Thursday, February 28, 2008

Hot Tubbin'

Check it and see. It has a thermostat that goes to 103. That's right, I bought a hot tub. It was a Craigslist special. Only $400. I don't have a good pic of it yet, just what the guy put on Craigslist. When I have it all set up, I will snap some better ones. Everything looks great, the only concern I have is wiring it. It is the "convertible" model, in that it can operate off of 120V or 240V. If 120V is used, it will heat 2-3 degrees every hour, compared to the 7-8 degrees per hour when wired with 240V. Also, on 120V the high jets or the heater can be used, but not both as with the 240V. So clearly, the 240V is preferred. The spa controller accepts either a 120V or 240V proprietary plug, but I only have the 120V plug. Bummer. However, in the little time I looked at the controller, I believe it is only a matter of popping off the cover and wiring in a standard plug.



The other trick is wiring it to the house. As you can imagine, I don't have 240 readily available in my back yard. Luckily, I know people who are good at this sort of thing and should be able to wire in 240 without a problem. My fuse panel is in the garage, very close to where I would like the wires to come into the back yard for the spa.



I am hoping to start getting it set up tomorrow after work and finish the install Saturday for a party Saturday night.

4 Comments:

Blogger milkman said...

A few things to note:
1) Be careful with running exterior lines. There are lots of code requirements around how deeply the line needs to be buried, and what type of conduit you need to use.
2) I'm not sure what the current requirements are for a hot tub, but I'm guessing it's somewhere between 20 and 40 amps, which means you'll need 12- or 8-gauge line. 8-gauge is pricey stuff.
3) Remember to turn it off. My buddy Mouser left his hot tub on constantly one month and had a $400 power bill or something equally ridiculous.

2/29/2008 11:20:00 AM

 
Blogger Justin Short said...

I got the conduit and am below the frost line. I had to run 6 gauge since the line is over 40 feet. So, the cable cost over $100. I am putting in an outdoor switch with GFI (the controller for the tub has built in GFI as well) outside, and a new breaker in the box. I finally got the cable and conduit buried, which was a pain since the ground was frozen. I have to put in the post to mount the switch, wire the cables, drill through my wall, and replace 1 busted hose in the tub, and it should be operational.

3/03/2008 09:24:00 PM

 
Blogger milkman said...

Wow. I'm surprised you only paid $100--I got 25 feet of 8-gauge and it cost me nearly $80. Actually, it may have been 3-conductor.

I think you'll also need to ground the conduit, but I'm not sure if you need to stake it or if it's considered safely grounded merely by, you know, burying it.

3/04/2008 12:30:00 AM

 
Blogger Phil said...

Is there going to be an update with scantily clad women sipping drinks with umbrellas in them whilst splashing aboot?

3/04/2008 03:52:00 PM

 

Post a Comment

<< Home