Spa that EASILY converts from 110v to 220v and vice versa?

[da_guy2]

So I know a lot of the plug and play spas can be converted from 110v operation to 220v operation but I was wondering if there was one where it was relatively easy to do? I.e. can be done without needing to call an electrician to rewire it. I don't mind if it stays hard wired I just don't want it to use the full 220v.

The reason I'm asking is we're considering getting a hot tub and the area we'd like to put it already has a panel wired for 220v 30A, so in theory hard wring it would be fairly easy. Unfortunately we have an above ground pool that is already using one leg of that 220v circuit so that combined with the spa would be to much. I was thinking of we did want to run at 220v we'd either need to upgrade to a 50A line or run a whole new 30 or 40A line either of which will be very expensive and require digging up or yard or making a bunch of holes in our walls (neither of which is ideal).

It was then I realised that 220v is really only important in the winter and the pool would be shut down then anyways. So if there was a way that I could easily switch between 220v and 110v when I opened and closed the pool then I could get the best of both worlds without needing to run a new line. However I don't want to need to call an electrician in to re write everything twice a year. So is there something I could get that would work for my needs?

 

[jseyfert3]

Just keep in mind choosing a spa the total heating power it has. We loved using our spa in the winter, but it has a big beefy heater and two beefy pumps and requires 50 A, 240 V service. I've used it down to about 1 °F (-17 °C) and it still seemed capable of holding temp uncovered. I don't think I had air running in the jets at that temp, and it was late and I didn't have a hat so I wasn't in long.

But we did spend hours (straight) in 20 °F weather with air running and it held temp just fine.

IMO, the last thing you would want is to realize you love sitting out there in winter but find out the hot tub you chose can't hold temp in the winter cause it doesn't have a big enough heater.

Do you not have conduits that would let you swap out your 30 A wiring for 50 A wiring without drilling new holes, or is the existing conduit too small for the larger wires?

 

[Newdude]

IMO, the last thing you would want is to realize you love sitting out there in winter but find out the hot tub you chose can't hold temp in the winter cause it doesn't have a big enough heater.

This was my biggest regret of getting the smaller tub. Really my only regret and it was a huge deal.

 

[da_guy2]

This was my biggest regret of getting the smaller tub. Really my only regret and it was a huge deal.

It's my understand that even the smaller simpler tubs come with bigger heaters the only thing is they can't fully utilize them unless you wire it for 220v. So even if you do get a smaller one and realise that it's not heating enough at 110v all you have to do is get a 220v circuit run and your good. I thought the only thing that you didn't get with a 110/220v tub was extra pumps and in turn extra jets which isn't too big a deal for me. No?

 

[Newdude]

I never got around to testing mine set up as 220v. It wans't powerful to keep up in the dead of the winter, and I'm in southern NY much further south of you. They do make better tubs than mine, but any of the 110v's can only run the jets *or* the heater, not both. . Mine couldn't keep up heating even with the jets off when it was cold . So what i did was cut a solar cover and peel a corner back like using a blanket in bed. That helped alot to retain the heat for another 30 minutes.

@RDspaguy, what are your thoughts ?