We're In Your Neighborhood!
Same Day Service
Since 1992
Call The Gentleman Pros Now!
(403) 879-1759
We're In Your Neighborhood!
Same Day Service
Since 1992
Call The Gentleman Pros Now!
(403) 879-1759
Use The Gentlemen Pros to wire your home’s new addition and you won’t ever have to worry about the safety and reliability of the electrical wiring.
While enjoying your new pool, hot tub, or sauna, your worries should be the last thing on your mind. And that includes your electrical concerns.Â
When it comes to installing the wiring of your pool, hot tub, or sauna it comes down to two things: capacity and safety.
Does your current electrical system have the capacity to power your new pool, hot tub, or sauna? Our licensed electricians will make sure that your home can handle the additional demand for electricity. If your home can’t, we can do the upgrades to provide the required power.
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There is a good chance your pool, hot tub, or sauna will need a dedicated circuit. This means a new circuit breaker will need to be installed in your electrical panel. Does your panel have the space for a new breaker? If it doesn’t, a new panel will need to be installed. We can do that too.
Electrical safety is paramount with pools, hot tubs, and saunas. Water and electricity don’t play well together. In fact, there is a whole section in the Canadian Electrical Code dedicated to pools, hot tubs, and spas.
This is also why the City of Calgary requires permanently installed hot tubs and swimming pools to be wired by a qualified electrical contractor. That’s what we are, qualified electrical contractors.Â
We will take care of the City’s electrical requirements for you. We will apply for the proper electrical permits and arrange the inspections.
Our electricians are well-versed in everything electrical regarding pools, hot tubs, and saunas, including:
Ready to install your pool, hot tub, or sauna? Let us take the electrical work off your busy hands.
Our helpful customer service agents are available 24/7. Please call (403) 879-1759, fill out our handy online form, or click the Chat With Us icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
For more answers to your questions about pools, hot tubs, and saunas, please check out Part 2 and Part 3.
Electrical load is how much electricity an item uses to operate and is measured in amps or watts. Your house’s electrical load is the total amount of energy it takes to power everything in the house that uses electricity.Â
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When installing a hot tub, pool, or sauna it is important to know your home’s total electrical load. Every house has a maximum amount of amps it can supply and it will vary from house to house. This is referred to as its electrical service.Â
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When installing a new item that will use a significant amount of electricity, you need to make sure your house can handle the additional load. Check the owner’s manual to see how much electricity your new hot tub, pool, or sauna will need.
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To see if your house can handle the new load, take the electrical service (in amps) and subtract your house’s total electrical load (in amps). If the remaining number is less than what your new item requires, your house cannot handle the additional demand and you will either need to upgrade your electrical service or look for a model that uses less energy.
A dedicated circuit has its own circuit breaker and provides power to only one outlet. Meaning only one appliance or device can be powered at one time.Â
Usually, the item on the dedicated circuit draws a lot of power which would cause a regular branch circuit to trip if another item was drawing power at the same time.
It is a safety feature that prevents overloading and electrical fires.
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter and you can buy both GFCI outlets and GFCI circuit breakers. Both protect you and your house from ground faults which is basically electricity that has escaped your electrical system and its protections.
When a GFCI outlet or circuit breaker detects a ground fault it immediately stops the flow of electricity. This protects you from electric shock and your home and items from damage, even electrical fire.
A GFCI breaker protects everything on the branch circuit it controls from a ground fault. A GFCI outlet protects the items plugged into the outlet and everything downstream from it.
In Canada, GFCI outlets are recommended and even required in some instances around water. For example, in your bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen.
The Canadian Electrical Code requires all full-sized hot tub equipment and pool equipment to be GFCI-protected if it is located within 3m (10 ft) of the inside wall of the hot tub or pool.Â
The Code also requires that any receptacles located within 1.5m (5 ft) and 3m (10 ft) of the inside wall of the hot tub or pool are GFCI-protected receptacles.Â
Receptacles regardless if they are GFCI-protected are not allowed closer than 1.5m (5 ft).
If you need to dig trenches or holes to install your pool, hot tub, or sauna (e.g. for electrical cables and pipes), you need to call your utility. You need to make sure you know where all the existing underground services are before you start digging. Underground cables and pipes are a hidden danger.
Another reason to call your electricity utility is even if you meet the clearance regulations, some utilities still won’t allow a pool or hot tub to be installed near overhead lines.
