Hot Tub Wiring

You have probably heard about people who get killed by electric shock while taking a bath in their tub. Surely, electricity and water don’t mix and so it is highly advised you do not use electric appliances while you submerge in water. But you should be aware that hot tubs use electricity to power the individual units and controls. Hot tub wiring is a complex process, particularly if you are a novice with electricity terms or if you are not fully aware of the type of equipment used in your spa. In view of this, it is sensible to just leave the work to a licensed electrician. By doing it yourself without the expert knowledge required you could get electrocuted. In some states it is an offence to meddle with electricity and it could lead to your prosecution if anything went wrong. You should also bare in mind that doing such can cause damage to the tub and its components so leaving the work to a professional electrician is surely the way to go!

If you do go down the road of do it yourself electrician then usually wiring diagrams are provided with each type of valve and motor which are designed to operate at 110 or 220 volts. There are also automated systems that run on 12 or 24 volts. Your hot tub should be provided with an electronic control and wiring junction box. And it is important that you know where this is located.

If you install one or more air blowers then these also need to be wired up so ample room is required in your junction box. One problem that you may come across is problems with motorized valves. Valves can become jammed with debris and also need lubrication to prevent them sticking. The motor will continue to operate and will eventually burn out. If you are not familiar with electrical equipment then it is best to replace the motor which needs to be replaced by a qualified electrician. However you can test whether a motor is burnt out or that it is not receiving power and you have problems with the wiring or switches. Either way you should still call a qualified electrician if you are unsure to what is required.

Pump/motors when install led are either hardwired or can come with a plug in connector. If you think there is trouble in your motor it is a lot easier with a plug in connector to remove the motor for repair than having to disconnect the wiring. Before removing any electrical equipment you should have the circuit breaker either turned off or removed. Your motor will have an access cover where the conduit enters the motor. Remove the cover and disconnect the three wires inside. Remove the conduit connector and then pull the conduit away from the motor. The motor can now be removed. Any exposed wires should be taped up.
If your circuit breaker keeps tripping it is usually through an overloaded motor or bad wiring. An electrician should be called to rectify these types of problems. Another cause of problem with wiring can be from animals. Some rodents can nest in heaters etc especially if your spa is out doors. Rodents have been known to gnaw through the wiring causing a short circuit. Usually they only eat the insulation but the bare wires are then exposed and can touch bare metal or moisture can get in.

Most electrical units like time clocks etc are built with waterproof boxes and these boxes are mounted to the wall through a plate. These plates have a knockout hole where the conduit and wiring can pass through into the waterproof box. Although we now have wireless devices for controlling various appliances on our hot tub the remote control is obviously not wired but the is usually hard wired into the hot tub circuitry. Automated controls are a lot more complex then they used to be and tinkering with them is not advised unless you are really up to scratch electrically. If in doubt call in a qualified electrician.

Apart from all the electrical equipment, accessories and controls that require wiring you may also have lighting fixtures. These fixtures will take an ordinary light bulb that you would find in your house but the lighting fixture is waterproof and can only be entered through a waterproof seal. Light fixtures are completely sealed and watertight and the air inside reaches very high temperatures unless cooled by the water in the spa. Never turn this lighting on when the spa is empty. They are usually equipped with colored plastic lenses and if turned on without water in the spa they will melt.

But hiring an electrician should not be taken lightly; there are numerous factors that you should first mull over if you are trying to find someone to do hot tub wiring for you. Primarily, you need to decide first and foremost about the place where you are going to situate your tub seeing the fact that it cannot be placed underneath any kind of power lines. The place should also be free from any electrical restraint. Next, there are various local codes and well as state rules that the person doing the task should know. Stick with the rule and never attempt to go beyond the restrictions because after all, you don,t want to do anything which you will end up regretting.