Breaker size for 110v spa

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R

rednekk

0
Sep 17, 2008
20
We have recently acquired a used Ecco L350 spa. This spa can run on 110v or 220v. I am planning to have a 220v circuit set up for it in the Spring but was wondering if in the meantime I will be alright using a dedicated 20A circuit: 20A breaker, 12/2 wiring on a 30' run from the breaker and a 20A GFCI outlet. The tub is currently configured for 110v use, it has a cord with GFCI plug.

Any input on this temporary setup will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Did you get the manual? Have you searched online? It would tell you the required breaker size.

That said, a 20A 115V circuit is likely fine. Usually they are designed to work in a standard home circuit at the low voltage setting.

We have one and with 115V, you can only run the heater OR the jets. On 230V, you can run the jets and the heater at the same time AND the heaters has a much higher output meaning it will heat up faster.
 
Thank you for the input thus far. I do not have the manual, and did alot of searching. What I have found is that most 110v tubs are fine with 15A or 20A circuits, but I haven't seen anything for this partricular model. I found specs on one retailer's site that lists "Voltage Rating 110/220v" and "Current Rating 50A". This is what has me nervous, or is the 50A rating for 220V use? I've never seen a 50A 110v circuit, but I'm no expert on the subject either.
 
I would guess the 50A is for the 230V circuit ... which is actually 5 times more power than a 20A 115V circuit.

There may be some labels on the spa itself that would give some indication of the requirements.
 
There will be something on the spa somewhere saying what it's current and voltage requirements are, though it might be a little cryptic. Usually there is a small plaque near the wiring access point, but that varies.

50 amp 115 volt circuits exist, though they are not at all common. If it is hardwired then such a thing is possible. But if it has a standard AC plug on it then it really ought to be 20 amps or less.
 
Ok, I got the circuit installed last night. Tonight is the fill and test. Temp. is supposed to be around 4F. Will fill with hot water and hope for the best. Wish me luck! Thank you all for your input.

One question, and I apologize if this is a dumb one - If the heater and jets will not run at the same time, how is the heated water circulated?
 
Ok, that's what I do not understand - if the heater is running but the pump is not, how does the hot water in the heater make its way into the tub and be replaced by cool water to be heated? I would think that some sort of circulation would be necessary for this to happen, no?
 

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It varies depending on the spa design. Often there are two pumps, one for the heater and filter which is small, and a separate one for the jets that is much larger. Alternatively there might be a single pump that runs on low speed for the heater and high speed for the jets.
 
Ok, we are up and running - thank you all for your guidance.

Now for sanitation - I'd like to go the Dichlor-to-bleach method outlined in this forum. I've got a 225-gallon spa, with an ozonator. It will be used primarily by my wife and I, and I'm estimating maybe 4-6 hours per week use, pretty evenly distributed throughout the week. Is there anything I need to watch out for when using the Dichlor/Bleach method with this setup? I saw where ChemGeek mentioned some potential issues PH when using an ozonator...
 
After you've used Dichlor to build up the CYA to around 30 ppm or so and before you switch to bleach you need to lower the TA to around 50 ppm and to then add 50 ppm Borates. This will help the pH to be more stable.

Also note that the ozone from the ozonator will react with chlorine so while it will reduce the amount of chlorine that needs to be added after your soak, it will also deplete the chlorine level faster in between soaks. If you soak every day or two, then this is manageable. If you don't soak for a week, then the chlorine will likely go to zero after several days. Just keep that in mind. Ideally if there were a way for you to turn off your ozonator when you weren't going to be using the spa for some days, that would be great, but that's not usually an option.
 
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