Wire Size For 60 Amp Hot Tub

Be sure you use a gfci breaker.

Wire size for 60 amp hot tub. Hot tubs are very tricky. 3 4 wire spa electrical systems a large portion of 240v spas manufactured today require a 50 amp 4 wire electrical service. There are ex ceptions that require as much as 80 90 or 100 amp circuits if the hot tub has multiple heaters pumps controls etc. How to choose the right wire gauge for your hot tub.

Hot tubs are subject to the 125 percent rule. Hard wiring the spa into a ground fault circuit interrupter gfci protected 220 to 240v 50 or 60 amp dedicated circuit. Some hot tubs have load requirements of 30a or 40a and a few even 60a. There are many other issues regarding lighting fixtures and receptacles near the hot tub.

The wire size chart below shows allowable ampacities of insulated conductors rated up to and including 2000 volts 60 c through 90 c 140 f through 194 f not more than three current carrying conductors in raceway cable or earth directly buried based on ambient air temperature of 30 c 86 f. For most full sized spas or hot tubs the national electrical code nec requires. Wiring for a full featured portable hot tub has to be done correctly as we all know that water and electricity don t mix. 125 percent of 45 amps is 56 25 amps hence the requirement to wire and protect for 60 amps.

In general hot tubs are designed to operate on a hard wired gfci protected 220 240v 50 60 amp circuit. For a 240 volt hot tub a 10 gauge wire with a 30 amp breaker setup is ideal. If you are quoting him accurately it is plainly obvious that he has no knowledge or experience with the electrical requirements of hot tubs and his advice should be ignored for safety sake. There needs to be a disconnect outside near the hot tub not less than 5 feet away.

The electrical connection to the hot tub must be single phase 220 240 volt 4 wire. 6 awg copper is rated for 65 amps or 4 awg aluminum. The four wires consist of two hots one ground and one neutral and must be hard wired to the terminals inside the hot tub control box. The recommended wire size is 6 awg copper although depending on distance and length of run could be larger.

While a hot tub or backyard spa is a great way to relax and have fun the installation involves conforming to specific electrical requirements. There are several things to consider when hooking up a hot tub from proper wire thickness adherance to any local codes installation of an emergency disconnect near the spa proper wiring of a hot tub gfci installation of the 50 or 60 amp breaker as required depending on type of spa and the actual running of the wiring underground or in the rafters of the basement etc. Like in the case of a dual temperature swim spa hyperlink however it is not common. For a 50 amp breaker an 8 gauge wire setup would be recommended.