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Plug & Play Hot Tubs.

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Sparkiemike recently mentioned plug and play hot tubs that are popular these days.

I came across one recently at a holiday cottage. It was just plugged into an outdoor weatherproof socket. The hot tub was quite small as hot tubs go. It sat on flagstones on soil in the garden. It was possible to have one foot in the water and the other on a flagstone.

The earthing arrangement was P.M.E.

I was not happy with that so I TT'd the socket, and converted it to an R.C.D. type socket. The circuit is R.C.B.O. proteced at the consumer unit, but I do like belt and braces R.C.D. protection is critical situations like this.

How many D.I.Yers will install these plug and play hot tubs in the garden without considering the electrical safety aspects?

Z.

 

 

 

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    AJJewsbury: 
     

    The polluted water with many additions may be quite conductive.

    But how conductive? In the early experiments with plastic pipes it was noticed that central heating inhibitor produced a very noticeable reduction in water resistance - yet even with a double dose of inhibitor a few tens of cm of plastic pipe was still quite sufficient to keep any possible shock currents well below danger levels. Unless we're expecting the ‘pollution’ to consist of magnetised iron filings, how conductive is the water really likely to be?

       - Andy.

    Salt.

     

    I do not think that central heating inhibitor is used in hot tub water.

    belgium-statue.jpg

    What are the risks to persons using a hot tub?

    The risk of electric shock is increased when a person is wet due to the decreased body resistance which allows an increase in current through the body in the event of contact with live parts. This risk is further increased when a person is using a hot tub outdoors due to the possibility of contact with Earth. Which is exactly the same risk as for a person using a swimming pool.

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  • 0

    AJJewsbury: 
     

    The polluted water with many additions may be quite conductive.

    But how conductive? In the early experiments with plastic pipes it was noticed that central heating inhibitor produced a very noticeable reduction in water resistance - yet even with a double dose of inhibitor a few tens of cm of plastic pipe was still quite sufficient to keep any possible shock currents well below danger levels. Unless we're expecting the ‘pollution’ to consist of magnetised iron filings, how conductive is the water really likely to be?

       - Andy.

    Salt.

     

    I do not think that central heating inhibitor is used in hot tub water.

    belgium-statue.jpg

    What are the risks to persons using a hot tub?

    The risk of electric shock is increased when a person is wet due to the decreased body resistance which allows an increase in current through the body in the event of contact with live parts. This risk is further increased when a person is using a hot tub outdoors due to the possibility of contact with Earth. Which is exactly the same risk as for a person using a swimming pool.

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