Will I Need to Upgrade My Electrical Service for My Pool?
Will I Need to Upgrade My Electrical Service for My Pool?
First let us state we cannot this question in a simple article. You will need to have a professional electrician look at your current electrical status and help you make the correct decision.
They are a few things you can do to get some basic information if an upgrade may be needed. First open the panel box see if there are any and how many open spaces available. lf everything is full of breakers and there are no open spaces, you made need more than a service upgrade.
They are some options; you could install tandem breakers that are able to combine two 15-amp breakers into one single space. Second option would be to install a sub-panel that would draw existing service, and this will allow for additional breakers. Keep in mind these choices will need to be determined by a professional.
How Much Electricity Will My Pool Use?
This is a great question, below is a list of the most common pool equipment with the approximate volts and amps required:
- Pool Pump:240v, 10amps :
- Saltwater Chlorinator:240v, approx. 5-8 amps
- Pool Heat Pump: 240v,3 amps
- LP/NG Pool Heater:240v,3 amps
- Pool Lights: 12v, 3.5 amps
- Self-Contained Hot Tub: 240v, 50 amps
- Automatic Pool Cover: 220v,5-7 amps OR 110v, 11-13 amps
Keep in mind these are round numbers and not exact. You will need to look at the equipment you have to know exactly what numbers you are working with.
How Much Will lt Cost Me to Upgrade My Service?
The Power Company will usually do their part at no cost (remember you will be buying more electricity from them).
The fee from an electrician for service upgrade usually runs between $1,200 and $2,000, but remember this again is only an estimate and the final price willdepend on the amount of work to be done and will vary region to region.
