240 watt wiring hot tub to breaker

Question

QUESTION: The old hot tub was 3 wire and the new one is 4 wire. But there is 4 wire ran, the neutral has just been capped off. My 240 breaker has 2 hot legs coming out and going to my hot tub w/ ground. Why is there a neutral coming out of the same breaker connecting to the main neutal strip in the box?(Maybe thats needed for a 3 wire tub?) I would like to disconnect that neutal wire from the breaker and run it from the neutal strip direct all the way through the disconnect on the outside of the house and wire it to the hot tub. Can I do this? Is this neutral allowing the 120 volt equipment such as pumps etc. to operate?

ANSWER: I can't see you situation so I have to be careful not to give bad advice. The difference between a three wire and a four wire circuit is all the electronic new equipment have built in. In the old day everything worked off the 240 line. Sometimes they would steal 120 off the ground. Doing that work but with enough stuff tapped into the ground you run the risk of shocking people and that is bad in a hot tub.

So now you need a separate your grounds from your neutral all the way back to the main panel.

Hope that answered your question with out being too confusing.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for replying so quickly

My neutral and ground are separate, from the hot tub back to the main panel. But when the neutral gets to the main panel it caps off(probably due to the previous 3 wire tub). The two hot leads go to the breaker and the ground goes to the ground.

However in the main panel box the existing hot tub breaker has the 2 hot leads, but also a neutral wire coming out and going to the main neutral strip in the panel. (Do i need a neutral wire from the breaker to the neutral strip in the box? Why would it be there?)

Can I disconnect the white wire from the breaker and tie it into my capped off wire coming from the hot tub therefor tying in the neutral for my pumps etc that are on 120V in the hot tub?

Can I bypass my disconnect swith on the outside of my house with just the neutral wire from the hot tub to the main panel and just hook into the neutral strip in the main.

thanks again

Answer

There are a few things in you question that have me concerned. It sounds like someone may have taken a short cut in setting up your system. I would feel much better if you were to call someone out instead of trying to figure this out on your own.

Something about this set up is just wrong and I don't want my advice to get you or anyone hurt. I'm sure calling out a pro will not cost you an arm and a leg. If there is a safety issue and I think there maybe one, a pro will be able to spot it and correct before anyone gets hurt in you hot tub,

good luck