13 amp or 32 amp: which do you need?

Every hot tub buyer hits this question, usually after they've fallen for a particular model. It's worth understanding early, because it affects what you need installed before delivery day.

The short version

It's about how much you can run at the same time. A 13 amp spa shares its available power between heating the water and driving the jets, so with everything running flat out it heats a little more slowly. A 32 amp spa has the headroom to do both at once.

For a lot of people, 13 amp is genuinely fine. If you use your tub mostly in the warmer months, or you don't mind the heater pausing while the jets are at full pelt, you'll never notice.

When 32 amp is worth it

If you plan to use the spa through the winter, if it's a larger tub with multiple pumps, or if you simply want everything available at once on a cold January evening, go for 32 amp. The difference is most obvious exactly when you most want the tub.

What each one needs installed

A 13 amp spa plugs into a suitable weatherproof outdoor socket on its own protected circuit. It comes with its own lead.

A 32 amp spa is hard-wired, so you'll need a qualified electrician to run a dedicated supply out to where the tub will sit. The cable is part of that installation rather than something supplied with the spa, and its length depends on where your consumer unit is.

Either way, the supply needs to be in and tested before we arrive — our team connects the spa to it on the day rather than installing it.

One thing not to do

Never run a hot tub from an extension lead. A spa draws heavily for hours at a time, an extension lead isn't built for that, and it's a genuine fire risk as well as an instant end to your warranty.

Not sure which way to go? Tell us the model you're looking at and how you plan to use it, and we'll tell you which supply makes sense before you book anyone in.