Is it permissable to connect a outdoor hot tub to a subpanel fed with 6/3 romex. Wiring is in the interior of the house, sleeved in conduit to subpanel(surface of exterior), at which point would be in Sch. 40/LFNC to hot tub. Thanks

MAYBE.

If the feeder is existing to the panbelboard at which the branch-circuit will be supplied for the spa, then YES. The exception to section 680.25(A) gives this permission.

Installing a new NM cable feeder to panel to supply a spa or pool equipment would be a code violation.

While 680.42(C) & 680.21(A)(4) permit NM cable to be used for "interior wiring to outdoor installations", these two sections do not apply to a feeder supplying a panelboard used to supply pool & spa equipment. (Unless that feeder is existing as stated above)

Great Question...

Geeze, Brian, for once I disagree with you... As I read 680.21(A)(4), I do not see where this does not allow this wiring method if you go to a subpanel. It would be like going to a pool panel (like they use so often to control the motors and lights and such). I see no difference. When they revised the code to allow this, it was for SFR's to be allowed to have the pool feed run without using an insulated ground. Yet to this day I see so many pool feeds piped to the main panel.
If you read 680.25 literally then the feeder from your service equipment to your main panelboard would have to be in conduit IF it later fed pool wiring. "and on the load side of the service equipment or the source of the seperately derived system", this would be the line from the service to your indoor panel...

We will have to agree to disagree. There would be no purpose for section 680.25 if sections 680.21(A)(4) & 680.42(C) exempted it.

In fact, section 680.25 states, "These provisions shall apply to ANY feeder on the supply side of panelbaords supplying branch circuits for pool equipment covered in Part II of this article..."

The exception covers your example above for an EXISTING feeder to an EXISTING panelboard LATER supplying pool equipment. But a NEW feeder to a NEW panelboard supplying pool equipment must meet 680.25...

Don't agree to disagree. Florida law requires that the NEC be enforced the same "from jurisdiction to jurisdiction." So make the call.

Is he wrong?

Is he right?

Someone make the call !

I see a couple of things here
680.21 seems to be talking about branch circuits, not feeders and when you get to 680.42 it seems to be talking about the same thing.



That throws you back to 680.25 for the feeder.
So that is a vote for Bryan.

I do agree that this is pretty ambiguous in the code and a ruling from NFPA or Tallahassee would be the best answer.

I will say I always see feeders in RNC in new construction

You didn't indicate 6/3 w/grd.NM cable so the answer is no.