When shopping for a hot tub, electrical requirements may be a big question you have. It may even make you a bit nervous making sure you properly situate an electrical outlet and a large tub of water. Therefore, it is essential to make sure you allow for a qualified electrician and contractor to install your hot tub. Attempting to DIY your installation can be a tricky route.
In the following article, we will go over some of the electrical requirements necessary for your hot tub set up, ensuring your family will always be safe.
Important Hot Tub Electrical Info
For those living in North America, your hot tub will operate on a wire ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI. These usually operate between 220 to 240 volts combined with a 40 to 50 AMP circuit. Confirm the electrician installing your hot tub is familiar with the National Electrical Code and any additional municipal requirements.
If you are a new hot tub owner, you should be aware that it is up to you to ensure your electrician has read and fulling understand all the instructions when installing your hot tub. Electrical requirements for installing an outdoor hot tub, when the wire is less than 50 feet or 15 meters, include:
- All conductors should be copper.
- Your hot tub should be connected to a dedicated circuit. It should be protected by a two-pole, class ‘A’ GFCI.
- A dedicated circuit needs to be protected by a class ‘A’ to stay connected
- On your terminal box, there should be at least two bonding lugs marked. Both on the external and internal supply box. In order to reduce the risk of electrical shock, the local common bonding grid in the area of the hot tub needs to be connected to these terminals with insulation or a copper conductor. The copper conductor should not be smaller than No.6 AWG for Canadian standards and No.8 AWG for US standards.
- All outlets, electrical plugs, lighting, and equipment within 1.5 meters, or 5 feet, must be GFCI protected.
- Hardware in your hot tub, such as rails, drains, ladders, or any other sort of metal components within 3 meters, or 10 feet, of your hot tub needs to be bonded to the equipment grounding bus. The copper conductors assisting must be no smaller than No.6AWG.
- Your ground terminal needs to be connected to the grounding means provided to the electrical supply service panel, all with a continuous copper wire that meets the minimum required size.
Outdoor Hot Tub Electrical Tips
Some other tips that can help ensure your outdoor hot tub installation goes smoothly include the following. Begin with making sure your hot tub is not going to be installed near or under any power lines. This is a violation of the National Electrical Code, as well as being very unsafe. Second, if you are going to be using underground wiring close to your hot tub, talk with a contractor and engineer who is an expert on hot tub electrical systems.
To find out more, download a hot tub buyer’s guide below, or visit us at our London hot tub store.