Inspection of a Thermal Massage Tub

Hi this is Thomas with Texas Pride Home Inspections, and today we are looking at a spa tub. One would call a thermal massage tub. This is in a upstairs bathroom and there’s several things we look at for a good, safe tub, and also for functionality.

A few things I notice here is, first of all, there’s a ridge back here that’s going to catch water. There’s no place for it to go. That’s not really a safety issue, or any problem there. But they also installed a sink type fixture, and it took me over 40 minutes to fill the water up to a level I can test it!

When I turn it on, it does operate fine. However, there should be an access underneath it to get to the motor, and there is no access anywhere on this tub. So that definitely needs to be put in. When we gain access, we always check for bonding on the motor. If the motor is not bonded, it could be unsafe. If electricity got on the motor, then you could wind up being electrocuted. I do know of an inspector who was electrocuted once in one of these types of tubs.

Also, it should be GFCI protected. Now here’s a GFCI, and there’s another one over here. Nothing in the panel and no other GFCI’s in the area. So when I’m running the tub and I test the GFCI, the tub does not go off. So, several safety issues along with this tub that need to be checked out in order for it to be safe to be used. That’s it for today, see you next time! This was Thomas with Texas Pride Home Inspections.