Hook mystery wire up to my 220v hot tub?

drbrightguy

I found a wire, which consists of 3 wires, 2 hot I'm assuming, that say 600 watts on them, and a ground encased in a "1/2 carlon carflex fnmc-b" tube.

The wire is controlled by the second switch on a stop box that turns the in ground pool filter on and off.

My question is, can I connect this wire to my hot tub and not blow my house up? How do I know if this wire can handle the 220 v connection?

Thanks for the help guys!

dSilanskas

I'm sure it can handle the 220v but you need to know what size breaker it is rated for and also are you sure it's rated for 220v and not 120? What size is the wire it should say it right on it

Speedy Petey

Well, at the risk of being called a jerk (again), all I can say is PLEASE call a pro in on this.

From the sound of your post it is obvious that you really don't know what you are doing, and simply asking a few questions on the internet is NOT an acceptable way to gain the knowledge that you need to wire a spa or hot tub.
A spa or hot tub is NOT a place to messing around if you do not know the practices and codes to do the job safely and correctly. The consequences are just too extreme.

Your question is the classic misunderstanding that "220" is only part of the equation, and is incorrect at that. It is either 120v, 240v, or 120/240v.
And simply asking if a cable is "good for 220" is like pointing to a tire, without seeing the writing on it, and asking if it is OK for your car.

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Sometimes I feel like if I answer any more questions it is like someone trying to climb over a fence to jump off a bridge and me giving them a boost.

joed

I agree with Speedy.
Plus I doubt the wire says 600 watts on it. It probably says 600 volts. They don't mark watts on cables unless it is a heating cable like for melting snow off your eaves.

rgsgww

You need to know more about the circuit before you hook anything up. Spas have special requirements, that, if not met, can create the possibility for electric shock.

We need some more information, maybe a picture? Try and trace the circuit. It needs to go straight to the panel in the first place.

drbrightguy

Good advice everyone, I am, going to take a picture or two to post.

And yes Joed, you are absolutely right, it is 600 volts, not watts.

Thanks for the replies!

drbrightguy

Upon double checking, the hot tub is labeled 240v @ 4kw with a snipped 6-3, 600v cable with ground. The pool pump which is already running of the breaker safely, reads 115\240v. The secondary wire running from the breaker, probably intended for a pool heater, does not read anything other than gas and oil resistant, 600v, and model number letters I assume.

does this clear things up?

220/221

Too many questions but it is NEVER a good idea to hook up ANY mystery wires. Find the size of the wire, find the beginning and the end and make sure there is nothing in between..

If this circuit controls your pool pump it is probably not going to work for your spa.

It's alson not a good idea to assume anything.

Aggie67

My 2 cents: call an electrician. It would really be a bad day if you did it wrong and fried the equipment, your self or significant other.

Also, I'm a little perplexed. I have the whole pool and spa thing going as well, and I was careful to make sure the circuits were separate when I bought the house. Are you asking if you can run your spa AND your pool pump/filter off that original pool circuit? My initial reaction is a big "no", just from having to deal with both systems on my own property. My pool is 115v 20 amp, spa is 220v 60 amp. The only way I could be convinced it was safe is if a licensed electrician proved to me that everything was sized appropriately for the equipment loads.

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Scuba_Dave

My pool pump at 240v pulls just under 10a

My hot tub & others I have seen require a 50a GFCI breaker
The ground has to be an insulated ground for a hot tub
Depending upon what the hot tub is sitting on you may need a bonding grid setup

As stated this is not a guess work installation

Speedy Petey

Whoever wired this thing to begin with did it wrong. You CANNOT use cable to feed a spa or hot tub. It must be conductors in conduit with an insulated ground. This is unless it is an indoors installation.

__________________
Sometimes I feel like if I answer any more questions it is like someone trying to climb over a fence to jump off a bridge and me giving them a boost.

J. V.

Please take Speedy's advice and get a pro to do this job. As he said there are to many rules and precautions that MUST be addressed with pools and spa's. This is not a DIY project.