NEC code regarding SPA Panel

[brewhokie]

Quick question for the electrical guru's. My plan to supply power to my eBIAB rig is to install a 30amp breaker in my main panel--15ft of 10/3 with ground romex to the Spa Panel--30amp dryer outlet installed in the spa panel (pretty much how many others have done there's).

My questions are whether these attributes are acceptable according to NEC code (ie. they would pass a home inspection):

1) 30 amp breaker in the main panel feeding a 50amp GFI breaker. Would an electrician give you a hard time even though the planned max load is rated for 30amp not 50?

2) Is there any problem installing the dryer outlet in the Spa Panel?

 

[AlteredEgo]

2) Is there any problem installing the dryer outlet in the Spa Panel?

I installed mine in the hole in the top.

 

[iijakii]

I installed mine in the hole in the top.

There's enough room? I haven't really looked at it but I thought at first-glance the lid would get in the way. Great to know, I was dreading cutting a round hole in that since I don't have the proper holesaw.

 

[AlteredEgo]

There's enough room? I haven't really looked at it but I thought at first-glance the lid would get in the way. Great to know, I was dreading cutting a round hole in that since I don't have the proper holesaw.

Plenty of room. I even added two 120V circuit breakers to the spa panel (very handy), and still had enough room. Of course, I had to drill 4 small holes for the mounting screws.

 

[brewhokie]

Any thoughts on the first question? Thats the one that really concerns me. I'd much rather buy a 30amp breaker and 10awg romex.

 

[Fly_Rodder]

You wouldn't be able to draw more than 30 amps to the spa panel and risk damage to the equipment because you'd trip the 30a breaker in the mains. In an ideal world, you'd just have a 30a GFCI in the mains and run the 4-wire to an outlet and plug your control panel into that. The spa panel is used in homes with an existing 30a/220v circuit that doesn't have GFCI protection. For some reason a 30a GFCI replacement breaker is more expensive than the spa panel. Additionally, the spa panel can be used to separate neutral and ground in an older circuit without replacing the entire circuit.

If you're adding all of this new, you may was well get the 30a GFCI to the mains panel and skip the spa panel - it's not going to add <i>that</i> much to your overall cost.

 

[yjfun]

The code doesn't care if you run from a 30 amp breaker to a 50 amp breaker as long as all the wiring after the first breaker is sized accordingly. In this case you just need to make sure that all the wiring after the 30 amp breaker in your panel is 10 awg. You can even run 10 awg from your 50 amp breaker to the receptacle because it's not possible to load it past 30 amps.

As for installing your receptacle in the spa panel I can't think of anything off hand that says you can't but I've never tried to do that and get it passed by an inspector. Installing a box with the receptacle in it a couple of inches away is pretty cheap and just as easy to do and you'll never have to worry if you're legal or not.

I also agree with fly rodder why bother with the spa panel at all if this is a new installation. Just put a gfi breaker in your main panel and run the wire to a receptacle.

 

[brewhokie]

Anyone know where I can buy a Eaton Cutler CH 30 amp 2 pole GFI breaker for under $120?

 

[yjfun]

It's re manufactured but only $100. And yes re manufactured breakers are tested just like new ones so there's nothing to worry about. The breaker will do it's job like it should.

I'd still spend the extra $20 and get the new one though.

http://www.swgr.com/store/circuit-breakers/molded-case/product/ch230gf,22-13864.aspx