Setting the Standard

The International Hot Tub Association, an affiliate of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, works at the local, state, national and international levels to protect your business, promote fair regulation and ensure industry voices are heard where it matters most. One of the guiding forces behind IHTA is the IHTA Engineering Committee, comprised of 16 volunteers who serve as the technical front line for the portable spa industry.

Effective advocacy means engaging early — while policies are still being written, not after they’re finalized. The IHTA Engineering Committee focuses its efforts through three main channels. 

Real-world member input: This is our most direct line of sight. When IHTA members hit a wall, whether it’s a technical hurdle or a local regulatory issue, they can bring it to us. We’re here to listen, assess the impact on the broader industry and jump in with a response that carries the weight of PHTA behind it.

Proactive legislative scouting: We don’t wait for bad policy to land on our desks. We work hand-in-hand with PHTA staff to monitor statewide legislative trackers and filter through bills in real time. By catching spa-related legislation early, we can educate lawmakers and steer the conversation toward a positive outcome.

Front-line standards involvement: We make sure we have a seat at the table with the major code and standard organizations. Being involved in the development phase allows us to be proactive, ensuring the standards governing our products are both safe and practical for manufacturers.

Aligning standards, codes and certifications

One of the committee’s biggest wins in 2025 was making progress on a problem that has been frustrating retailers, installers and customers for years: some Authorities Having Jurisdiction require certification to ANSI/APSP/ICC-6 2013 American National Standard for Residential Portable Spas and Swim Spas, even though such a certification doesn’t exist.

When that happens, the installer gets stuck, the customer’s permit is delayed and everyone is left trying to explain an inconsistency in the certification process.

To tackle this, the committee took a different approach. Instead of trying to convince each AHJ individually that APSP6 isn’t a certifiable standard, we focused on harmonizing the relevant requirements in UL 1563: Electric Spas, Equipment Assemblies and Associated Equipment so that it better aligns certification with the intent AHJs adopted for portable spas. UL 1563 now covers the expectations inspectors were looking for in APSP6.

This shift reduces permitting delays, gives inspectors clearer documentation and makes it easier for dealers and customers. 

2026 goals

The first major initiative for the committee this year is updating APSP6. With UL 1563 aligned, PHTA is in a strong position to modernize APSP6 without creating conflicting expectations in the field. The aim is to bring the standard up to date to reflect how spas are designed and installed today. 

A major part of our work is flagging areas in the current edition causing technical confusion. By addressing these issues now, we can ensure the next revision reflects how we want to position the standard to support UL 1563 and unify it with the family of PHTA standards. Ultimately, we want to ensure the standard helps the industry move forward.

 We will also review ANSI/APSP/ICC-14 2019 American National Standard for Portable Electric Spa Energy Efficiency to determine if updates are needed this year. We will focus on areas that can be tightened up as we have grown as an industry.

 These efforts will help streamline permitting and testing. It’s all about reducing confusion, improving consistency and making it easier for dealers, inspectors and customers to have a smooth experience from purchase to installation.

APSP14 adoption

At its core, APSP14 is about professional credibility. When the industry operates from the same baseline for testing and evaluation, it creates consistency that protects manufacturers, retailers and customers, making sure “performance” isn’t just a marketing term, but a measurable standard that carries weight across state lines.

 While most customers will never read the technical specs, they benefit from the energy-efficient performance these standards deliver, ensuring spas meet modern efficiency expectations without sacrificing the user experience. Beyond the engineering, there is a strategic advantage to widespread adoption: It gives the industry a unified voice.

 When we rally around a single, industry-led standard, we present a clear and consistent model for what “good” looks like. This collective approach is our best tool for navigating the regulatory landscape; it allows us to exceed the pace of innovation and provide a proven framework that agencies can adopt, rather than leaving them to develop requirements in a vacuum. By aligning on APSP14 and other industry standards, we ensure the future of our industry is guided by the people who actually design, build, sell and use the products.

To learn more about IHTA, its committees and its advocacy efforts, visit phta.org/ihta.