13 Amp vs 32 Amp Hot Tubs: Which Do You Need?
13 amp tubs plug in. 32 amp tubs have a supply of their own.
The amp rating is the electrical supply your electrician sets up for the tub, and it caps how much power the tub can use. A 13 amp plug carries about 3 kW, enough for our smaller tubs. A 32 amp supply carries about 7.4 kW, which the larger tubs, with bigger pumps and heaters, are built around.
The short answer
Both kinds are ordinary hot tubs. What differs is the electrical supply they are built for. A 13 amp tub is plug and play: it runs from a standard outdoor socket. A 32 amp tub is wired in on its own circuit by a qualified electrician.
Neither is better in itself. The rating plate and manual for the tub you choose give the exact supply it needs, and your electrician plans the route from there.
| Detail | 13 amp | 32 amp |
|---|---|---|
| Power the supply carries | About 3.0 kW | About 7.4 kW |
| How it connects | Plugs into an outdoor socket | Wired to its own circuit, with an isolator close to the tub |
| Examples from our range | Harmony, Comfort and Lagoon: 2 to 6 seats, 19 to 21 jets | Kensington, Sanctuary and Serenity: 5 to 7 seats, 53 to 60 jets |
| Maximum power use | Comfort 2.15 kW, Lagoon 2.35 kW | Sanctuary 4.75 kW |
| Your electrician | Makes the connections and fits a suitable outdoor socket if you do not have one | Installs the circuit, RCD, isolator and protected cable |
Why bigger tubs need the bigger supply
Power is volts multiplied by amps. On a 230 volt supply, 13 amps comes to about 3.0 kW and 32 amps to about 7.4 kW.
Every tub has a maximum power use: the heater, pumps, lights and controls all running together. The Comfort uses up to 2.15 kW and the Lagoon up to 2.35 kW, which sits comfortably under what a 13 amp plug carries.1 The Sanctuary has a 3 kW heater on its own and uses up to 4.75 kW in total, so it has a 32 amp supply of its own.1
Pumps draw extra current for a moment when they start, so the breaker is sized to the tub’s maximum draw with a little room. A tub drawing 30 amps, for example, takes a 32 amp breaker.2 Tub makers say the same: a tub with a heater and a couple of pumps running together needs 32 amps, and larger tubs with three or four pumps may need 40 amps.3
What each supply needs at home
For a 13 amp tub
A plug-in tub still needs the right socket: one made for outdoor use, at least 2 m from the edge of the tub,4 on a circuit protected by a 30 mA RCD.5
Our 13 amp tubs come without a plug, so a standard 13 amp plug is fitted when the tub is connected.1 The circuit is the tub’s own, with nothing else on it, and never an extension lead. If there is no socket nearby, an electrician can fit one.2
For a 32 amp tub
The tub gets a circuit of its own from the consumer unit with a 30 mA RCD,6 and an all-pole isolator in an accessible place close to the tub. Tubs rated above 13 amps are normally wired in through an isolator instead of a socket, and outdoors it sits 2 m from the tub’s edge.4
Outdoor cable is armoured or run in ducting, buried at least 500 mm deep.5 Your electrician also checks that the existing supply and consumer unit can take the extra load, tests the work and gives you an Electrical Installation Certificate.5
Whichever you choose, have the supply ready before delivery day so the final connection is quick. The full list of requirements is in our hot tub electrical requirements guide, and what to consider when buying a hot tub covers size and seating.
Which supply suits you
Start with the tub, then the supply. If you want the simplest electrical job, a socket rather than a new circuit, 13 amp plug and play hot tubs are the place to look. If you want more seats and more jets, our 32 amp hot tubs have them.
13 amp tubs
Outdoor Living Harmony Hot Tub
2 seats · 21 jets · 13 amp supply · from £2,599
A two-seater with a 2.1 kW heater, built for two.
Outdoor Living Comfort Hot Tub
4 seats · 20 jets · 13 amp supply · from £2,899
Four seats with a maximum power use of 2.15 kW, well inside a 13 amp supply.
6 seats with a lounger · 19 jets · 13 amp supply · from £3,999
Six seats with a full lounger and a fountain, at 2.35 kW maximum power use.
32 amp tubs
6 seats with a lounger · 60 jets · 32 amp supply · 3 year warranty · from £7,999
Sixty jets and a waterfall feature, on a dedicated 32 amp supply.
Outdoor Living Sanctuary Hot Tub
7 seats · 53 jets · 32 amp supply · 2 year warranty · from £6,499
Seven seats with a 3 kW heater and a waterfall.
Outdoor Living Serenity Hot Tub
5 seats with 2 loungers · 54 jets · 32 amp supply · 2 year warranty · from £5,999
Two full-length loungers and a fountain, with a maximum power use of 4.75 kW.6
Quick answers
Open a question to read the answer.
What is the difference between a 13 amp and a 32 amp hot tub?
The electrical supply. A 13 amp tub plugs into a standard outdoor socket and can use about 3 kW. A 32 amp tub is wired to its own circuit and can use about 7.4 kW, which suits larger tubs with bigger pumps and heaters.
Can a 32 amp hot tub run from a 13 amp plug?
No. A 32 amp tub needs its own 32 amp supply, fitted by a qualified electrician and protected by an RCD. A 13 amp plug cannot carry the power it needs: the Sanctuary, for example, uses up to 4.75 kW against about 3.0 kW for a 13 amp plug.
Do I need an electrician for a 13 amp hot tub?
Our manuals ask for a qualified electrician to make all electrical connections. A plug-in tub does not need wiring in, but it does need a suitable outdoor socket on a circuit with a 30 mA RCD, and an electrician can fit one if you do not have one.
Does a 13 amp hot tub need an RCD?
Yes. The circuit supplying any hot tub should be protected by an RCD rated at 30 mA or less, which switches the power off if current starts to leak to earth.
Can I use an extension lead with a 13 amp hot tub?
No. Plug the tub straight into a suitable outdoor socket. If there is no socket close enough, an electrician can install one.
Which should I choose, 13 amp or 32 amp?
Choose the tub you want first, then give it the supply it is built for. A 13 amp tub is the simpler electrical job. A 32 amp tub suits you if you want more seats and more jets. The rating plate and manual give the exact supply for each model.
Sources
- Outdoor Living, product specifications for the Comfort, Lagoon and Sanctuary hot tubs, outdoorlivinghottubs.co.uk, accessed 26 October 2026
- Outdoor Living, Comfort hot tub installation and user manual (OLDMXSV2), May 2025
- Platinum Spas, Owner FAQs, platinum-spas.com, accessed 26 October 2026
- Professional Electrician, How to correctly install a hot tub, Pete Monfort, Arena Training, 20 July 2020
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Domestic electrical supplies to hot tubs, Geoff Cronshaw
- Outdoor Living, Serenity hot tub installation and user manual (OLDMDL and OLDMDLES), January 2025
Paul Margerison
Managing Director & Founder, Outdoor Living
The supply is the one part of a hot tub you set up once, so it is worth matching to the tub before you order. This guide gives you the numbers to take to your electrician.