ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Spa questions.

Help clear this up for me. These questions are in general about a outdoor spa for a single family dwelling.

Article numbers if you could...

1. Conductors after the disconnect are required to be copper? (I have always did this, thought I read it in the past but now I can't find it.)

2. Spa/pool motors that are hardwired are NOT required to be GFCI protected?

3. If #2 is correct, why do I think I a need GFCI disconnect for a spa? (I can come up with reasons if the spa power feeds lights etc., but I have seen spas that at the disconnect have a #10 wire for the motor, and then #12 for the lgts. So sense the #10 is basically hardwired to the motor, it doesn't need to be GFCI protected?)

Thanks.

#1 is driven by 680.21(A) "Any wiring method employed shall contain a copper equipment grounding conductor sized in accordance with 250.122 but not smaller than 12 AWG."
I suppose you could use aluminum for the current carrying conductors but you still may have a 110.3(B) problem since most skid packs say "copper only" somewhere in the instructions or labels.

#2 gets covered by 680.44 and it just says "outlets" <shall have GFCI> not "receptacles". The exceptions are
(A) self-contained unit or listed packaged equipment assembly that includes integral ground-fault circuit-interrupter
(B) A field assembled spa or hot tub rated 3 phase or rated over 250 volts or with a heater load of more than 50 amperes.
(C) Combination Pool and Spa or Hot Tub. A combination pool/hot tub or spa assembly commonly bonded.

So most spas require GFCI, cord and plug or hard wired if they don't meet A B or C above.