Electrical placement for whirlpool tub
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Electrical placement for whirlpool tub
I'm seeking enlightenment on this issue. We'll have a proper electrician do the work, but I'd like to figure out my options and what's normal.
We have a funny house where many things were done wrong or strangely. The waterproofing on our master bath shower was ridiculously bad --- the house appears to have been saved by infiltrating roots sucking up the excess water! Furthermore, the shower adjoins a whirlpool tub, and the motor for the tub is plugged into an electrical outlet in a space under the tub, which is accessible by a strange tiled door from within the shower stall. So in other words, there is an electrical outlet a few inches off the floor, practically in the shower stall. The door is not very well waterproofed. Realistically, *probably* no one would die... but this strikes me as a very bad idea and makes me NOT relaxed in either the tub or shower. Have no idea if even GFCI, since can't quite reach the outlet and can only "see" by sticking cell phone camera in hole.
Question: Where DOES one safely put the electrical hookup for a whirlpool tub? Should it really be just plugged into an outlet? Where should it be and how to make sure it couldn't get wet, either from the shower or a possible failure of the tub jet seals?
(Secondary question: For safety + financial reasons, we probably will try to remove electrical altogether and cap off jets in tub rather than total replacement. Anyone know where to get caps? Apparently they don't exist???)
Thank you for any insights!!! Cindy
We have a funny house where many things were done wrong or strangely. The waterproofing on our master bath shower was ridiculously bad --- the house appears to have been saved by infiltrating roots sucking up the excess water! Furthermore, the shower adjoins a whirlpool tub, and the motor for the tub is plugged into an electrical outlet in a space under the tub, which is accessible by a strange tiled door from within the shower stall. So in other words, there is an electrical outlet a few inches off the floor, practically in the shower stall. The door is not very well waterproofed. Realistically, *probably* no one would die... but this strikes me as a very bad idea and makes me NOT relaxed in either the tub or shower. Have no idea if even GFCI, since can't quite reach the outlet and can only "see" by sticking cell phone camera in hole.
Question: Where DOES one safely put the electrical hookup for a whirlpool tub? Should it really be just plugged into an outlet? Where should it be and how to make sure it couldn't get wet, either from the shower or a possible failure of the tub jet seals?
(Secondary question: For safety + financial reasons, we probably will try to remove electrical altogether and cap off jets in tub rather than total replacement. Anyone know where to get caps? Apparently they don't exist???)
Thank you for any insights!!! Cindy
#2
Every Jacuzzi type tub I have seen has the motor and or heater plugged in under the skirt. Previously the code allowed the gfi receptacle under the skirt. It is now required to be accessible and not under the skirt.
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Okay, that's helpful to know. So presumably putting it under the tub per se wasn't crazy, but in this case they decided to use the space adjoining the shower, which was a little crazy.
Thanks for clarifying my thinking. I think we will call a jacuzzi company and price getting the electrical /motor moved to the closet on the other side.
Thanks for clarifying my thinking. I think we will call a jacuzzi company and price getting the electrical /motor moved to the closet on the other side.