What electricity supply do I need for my hot tub?
We're often asked this question by potential new customers looking at our range of hot tubs Whether you're looking for a 13A Plug & Play model or one of our 32A hard-wired models, we're here to let you know what you need to do before the wonderful day when your hot tub arrives.
Do you do the electrics for us?
Not quite. Without going through all the boring legal stuff, essentially an electrical socket outside your home, or an adjustment to your electric supply around your home, must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.
In a nutshell, electricity is really dangerous, and only a qualified electrician should do the work.
I want a 13A Plug & Play hot tub
A popular style, a 13A Plug & Play hot tub is more economical, with lower running costs. This is also the simplest and cheapest type of electrical connection - a 13A Plug & Play hot tub will plug into a standard 3-pin power socket, just like you'd use to charge your phone or plug in a kettle!
You need to get your electrician to install an outdoor, waterproof plug socket with RCD protection (a life-saving device, designed to stop you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live.)
I want a 32A hot tub
If you’re looking for a 32 Amp hard-wired hot tub which generally will have higher performance for a more powerful hydrotherapy massage, you need a different type of outside socket.
The hot tub needs to be hard wired on its own fused spur back to your household consumer unit, not sharing a supply with any other appliances.
The hot tub needs to be protected by an MCB (mains circuit breaker) and needs to cover the maximum amperage of the hot tub (ie. 32Amps) plus an extra 25% to allow for the initial rush of current when the pumps are started.
Ask your electrician to install an IP65 Rotary Isolator Switch - this means that the hot tub can be switched off from the main supply for maintenance or service work, or even in an emergency. This is a trip switch which prevents the possibility of an electric shock from damaged or waterlogged cables and connections.
The switch should be at least 2 metres from the hot tub itself. You also require 6mm² 3-core SWA cable to go to the hot tub.
IMPORTANT: Your electrician needs to leave enough spare cable attached to the isolation switch to go to the furthest side of the tub. Our installation team are qualified to connect this cable to our hot tubs.
That should tell you everything that you need to know about the electric supply for your new hot tub.
