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So I want to put a sub panel for a spa in not attached to my house. I guess the question would be the same if I were just doing a disconnect. Do I have to put a ground rod in a sub panel that is say attached to a poll near my spa. Is that considered a “structure”. The spa is around 50ft from the house. My initial plan was to just put the sub panel on the house in line of site, but it is going to be right at or over 50ft. If I ran the sub panel out near the tub is that a 4 wire install and does it also require a grounding rod?

Aaron Smith
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  • Your general location might help with the correct answer. Any reason to want a sub panel near the spa? – crip659 Jul 18 '23 at 20:47
  • Sorry, I’m in Illinois. I was under the impression that the disconnect had to be more than 5ft and less than 50ft from waters edge. I guess I could run the sub panel on the outside of the house then just put a disconnect near. But the questions remain would that disconnect require at grounding rod? – Aaron Smith Jul 18 '23 at 21:18
  • The disconnect should not need a grounding rod. Still an interesting question if a sub panel there(at/near the spa and detached from the main house) would need one. – crip659 Jul 18 '23 at 21:25
  • A wet spa will have special bonding requirements. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jul 18 '23 at 21:43
  • @crip659 the closest thing comes to mind is an RV Panel, which doesnt require ground – aaaaa says reinstate Monica Jul 19 '23 at 00:27

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Since you decided to install subpanel, you have to run 4-wire line: hot, hot, neutral, and ground from the main panel. In the subpanel you do not bond neutral and ground, and wire ground to the rod near subpanel. That is the "default" way of wiring subpanel.

However, your spa (or hot tub) probably doesn't require subpanel, just a disconnect. In that case grounding rod in not necessary and increases complexity of the installation.

aaaaa says reinstate Monica
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