Hot Tub

[shootingstar]

As with most things "you get what you pay for" We have many friends that bought the "made for the claifornia climate" tub's. For my location (very cold winters) it averages about 100.00 month to run them through the winter. That is just keeping them hot, not anything for chemicals or perhaps water changes. About half of them gave up after their second winter and don't even run them in the winter anymore. they can't afford too.
To me this defeated the purpose entirely.

We bought our hot tub 2-3 years ago now. I researched it like crazy and eventually settled on Arctic Spa, they are made in northern Alberta I believe. that thang is amazing, we use it almost every night (even at -40) and when it snows the snow does not even melt off the cover, that is how good the insulation is.
I have tracked it and it costs us about 30.00/month to run.

PLUS - and this was a big one for me. Most of the metal clad southern spas come only one way/configuration. something silly like 6o-some-odd # jets, coloured lights a bunch of crap you probably don't want.

With the arctic spa, you pick the size you want, and then there are 3 or 4 different levels of features/jets etc. We bought the base model first. then once a year or so we ponder and decide it it is good or perhaps you now have a sore hip or back you didn't have before, you just call the store and they come out and add another jet or 2 or whatever you want. Fast, cheap, easy.
Even the base units are plumbed and wired for all the possible jets, they just aren't all installed. You can add them at will whenever you want for a very nominal cost.

Service/maintenance:
On the southern designed spas, they install the components (pumps/wiring etc) then they spray foam the whole dang thing....if you ever have a problem you have to chop or dig all the foam out and hope you can get access to fix whatever broke.
(imagin filling your basement up to the top of the stairs with spray foam)

On the canadian arctic spas the the wood cabinet is insulated (like you would insulate your walls and attic to keep the heat in) and there are 8 access doors all the way around , 2 per side. you can get to and fix anything that might break no matter where it is.

it did/does represent a lot of money so I spent months and months researching them before we made our decision but everyone has to decide what is best for them.