Wiring a Hot Tub – Electrical Installation and Wiring Diagrams

This guide shows how most 240 volt hot tubs and portable home spas are wired, with photos, a step-by-step hook-up movie & hot tub schematic wiring diagrams. This information is provided to help you to be a more informed consumer. We advise hiring a licensed electrician to wire and install a spa. If you're not confident and qualified to do electric wiring, there's still installation prep work you can do to reduce expenses. We'll walk you through a typical project to show what's involved. About 120V hot tubs.

CAUTION: Electrical work and repairs can be dangerous, especially around water. There is a risk of shock or electrocution, which could result in serious injury or death. We strongly advise that hot tub electrical wiring be referred to a licensed electrician. Local code requirements for wiring vary and may differ from the educational examples on this web site. The local code regulations must be followed, with permits and inspections obtained. The installer should read and follow the hot tub owner's manual and associated electrical component owner's manuals and instructions.

Regardless of who performs the work, be sure that power to the spa circuit is switched off at the house service panel prior to inspections, wiring, or repairs. Improper wiring may damage equipment and void the spa manufacturer's warranty.

Before installing a major appliance like a hot tub, determine if the electric service will handle the extra load. It's usually not a problem, since most homes built in the last 30-40 years have at least a 100 amp service, with 150-200A common in newer homes. Panel ratings are normally labeled near the main breaker at the top.

Service Panel

It's a common misconception that the sum total of the amps of all the circuit breakers installed must not exceed the service panel's indicated amp rating. This is false-- capacity is determined by load calculations, not the size or number of its breakers.

We'll begin with an overview of the electrical requirements for wiring a hot tub, as illustrated by our interactive wiring diagrams below. A 240V spa must be supplied by a circuit which meets its load requirements (amperage) as indicated in owner's manual.

This means that the feeder breaker (in the house service panel) must be of the specified size, and that the GFCI breaker in the disconnect panel must be at least that size (larger is fine) and is GFCI protected for safety.

We're using a typical outdoor portable home spa installation for our example.

Connecticut Electric Disconnect GFCI Panel for Hot Tubs up to 60A

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Wiring a Hot Tub - Electrical Installation and Wiring Diagrams