Electrical Requirements for Hot Tubs and Spas
The most important aspect of your hot tub installation is to ensure that the electrical installation complies with planning requirements and building regulations. Essentially, it is your responsibility as the homeowner to ensure that you have a certificate at the end of the insulation from a qualified electrician stating that the insulation has been tested and certified safe.
Hot tubs run on electricity. So, one of the things you will need to consider before you decide to purchase a hot tub is your power supply for this. It’s something that is worth thinking about before you start looking around for hot tubs for two reasons: one is the existing power supply in your home which may dictate the power supply you are capable of running outside/ where the power supply can be run to (ie. where your hot tub can go) and secondly knowing what power supply you can get, can help narrow down the buying options. In practice this means that you need to get an electrician to do this for you, but it does not stop you understanding exactly what needs to be done.
Getting your hot tub power supply right is important for two reasons:
- As a safety measure
- To ensure it has enough electricity to power the hot tub
Hot tubs require different power supplies depending on how much power they draw. The pumps, heater, lights and all the other electrical components require power. If the right AMP of electrical supply is not installed, then the hot tub may attempt to draw too much power from the electrical line. This could cause an circuit overload . If this happens then the power will trip, and your hot turn will turn off. Secondly, ensuring that you install the correct electrical supply is a safety measure. If you install a much higher supply than you need then it will never trip. Tripping occurs as a result of, or to indicate a fault. Therefore, you need to install the correct power supply to ensure, that if necessary, the hot tub is capable of tripping the power. For both of these reasons, it’s important that you install the correct electrical supply for your hot tub. There are two broad types of hot tub or spa, in electrical terms, and your hot tub supplier will be able to speak to your electrician to describe the exact requirements: 13 AMP is the minimum supply for hot tubs and spas so would only apply to smaller hot tubs and spas. These can be plugged directly into a normal 3 pin socket. The socket should be an outdoor 13 AMP socket protected by an RCD. For hot tubs and spas that require a supply over 13 AMP they will need their own dedicated supply with the following requirements:
1. The supply should be on its own fused spur, not sharing the supply with any other appliances.
2. A RCD (Residual Current Device) should protect the hot tub to trip the power should cables become damaged or waterlogged
3. The supply should be on its own MCB (Mains Circuit Breaker) covering the maximum draw for the tub plus 25% to cater for the surge of draw when pumps are started.
4. All cabling should be Steel Wired Armoured (SWA) or laid in protective ducting when outside.
5. An isolation switch should be fitted at least 2m from the tub to cut power in an emergency or for maintenance.
What hot tub power supply you need will entirely depend on what hot tub you are getting. So it’s something you will need to discuss with your supplier. But, if you have any limitations in your electrical supply, you should let them know to help narrow your options. There are a couple of standard hot tub power supplies. The standard plug and play range either use 13 AMP or 16 AMP supplies. The 13 AMP models often have plugs. These can be plugged directly into a standard household socket. Some of the higher end plug and play ranges operate at a slightly higher wattage and will require a 16 AMP power supply.
Most hot tubs require a 32 AMP supply and some will require 40 AMP. Again, it is something that you should check with your supplier to ensure you install the correct electrical supply. We always recommend that you install a galvanised steel armour cable. This has a protective conduit around the wires, to ensure that it won’t get damaged outside.
Before the electrician leaves makes sure that the tub is filled and tested. You want to make sure that everything is working properly, and the installation is to your satisfaction.
