Which needs more panel space in Burnaby, a heat pump or a hot tub?

Both draw significant power, but a hot tub almost always needs more panel space than a heat pump in a typical Burnaby home.

A hot tub requires a dedicated 50–60A, 240V circuit with a disconnect within sight of the tub, that's a double-pole breaker taking two slots and typically 6 AWG or 4 AWG wiring depending on the run. A heat pump for a typical Metro Vancouver home (say, a 2–3 tonne unit replacing electric baseboards) usually needs a 30–40A, 240V dedicated circuit, though a larger unit or one with electric backup heat can push to 50–60A. So at the high end they overlap, but the hot tub's minimum is higher and it never comes in at the low end.

What actually matters is what's already in your panel

Most Burnaby homes built between the 1960s and 1980s have 100A or 125A services, and many of those panels are already carrying electric baseboard heat, a range, a dryer and a water heater. A load calculation, which any licensed electrician is required to do before adding a large circuit, will tell you whether you have spare capacity or whether one of these loads (let alone both) tips you into a service upgrade.

If your panel is a Federal Pioneer (Stab-Lok), that's a separate conversation: most electricians and insurers in BC recommend replacing the panel regardless of what new load you're adding, and you'd want to factor that $1,800–$3,500 replacement cost into your planning before the $1,000–$2,500 hot tub circuit or the $800–$2,500 heat pump circuit goes in.

A 100A-to-200A service upgrade in Burnaby runs $3,500–$6,000 in typical cases, more if BC Hydro needs to relocate the mast or run a new service drop. Burnaby runs its own electrical permit and inspection program through the City of Burnaby (not Technical Safety BC), so the contractor pulls the permit from the City and books the City's inspector.

For the heat pump specifically, CleanBC Better Homes rebates can offset some of the equipment cost, and those rebates require a licensed contractor and a permit, so skipping the permit to save money costs you the rebate as well.

A fair quote for either job should include the permit and inspection fee, a load calculation, all materials and labour, and BC Hydro coordination if a service upgrade is needed. Ask the electrician for their Technical Safety BC licence number and confirm WorkSafeBC coverage before signing anything.

Want quotes for both circuits, or just one? Vancouver Electrical Repair can match you with local Burnaby electricians for free.