40a Spa On 50a Breaker?

[Sepp]

I am going to install my new tub (J-325) tomorrow and I ran a 50A circuit (4-wire) to the GFCI breaker box (with a 60A breaker). Now, I realized that I overbuild the circuit (#6 wires and 50A breaker).

Do I need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A or can I leave it as is?

[ps558]

I am going to install my new tub (J-325) tomorrow and I ran a 50A circuit (4-wire) to the GFCI breaker box (with a 60A breaker). Now, I realized that I overbuild the circuit (#6 wires and 50A breaker).

Do I need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A or can I leave it as is?

Jacuzzi states a 40A breaker for your model. It is best to follow there guidelines. The spa will run with a 50A breaker. you could do some major damage to the spa if something would go wrong before the breaker would trip.

[hottubdan]

I am going to install my new tub (J-325) tomorrow and I ran a 50A circuit (4-wire) to the GFCI breaker box (with a 60A breaker). Now, I realized that I overbuild the circuit (#6 wires and 50A breaker).

Do I need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A or can I leave it as is?

Jacuzzi states a 40A breaker for your model. It is best to follow there guidelines. The spa will run with a 50A breaker. you could do some major damage to the spa if something would go wrong before the breaker would trip.

Did they change? When we sold Jacuzzi, you had the option of 40, 50 or 60 amp. Each time you went up, you could run more things at once.

If that is still so, tell the dealer to convert spa to 50 amp configuration.

[Peteyboy]

The J-325 model can be hooked up 15 amp 120V, 30 amp 240V, and 40 amp 240V. The others starting with the J-335 are the ones that go 40, 50 or 60.

For the J-325 40 amps is the only option to let the heater work with the jets at high speed.

If I read correctly you show you have a 50 in the main and a 60 in the sub-panel. If this is the case replace the 60 with a 40 GFI.

Definately have the dealer do the conversions. There are jumpers to change. It comes 120V from the factory.

Enjoy the spa !!

[bart6453]

I am going to install my new tub (J-325) tomorrow and I ran a 50A circuit (4-wire) to the GFCI breaker box (with a 60A breaker). Now, I realized that I overbuild the circuit (#6 wires and 50A breaker).

Do I need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A or can I leave it as is?

Jacuzzi states a 40A breaker for your model. It is best to follow there guidelines. The spa will run with a 50A breaker. you could do some major damage to the spa if something would go wrong before the breaker would trip.

Did they change? When we sold Jacuzzi, you had the option of 40, 50 or 60 amp. Each time you went up, you could run more things at once.

If that is still so, tell the dealer to convert spa to 50 amp configuration.

In 2005 the J-325 did have an option for a 50 amp circuit. Keep in mind that that was when you could get it as a convertable (i.e. 120v or 240v...your choice) or as a dedicated 240v model. For the dedicated 240v model it only used a 3 wire set-up.

To answer your question about the amperage, I wouldn't worry too much about it. 40 amps is enough to fry anything really, really good. Another 10 or 20 is going to be like a mouse pissing in the ocean....plus your GFCI breaker will trip long before you let all the smoke out of your components...and if that fails, a dead short will certainly trip the breaker....but then again if you are in the tub you are not gonna be around to find out.

Your mileage may vary, but I would hook it up and go.

[Pathfinder]

With #6awg wire 2 50's will be fine you dont need to go down to 40 & dont mix the breaker sizing ie; 50 & 60 amp breakers. Thicker wire creates less resistance and your tub will run more than fine.

[Dr. Spa]

The intent of a circuit breaker is to protect the wires running from it, from having too much amperage running through them and starting as fire. A circuit breaker is NOT intended to protect the "appliance" at the end of the line. Think about it...even with a 40 amp breaker, what would happen if a circ pump, or ozonator, or light etc. were to pull 30 amps?

[bart6453]

The intent of a circuit breaker is to protect the wires running from it, from having too much amperage running through them and starting as fire. A circuit breaker is NOT intended to protect the "appliance" at the end of the line. Think about it...even with a 40 amp breaker, what would happen if a circ pump, or ozonator, or light etc. were to pull 30 amps?

agreed and well put.

[Sepp]

Thank you all - I'll leave it as it is for now because the wires are all #6 and that is the correct wire for 50A.

If I would have used #8, I think that I should be worried, but I didn't - I simply overbuild the circuit (maybe in anticipation of bigger things in the future).

On another note - the tub is here, connected, and was heating up over night. It is now ready to go :-)

[bart6453]

Thank you all - I'll leave it as it is for now because the wires are all #6 and that is the correct wire for 50A.

If I would have used #8, I think that I should be worried, but I didn't - I simply overbuild the circuit (maybe in anticipation of bigger things in the future).

On another note - the tub is here, connected, and was heating up over night. It is now ready to go :-)

good for you!!! Enjoy your new tub.

I intentionally overbuilt my circuit for the future....you never know when the next latest and greatest tub might come out and need more power than before...in fact...you can pretty much count on it!

Oh...and I am running a J-325 on a 60A circuit....FWIW