More and more people are using their hot tubs outside throughout the winter months. Although the wintertime is the most pleasurable season to use an outdoor hot tub, there are certain precautions you must take to ensure the proper operation and energy efficiency of your unit.

Setting your controls: If your spa has an Auto Heat or Freeze Protect system, make sure that it is activated as soon as the temperatures start to drop at night. Many spas have a Timer - Auto Heat button on their control boxes. Flip the button to the Auto Heat mode. This will ensure that the water in the spa and the jet piping doesn't freeze.

If your spa has a Topside Thermostat Control, make sure that it is set past the Freeze section, well into the Heat or High portion of the dial. If your spa does not have an Auto Heat or Freeze Protect mode, but it does have a timer system, you'll want to reset the time to give you the best possible protection against freezing. If you have an...