How Does
How Does a GFI Receptacle in a Hot Tub Work?
By Isaiah
eHow Contributing Writer
Why GFI
-
The pumps, jets and heaters in a hot tub all run off electric current, and where there is electricity and water in close proximity, there is also the potential for disaster. A small leak in any of the electrical equipment can electrocute the water, potentially causing serious injury or death. Conventional circuit breakers are not quick or sensitive enough to prevent this kind of disaster. A GFCI or ground fault circuit interrupter (sometimes called a GFI) is designed to prevent death by electrocution.
GFI Basics
-
Conventional circuit breakers measure the amount of energy flowing through a circuit. Electricity flows from the breaker into a circuit through the hot wire and back out again through the neutral wire. If too much energy goes through the circuit, the circuit breaker trips, shutting off current. GFIs work in a different way. They measure how much energy flows into the circuit and how much flows out again. If there is a substantial difference between the two, the GFI shuts off.
Tripping the GFI
-
If water in or near the hot tub comes in contact with the hot wire or electrical equipment powering the tub, electricity will flow through that water, into the ground. The electricity that flows into the ground will not flow through the neutral wire. The GFI will detect that less energy is flowing into the neutral wire than flowed through the hot wire and determine electricity is going somewhere it shouldn't. The breaker will quickly shut off the circuit, hopefully in time to avoid injury to anyone in contact with the water.
eHow Article: How Does a GFI Receptacle in a Hot Tub Work?
