Hot Tub GFCI

[Lizzy's Power Play]

Hello everyone.

I need an opinion. Customer ordered hot tub that comes with an outdoor disconnect that contains two 2-pole GFCI breakers, one a 20 amp and the other a 30 amp. These two 240v. circuits go on to supply the tub.

I want to supply this disconnect/ breaker sub panel with #6/4 copper romex, not THHN in conduit, due to the distance from the panel and obstacles in the way that would make using conduit difficult and costly.

Is it OK to put a 2-pole 50 amp GFCI breaker in the main electric panel,
run romex #6/4 to the sub-panel, and use regular 2-pole breakers in the sub panel instead of the disconnect GFCI breakers provided?

I'm afraid if I GFCI the entire circuit from the main panel and then use the individual GFCI breakers provided in the disconnect, the GFCI's won't like it and I'll get tripping.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GoldDigger]

The GFCI main breaker and the GFCI branch breakers should not interact in any noticeable way.
The branch breakers will not increase the false trip susceptibility of the main or vice versa. And the self test button on each breaker will not trip the others.
An external GFCI tester could trip both branch and main.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Why would you do that? If the breakers are already supplied you are wanting to pay about $100 for a DP 50 amp gfci????? I would rather have 2 gfci's at the unit then one gfci for the entire tub

 

[edlee]

Hello everyone.

I need an opinion. Customer ordered hot tub that comes with an outdoor disconnect that contains two 2-pole GFCI breakers, one a 20 amp and the other a 30 amp. These two 240v. circuits go on to supply the tub.

I want to supply this disconnect/ breaker sub panel with #6/4 copper romex, not THHN in conduit, due to the distance from the panel and obstacles in the way that would make using conduit difficult and costly.

Is it OK to put a 2-pole 50 amp GFCI breaker in the main electric panel,
run romex #6/4 to the sub-panel, and use regular 2-pole breakers in the sub panel instead of the disconnect GFCI breakers provided?

I'm afraid if I GFCI the entire circuit from the main panel and then use the individual GFCI breakers provided in the disconnect, the GFCI's won't like it and I'll get tripping.

Thanks in advance.

It seems to me it should work. You don't say why you are wanting to do it this way, but I suppose you have a good reason!

 

[Lizzy's Power Play]

Clarification

Clarification

I'm trying to avoid running conduit from main panel to hot tub sub-panel/ disconnect. In the past, AHJ wants conduit run if GFCI protection is in outside disconnect, not it the main panel, when wiring pools or hot tub. Putting 50A GFCI breaker in panel allows me to run #6 copper Romex to disconnect. There's to many obstacles in the way to run conduit.

 

[mwm1752]

I'm trying to avoid running conduit from main panel to hot tub sub-panel/ disconnect. In the past, AHJ wants conduit run if GFCI protection is in outside disconnect, not it the main panel, when wiring pools or hot tub. Putting 50A GFCI breaker in panel allows me to run #6 copper Romex to disconnect. There's to many obstacles in the way to run conduit.

680.42( C ) allows CU NM for the interior part to exterior wall -- 6-3 nm @ 60C = 55 amps = 60 amp breaker for feeder not needed to be GFCI protected to small sub panel

 

[curt swartz]

The wiring between the service and the exterior "sub" panel is considered a feeder. Type NM cable is not one of the wiring methods permitted in 680.25. If the Hot Tub only required a single 50 amp branch circuit then you could use type NM for the interior wiring portion of the feeder.

 

[mwm1752]

The wiring between the service and the exterior "sub" panel is considered a feeder. Type NM cable is not one of the wiring methods permitted in 680.25. If the Hot Tub only required a single 50 amp branch circuit then you could use type NM for the interior wiring portion of the feeder.

I stand corrected as you would now have a pool panel, so is all the load side of the service to the pool panels feeder(s) using wiring methods per 680.25? sounded like you were comming out of a subpanel to begin with. Exterior tap????? maybe MC cable?