How To Perform an Electric Hook Up of a Spa or Bath Tub
Wiring your spa or tub can be a simple process if you have the right knowledge and skills. Mistakes when performing an electric hookup of your spa can cost your life. Take time to consult a professional residential electrician or hire them for the work.
5 Steps for Performing Wiring of a Spa or Tub
You don’t have to incur extra costs when wiring your spa since you can do the work by yourself. Follow this guide to help you perform an electric hookup of your tub or spa easily and quickly.
1. Consult an Inspector
You may not be legally allowed to wire a spa that does not meet your municipality regulation code. Going ahead to wire such a spa can cause serious injuries and risk your life. Since it is also against the legal requirement, you may end up getting charged hefty fines and penalties.
Rushing to wiring your spa without knowing whether it has met the requirements is a mistake to avoid. A professional inspector can quickly identify little errors with your spa. If the spa is okay, the inspector will give you a permit to legally continue with the wiring process.
2. Have the Right Tools and Materials
Remember that you will be handling live electrical wiring. Not having the right tools and materials can expose you to electrocutions and other serious accidents. Some common tools and supplies you may need for the work include electric tape, wire, marker, power drill, and wire nuts. With these requirements, you will save time and enjoy safety throughout the wiring process.
You may make mistakes if you decide to purchase the tools without any prior knowledge. Consulting a good electrical contractor first can help you make the right choice. Thorough online research is also recommended when looking for the best equipment and materials to perform the work. Many professional electricians have all the required work tools: hiring one can be a good choice if you don’t want to incur the cost.
3. Plan the Installation
Planning will prevent unnecessary errors and make things easier for you. In this step, you decide how to run the wires into the tub. Several things will help you plan the wiring installation easily. One of them is determining the distance from the service panel to disconnect. You will have to connect a circuit breaker to the service panel to ensure a constant power supply.
Deciding whether the tub wire will run through the inside or outside of your home is another consideration. The wire can run through the attic or under the basement for safety in your home. You should also consider where the disconnect ends when planning the installation. The national electrical code requires the disconnect adjacent to the tub for safety.
If the spa is outside your home, the disconnect will go outside. In this case, you will create trenches for the wires to run through. Use a PVC pipe to prevent the wire from wearing out due to unwanted elements.
4. Installing the Wire
You hook up the wires with the spa or tub in this process. Not all wires are suitable in this case. The current required by the spa will determine the size of the wire you use. A very small-sized wire may cause fire outbreaks and even damage other spa features.
Check the disconnect box first before hooking up the wires. GFCI disconnect boxes help to disconnect the tubs from the power sources. Indicators on these boxes will help you connect the wires to the service panel and GFCI to the spa.
The wiring diagram on the tub’s user manual can also help you hook up the electric wires. Proper inspection of the service control panel is important before connecting the wires. It will help you hook up the wires to the right post, avoiding possible cases of future fire outbreaks.
You will have green, red, and black wires. Note that you will hook up the black and red wires to the tub’s electric power. Green wires are neutral and so are connected with the ground bar. Don’t connect the wires while the circuit breaker is on.
5. Inspect and Test the Wiring Installation
Inspecting and testing the hookup is the final step to show the results of your work. Hiring a professional building inspector is necessary for this step. A thorough inspection is necessary to help identify all possible electrical trips that may risk your life when using the tub.
There are ways of testing the electric hook up. You can use electrical testers and test all the GFCI components. A good electrician can also do the testing if you are unsure how it should go. Lastly, clean up all the debris and dust caused while wiring the spa.
Hiring a Residential Electrician
Wiring a spa can be stressful if you don’t know what to do. You can also expose yourself to serious risks or even damage your property. Hiring a professional residential electrician to wire your spa/tub will save you time and give you peace of mind.
Vine Electric guarantees you a quality job and fair prices. Give us a call and discover why we are the best electrical contractor. You can leverage our residential, commercial, and industrial electrical works as well as electric vehicle charging installation services.
