[valcarmo72]

I have an unfinished bathroom my home came with and I am in the process of getting it done. Before tiling around the Aquatic Whirlpool I was looking at how it was put in. To make a long story short...can u be harmed and is there a proper way to ground a whirlpool. At the present time there is a green ground wire going from the heater that is attached to the pump going to the hot and cold water lines. There is only one button that turn it on it off. No speeds or different settings. Also I notices there is a safety GFI that is installed outside the whirlpool about 6 ft away. My concern came when I turn the whirlpool on momentarily to see if it worked and the lights dimmed when I did that. At the present time there is no finished water source just roughed water lines. I wanna fill it and test that sucker out..any suggestions. And yes the GFI does shut down the whirlpool. Thanks in advance for the help..

 

[Glennsparky]

The visible green wire should be #8 and it's the bond wire. You have another green or bare wire, you can't see, run with the hots. That's your ground. Your setup sounds fine. The lights dimming are a different issue. Is the whirlpool on it's own breaker? If it's not it may need to be.

 

[valcarmo72]

Thx for the reply. Heres a pic of it...

Don't know?...ask someone...

 

[valcarmo72]

Here's where the ground wire comes from...

Don't know?...ask someone...

 

[J. V.]

The tub is grounded via the EGC (equipment grounding conductor) located in the cable that feeds the tub. It is then connected to the ground terminal in the tubs junction box.
Those additional attempts to bond/ground the tub are useless and unnecessary.
System bonding is accomplished at your service. All further bonding and grounding requirements are achieved through the EGC. There is no requirement to bond again at the tub. (outside pools and spa have different requirements than indoor units)
Most drop in tubs are already designed for you to connect four (4) wires in the junction box of the tub. H-H-N-G for 230 volts and H-N-G for 120 volts tubs.
Any additional bonding and grounding is not necessary.

 

[valcarmo72]

Ok cool. There are two plugs that come off the tub. One for the pump and one for the heater. I'm going to assume its 120v. Then the outlet that they are plugged into is controlled by a GFI. Looks right so far.

Don't know?...ask someone...

 

[busman]

Those additional attempts to bond/ground the tub are useless and unnecessary.

Maybe you should check 680.74 (2005 NEC). Sorry that's the only codebook I have with me today.

It looks like the bonding was done properly from what I can see in the photos. And, yes, it is required for Hydromassage tubs.

Mark

 

[valcarmo72]

I have a freak question...what is the worst thing that can happen to someone if it wasn't grounded right...being as the GFI switch is working. I just tried tool that u put into the plug that causes a fault and trips either a breaker or GFI. And the light say CORRECT and the GFI trips when I push the button. I think I'm good. Gonna check with the code and gonna donwload the installation manual. Thx for the help.

Don't know?...ask someone...

 

[busman]

I have a freak question...what is the worst thing that can happen to someone if it wasn't grounded right...being as the GFI switch is working. I just tried tool that u put into the plug that causes a fault and trips either a breaker or GFI. And the light say CORRECT and the GFI trips when I push the button. I think I'm good. Gonna check with the code and gonna donwload the installation manual. Thx for the help.

Don't know?...ask someone...

Well, for one, a GFCI does not limit the severity of a shock, just the duration. Also, of course, GFCI devices have been known to fail on occasion.

Also, the wires shown in the picture are not for grounding, they are for bonding. There is a difference.

Mark

 

[Jim Port]

There should be two circuits feeding that tub. One for the heater and the other for the motor.

The bonding only needs to occur if the metal piping is in contact with the circulating water. I have never seen a tub with metallic piping under the skirt.

 

[valcarmo72]

Maybe I'm gonna take up the cement board around the pump and electric box and get a nice view of it. If I need I'll post for help. This thread was great. Learn a ton of info. Thx everyone.

Don't know?...ask someone...

 

[busman]

There should be two circuits feeding that tub. One for the heater and the other for the motor.

The bonding only needs to occur if the metal piping is in contact with the circulating water. I have never seen a tub with metallic piping under the skirt.

It really depends on how you interpret the "and" in that code section. It is ambiguous as to whether the "in contact with the circulating water" part goes with the "metal piping systems" part or just with the "grounded metal parts" part.

In my opinion it could read either way, but Jim's interpretation is probably the correct one. That interpretation would still require bonding the drain (if metal) in my opinion.

Mark

 

[valcarmo72]

Ok so in conclusion...I have discovered that the motor and the heater have separate plugs that come off both units. That is why they have one plug. Not sure if it is a dedicated line but the green wore is a bonding wire that the installation instruction show to use. Not sure why. So I'm filing that bad boy and give it a test ride...Thx to all for the help. Greatly appreciated.

Don't know?...ask someone...