired spas
containing single-phase equipment [680.42, 680.44]. GFCI protection
isn't required for the outlet that supplies a spa that has integral GFCI
protection [680.44(A)]

and of course proper bonding.

heres a sample pic.
http://www.mrsandman.net/gifs/spa.jpg

 

[abuse]

I've just started reading this newsgroup, and my background is an
electrician in UK. What does GFCI mean? What does a GFCI do?

GFCI ground fault circuit interrupter, It's there to protect people from
electrical shock

My _guess_ is that it is another name for a RCD - a residual current device.
This measures the difference in current between the live and neutral, and if
it is over a specific value (30mA difference being the most common product)
cuts the power.

correct
It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it
can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.
In the UK these are required where there is higher shock

risk - for power tools in the garden for example.

same here also within six feet of a kitchen sink, in bathrooms, spas and
temporay power at construction sites.

Please someone in USA confirm

Regards,

Richard

I have bought a whirlpool bath and was wondering if anyone can enlighten
me

on the electrical installation requirements for this in the UK.

not for the UK but I can for the US

NEC requirements for spas

GFCI protection is required for both cord-and-plug and hard-wired spas
containing single-phase equipment [680.42, 680.44]. GFCI protection
isn't required for the outlet that supplies a spa that has integral GFCI
protection [680.44(A)]

and of course proper bonding.

heres a sample pic.
http://www.mrsandman.net/gifs/spa.jpg