When you install a hot tub in your bathroom, you should be concerned with the right amp breaker to maintain safety. Your hot tub must have a perfect combination of 50/60 amp, and install it accordingly. Once you install it, you need to get the right size wire.
You will have different required wires for your hot tub. Apart from that, you must keep your electric wires safe from the water and don’t make the mess of using different wires in different directions.
Wire size for 60 amp hot tub
The 6-gauge wire size is for a 60 amp hot tub. You can also use the same size wire if you have a 50-amp breaker. Besides, the 8-gauge wire size is also applicable for your 60-amp hot tub. It will give you the safest breaker to operate your bathtub and flow the current to heat the water.
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But the wire size will be different if you consider ground & breaker wire. The breaker wire could be 6/8, but you must carefully use your breaker wire and other wires separately.
There must be enough space and a separate connection through your hot tub since it will directly affect the safety purposes.
When you connect your wires to the hot tub, you need some safety requirements that you must maintain to get a secure hot tub.
You must be careful about installing the circuit breaker to avoid any electrical risks. It keeps things safer and gives you the best electric flow through your hot tub.
I will explain the wire sizes for three different wires for your hot tub. Ground wire, breaker wire, and copper wire are the main concerns with any hot tub that you must install along with your hot tub.
You must consider or follow different size requirements while selecting the best size for them.
Ground wire:
According to the role of the thump, you need a 6-AWG wire size that is best for a 60-AMP hot tub. To get a secure wiring system, you must use six AWG ground wires for your hot tub breaker.
You should not go for the ⅞ or the 5-size wire as the grounded wire. They are for different AMP breakers that have additional requirements.
The ground wire is mainly connected with the earth to give you the best electric flow or flow the extra electricity through the ground to protect your hot tub or any other electronic devices.
When you have ground wire connected to the earth, it will work as a safety feature for your hot tub.
Breaker wire:
Since the ground and neutral wires go through the circuit breaker; the 6-AWG breaker wire is best for a 60-AMP hot tub.
If you have any requirements for your breaker, you may follow them, but the general role is to use the same ground wire or the neutral wire through the circuit breaker.
When choosing the best breaker wire, you should consider the ground and neutral wires. These are the best sources you can avail and use for your circuit breaker. Both the wires should be 6-AWG sizes and go through the circuit breaker smoothly.
Copper wire:
You have two choices to use two different copper wires here. 6-AWG or 4-AWG wires would be perfect for your 60-AMP circuit breaker hot tub.
If you connect any of them, it will work nicely and will not create any issues for you. But the thing is, 6-AWG would be a universal requirement for every 60-amp circuit breaker.
So, you should consider some basic NEC codes for your bath hot tub and get clear clarification of them. It will help you to use the perfect copper wire for your 60-amp circuit breaker.
What kind of wire do I need for a 60 amp hot tub?
You need a 6-AWG or American Wire Gauge that is perfect with a 60-amp hot tub. The hot tub is not the considering factor; instead, the circuit breaker will demand a particular wire gauge for your breaker. If it is perfect for 4-AWG, you may consider that for your 60-amp hot tub.
In other words, you may classify the wire gauge into several types and choose the best one. You will need a ground wire, breaker wire, and copper wire for your 60-amp hot tub.
It will not change according to your needs or requirements. They are for all the circuit breakers. But the wire gauge will be different depending on your circuit breaker AMP.
After that, you must consider your circuit breaker voltage. If it is 220V, it will ask for the 6-gauge or AWG wire size that can perfectly handle your 60-amp circuit breaker.
If you have different voltage requirements, you might choose the 4-AWG wire size that will be perfect for your hot tub.
Spa 60 amp hot tub wire requirements
You don’t have too many wire requirements for a Spa 60-amp hot tub. You only keep in mind two basic needs for that.
One is considered with wire size, and the other is with circuit breaker. The wire requirements will depend on these factors, so decide your circuit breaker & wire size.
In most cases, people use 50-amp circuit breakers, whereas some might use the 60-amp circuit breaker with some other wire requirements. You need to use either 6-gauge or 4-gauge wire for the 60-amp circuit breaker.
You must be careful about the hot tub wires since you will use different types of wires in your hot tub. Apart from that, you won’t need any extra effort, or there are no additional requirements for your 60-amp circuit breaker hot tub.
You may easily follow or maintain these requirements and get the best result. It won’t have any extra requirements you must follow for a safe hot tub.
How to calculate 60 amp hot tub wire size?
You can calculate 60-amp hot tub wire size by the following tips.
80% Rule:
Adequate Wire Size = 60 amps divided by 0.8 equals 75 amps. This indicates that a cable must be able to handle at least 75 amps to work with a 60 amp breaker.
The 4 AWG gauge wire is the next wire size that can support more than 75 amps (as needed for a 60 amp breaker).
Even considering the 80 percent breaker rule, 4 AWG has more than enough capacity to wire a 60 amp breaker correctly. 4 AWG can handle 85 amps.
Voltage Drop:
According to the general rule for voltage loss, a 100-foot-long 60-amp cable will result in a 20 percent voltage drop. To connect a 60 amp breaker at a distance of more than 100 feet, 3 AWG wire may be used instead of 4 AWG wire.
Amps Calculation:
75 amps (Taking 80 percent rule in consideration) × 1.3 = 97.5 amps. This indicates that a cable 150 feet away must be able to handle at least 97.5 amps for a 60 amp sub-panel.
4 AWG wire can handle 85 amps, compared to 65 amps for 6 AWG wire. Due to the 150-foot separation in this instance, both lines’ amperage is too low.
Result:
In this instance, the ideal wire size is 3 AWG. This wire size can carry up to 100 amps.
How do you wire a 60 amp hot tub?
You can wire a 60-amp hot tub by the following steps. Get through them and get the job done.
Circuit Breaker:
When wiring a 60 amp hot tub, a separate circuit breaker should be set aside expressly for powering the hot tub. Install a circuit breaker of the proper size in the service panel for this use.
Service Panel:
The main service panel of your home must have enough room to accommodate the wiring of a 60 amp hot tub. This circuit breaker should support the additional demand for current from the hot tub.
GFCI:
It is mandatory to use the Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) shut-off box in the wiring and installation of 60 amp hot tubs. The GFCI is a quick-disconnect device that immediately cuts off power to the hot tub in an emergency.
Cables:
The total current your 60 amp hot tub requires will help you determine the proper wire size to utilize.
The heater components and pump of your hot tub are highly susceptible to damage when smaller wire sizes are used, which also raises the chance of an electrical fire spreading.
Conduit:
Most localities require underground cabling to run through a conduit pipe to be installed outdoors. Many areas also permit the use of metal as well as plastic conduits.
Final Thoughts
6 & 4 gauge wires are perfect for a 60-amp circuit breaker hot tub. It can handle the amp breaker perfectly with three different types of wires. Other than that, you must use those wires to use your hot tub safely. The 6-AWG wire is perfect for any 60-amp hot tub to maintain safety.