Best tub for (Very) cold climate

[Dr. Cold]

Hi all, I'm just wondering whether anybody here has any thoughts on what tubs would work best in very cold climates, I live on the 57th parallel, (Northern Manitoba) and it routinely drops to minus 40 in the winter and stays there for weeks on end.  I've seen this discussed on a few forums in the past but for the most part it's Minnesotans or North Dakotans and frankly come january Minnesota and North Dakota start looking like a southern paradise from up here. 

I guess my first concern is, is it even possible to keep a large tub of water from freezing when -35 is considered a break from the cold? (I'd even be ok with just draining it for the 2 coldest months if need be)

What tub or manufacturer is most suited to my unpleasant wintery conditions?

And how many north korean villages could i power with the electricity i'd require? This is less of concern thanks to the fact that power is provided very cheaply ( $.07/KwH) by our public utility (Yay socialism

[Chartreux]

Maybe look for:  Arctic spas...

[Lionheart_CHP]

Can't say I have an answer for you, but welcome to the forums and thanks for giving me a few chuckles!  It's 95 degrees and 100% humidity here in Florida right now so I'd gladly come visit you in Northern Manitoba (for now).

[Tman122]

There are a lot of great brands that will be good for cold climates. The important things are a good manufacturer reputation for quality and longevity. I would opt for a small circulation pump to maintain temp efficiently when your not using the tub (99% of the time) I would also get the best cover you can get. May be a little more cumbersome to remove and replace and more costly upfront and down the road to replace but likely pay for itself plus in cost savings in hydro. And no matter what anyone tells you the coldest months could be close to 60-70 bucks a month even for the best tub. Prepare your self in your first few years of ownership to put together a plan for failure during extreme cold months.

Who's in your area? (this could be relative to your area) 100-200 miles?

[sksmoker]

I'm one province over in SK, and the top brands here are arctic, beachcomber, coast and hot springs (in no particular order). We feel your pain on the temp. It didn't break -50 for a week or so here last year.

[Topline Mike]

Dude, you live in one cold climate.  I'm in south central WI, and our cold is no where near your cold.  If we hit -20°F a few times a year, it's bad.  It just sounds too dangerous to be outside in a hot tub in temps below 0. 
I guess if you had to have a hot tub, I would create a barrier of 4 to 6 inches of insulation around the outside of the tub for better heating.  Like building an insulation sandwich between two pieces of plywood, or something like that.  It wouldn't be permanent, just use the insulation panels during the winter months.  Arctic Spas are beautiful on the outside, and I guess you would cover this up, but you'd be warm! 

[Sam]

If you do get a spa, I would definitely custom order a 6" to 4" tapered cover with 2# foam density and skip the OEM cover.  I would also stick to the brands with an good established reputation and only look at "full foam" spas.  I would also probably drain it during the coldest months like you stated.  I can't imagine going outside for a soak in temperatures like that.

I've always wondered why someone would want to live way up there.  Why do you? (if you don't mind me asking)

[wmccall]

There are a couple good tubs available.  My advice, put it as close to your door as you can.  My personal best is soaking at 104F on a  -4F night.

[rosewoodsteel]

I wouldn't limit yourself to only full foam spas. There are some manufacturers listed above that offer very good alternatives.