Baseboard electric heater & switch distance from whirlpool bathtub?

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Chuck B

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Completely remodelling a small northern michigan cottage bathroom. Installing a whirlpool tub in a small 5' x 9' bathroom with only one outside wall with only 3' of available space for an electric baseboard heater. Wish to install an electric baseboard heater between the tub and the bathroom sink. How far away does code require that is be from the tub, i.e. both the baseboard 220v heater and the whirlpool switch to energize the tub motor. Thanks.
 

JohnjH2o1

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If you can reach it with one foot in the tub it's to close.

John
 

hj

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Unless this is a DIY tub that you are converting yourself you should not need a "switch" on the wall. The tub should have an on/off air switch mounted on it so that the tub just plugs into an energized GFCI outlet, or an outlet downstream from a GFCI outlet which is usually more convenient. The heater is a sealed circuit, so you can put it anywhere it fits.
 

Chuck B

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Thanks for the reply Rock! The whirlpool tub motor will be connected to a GFCI, but wonder still beyond code concerns if a bather would touch the energized elctric baseboard heaters from inside the water filled tub, if there was any kind of short in the heater wouldn't there be an electrocution danger? The heaters will be 22v, and cannot be put on a GFCI themselves. What do you think?
 

JWelectric

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I think that if it is properly installed there is no more danger sitting in the tub and sticking your finger into the heater than sitting on your recliner and switching channels on your tv with a remote except the heater might be a little warmer than the remote
 
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