Anyone wired up a J-480 recently?

[watson524]

Hi all,

We're still looking at a few different models. Wondering if anyone has wired up a J-480 for 60a service recently? In looking at the manual, it looks like there's no neutral required at the spa itself. I thought that was strange but I found it confirmed in a few posts. I'm not an electrician but am comfortable running the wires (tho will have an electrician friend visually inspect it) and know a bit about electricity. If there's no neutral, doesn't that mean that everything is running on 220 in the tub? I get that for the 2 main pumps but I would have thought that say the circ pump or the LED lights would run on 110 then the neutral would be needed. Is this not the case?

And if there's no neutral to the tub itself, do you still need a neutral from the house panel out to the spa panel with the 60a GFCI in it? And also the pigtail from the 60a GFCI breaker in the spa panel to the bus bar in the spa panel, is that needed? My gut tells me yes you still want that.

thanks in advance!

[DaveMc]

Main Servicenpanel to tub-------------- sub panel (spa panel) then to ------------"control panel"---so 3 physical locations!
1. Main Panel to Spa panel 3- #4( gauge is dependent on length) (Ground. Hot. Hot & Neutral)  ground-I used #6 but that is debatable---neutral is required or GFCI won't work.
2. Spa Panel with 60 amp GFCI
3. Spa Pane to Control panel (the pane in the hot tub enclosure)---3-#6---Hot, Hot & Ground-----no neutral--confusing --yes! Why--not needed!

The voltage to the spa components--blower and pump and lights and digital and whatever all get their power from the 220 you provided---the items requiring less than 220 get it via a transformer---google your schematic and you may see the xmr--(transformer).
If your length is long--I suggest 1-1/4 sched 40 pvc ( if in protected area --otherwise sched 80---no more than 4 90 degree bends without a pull box---and it is needed.

[watson524]

Well I'll be darned. I didn't think about the transformer in there. At least my basic understanding of why the neutral is there in a 120/240 is correct. I thought maybe may basic knowledge was even bad. LOL! From what we're being told across the board, #6 AWG is what we need for all. Some said you can use #8 on the ground but I see no point to that. I'm debating if I want to do PVC or flex tube since I'll be coming out under the deck on a beam, running across that beam underneath to a leg of the deck where I'll mount the spa panel with the GFCI. From there I'll have to dig a very short trench so I guess I'll go to PVC since I don't know if I can bury flex tube, tho it's liquid tight so maybe I can. Run from main service panel to spa panel shouldn't be more than 35 or 40 feet. Then spa panel to tub will be at least 5 because it has to be but not much more given where the tub is going.

Do you know if #6 comes in solid copper? All I'm finding is twisted in the color jacketed type.

[DaveMc]

Flex by code in California can be 6 foot PLUS the length needed after it enters the enclosure.
I get up to 95 feet for a 60 amp using #6 wire
I think you don't want solid--and it doesn't come in solid
pvc at 18 inches deep could be sched 40 from 18 inches deep to surface or panel is should be sched 40---under a deck---up to local inspector
Get a permit--it pays in the long run--but don't count on the local inspector to know the elect code---smaller the town/county--the less they know

[watson524]

Good to know about the CA code since surely they are more strict than Northeast PA. We don't really have permits around here exactly. Of course, we also don't have zoning.

Flex by code in California can be 6 foot PLUS the length needed after it enters the enclosure.
I get up to 95 feet for a 60 amp using #6 wire
I think you don't want solid--and it doesn't come in solid
pvc at 18 inches deep could be sched 40 from 18 inches deep to surface or panel is should be sched 40---under a deck---up to local inspector
Get a permit--it pays in the long run--but don't count on the local inspector to know the elect code---smaller the town/county--the less they know

[DaveMc]

If you don't have zoning and permit requirements--then just follow the NEC and don't encourage more beaurocracy !!!!---City and County codes are more and more subscribing to a website that writes the codes and shares them for a fee to the municipalities.