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The reason for the quick disconnect is that in an emergency a person or guest can see how to shut down power quickly. Like said earlier the 5 foot rule is to make sure you are not in a tub of water when you flip the switch. My quick disconnect is 9 feet from the tub in case an NBA player drops by for a soak ( i kid, i kid). It is next to my rear yard gate so if you entered the back yard via the gate you will walk right in front of it. This said however my switch is only in plain site when you sit on the right side of the tub. While on the left side it is out of line of sight, so I could post a sign that reads "EMERGENCY SHUT OFF" on the corner of the house and everyone would know where to find it. The intent is in case of emergency that your guests know how to power down. Don't know if this helped at all.Scott 8-)
The code here reads "No closer than 5 ft from water and no further than 25 ft within veiw of the spa."
As Stuart has pointed out codes change pending what province or state you live in. Here in Ontario the GFCI must be no closer then 5 feet but no further the 15 feet. Also it must be within plain sight of the tub.Your best bet would be to contact your local ESA/building dept. and ask them for the code in your area
So the GFCI can be in the main panel inside the house and a shut off can be outside near the tub, is that right?I know in my case that's what I did but the shut off is only four feet from the tub.