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I have a new 100amp rated sub panel, grounded with a new copper rod in my shed 50 feet from main breaker box, with 6/3 as the feeder to the sub panel. I’m installing a hot tub. I do have a 50amp breaker box between the shed and approximately 6 feet away from the tub. Can I use 6/3 to run from my sub panel to the 50 amp breaker box for the hot tub?

I only have 4 outlets I use in my shed all on one 20 amp breaker. I just want to know if I can run power to my hot tub with the 6/3 off my sub panel, with my sub panel being powered by 6/3.

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  • Is that existing 6/3 feeder direct bury cable (UF), or wires in a conduit of some sort?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Aug 12, 2022 at 11:46
  • You'll need a GFCI breaker
    – JACK
    Commented Aug 12, 2022 at 12:04
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    6/3 with ground, and properly isolated ground and neutral at the shed? Your description of the grounding concerns me as being potentially 50 years out of date (local ground rod is required for a separate building, but so is a ground connection back to the main panel, many decades now...
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Aug 12, 2022 at 12:29
  • My shed sub panel is grounded back to the main breaker box, it also has a 8’ copper pounded into the ground at the shed which is also grounded to the sub panel in the shed… 6/3 thwn buried in conduit is what feeds the sub panel in the shed…. I installed a Square D - HOME250SPA Homeline Spa Panel, Load Center With 50-Amp Enclosed Main Breaker, 2-Pole, Ground Fault Interrup 6 feet from where the hot tub will be- my question is, am I ok to use the 6/3 thhn/thwn from the sub panel in the shed to the spa panel I installed which is about 20 ‘ from the shed
    – user155281
    Commented Aug 12, 2022 at 23:50
  • Will that run My tub, or do I need to run the wiring from the spa panel directly to the main house panel?
    – user155281
    Commented Aug 12, 2022 at 23:56

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I'm not entirely clear of what you are planning. You mention a "breaker box" between the shed and main feed (presumably from your house) Is that a sub-panel as well?

I believe the short answer is "YES" you can run 6/3 from the 50 amp sub to your hot tub. The important part is proper over-current protection for the wiring and, since it's hard wired, the device (the hot tub). Heck, you could run 2 ga copper as long as the breaker was appropriate for the device. You'd have to rob Fort Knox to pay for 2 ga copper, but that's a different issue!

I may get snipped for this, but most hot tub feeds are over-subscribed by a substantial margin. You'd have to be running all the pump jets as well as the heater to even come close to 50 amps.

So I think your plan is good, but let's wait until others with more experience have a chance to chime in.

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  • The pump jets don't take much, water is easy to move horizontally. The real load is the heater.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Aug 13, 2022 at 0:31
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    @Harper-ReinstateMonica Agreed with that, but doing research show that the pumps can draw as much as 1,500 watts (6 amps). A large hot tub might have 4 pumps (mine does) for a total of 24 amps. The heaters vary a lot (1,500 watts - 6,000 watts), the most typical heater is 4,500 watts, but assuming 6,000 watts (that's 25 amps). That a total of 49 amps with everything running. I'll be honest, I really doubt the pumps really take 6 amps each. Also, some hottubs will turn off the heater when the pumps are running.
    – George Anderson
    Commented Aug 13, 2022 at 14:01

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