HOA Boards Should Assess Itself Every Year

A nonprofit Board of Directors is responsible for many things in its organization. The Board oversees the operation, provides guidance, and develops policy. A good Board makes for a good organization. So who monitors the Board to make sure it’s as good as it can be?

It’s up to the Board itself to evaluate its own activities. An annual self-assessment is a great way to do that.

A good self-assessment is comprehensive and covers all areas of Board responsibility
It helps determine the Board’s effectiveness and level of functioning. It also provides

• A structured time for reflection.

• An opportunity to assess individual and group weaknesses and strengths.

• A springboard for Board member recruitment in the coming year.

• A way to identify any training that might be needed for the Board.

There are lots of tools out there that can be used to assess Board performance including surveys and questionnaires.

Related Coverage

• How to Grow Your Small Nonprofit Board of Directors

Recruiting good Board members for small nonprofit organizations isn’t always easy, but it can be done. Here are some good ideas to make it a little easier.

• 10 Keys to Effective Nonprofit Fundraising in a Soft Economy

Fundraising in a soft economy offers unique challenges to nonprofit organizations. The bad news is that you will find many doors that were historically open to you suddenly closed. The good news is that the most effective fundraisers are still able to raise significant funds.

• Why 100% Board Giving is a MUST!

Your Board is the leadership of your nonprofit organization. Not only do they set policy and plan for the organization’s future, they are expected to set the stage for fundraising by making their own gifts to the organization. This means that each one of your Board members must make a financial gift to the organization. And it should come from their own checking account. Getting a gift from their company is great and welcome, but it’s not the same as giving from their own resources.

• Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Wish List

Every nonprofit organization has more needs than they have resources to fill. A Wish List is a great tool for giving donors, volunteers, and prospects ideas about how they can help you. Typically, some items on a wish list can be fulfilled with a monetary gift, but most are usually items that are needed.

It doesn’t matter so much which tool is used as long as one is used.Giving the Board a chance to evaluate its own effectiveness is a step toward best practice in governance. It can contribute to the overall teamwork of the group and satisfaction of individual members. It points out areas where improvement is needed and sets a course of action for the coming year.

Having a policy in place that requires the Board to evaluate itself each year is a great way to make sure that it happens.

The organization will only be as good as its Board, so make the Board the best it can be through annual self-assessment!

 

HOA Boards Should Assess Itself Each Year

A nonprofit Board of Directors is responsible for many things in its organization. The Board oversees the operation, provides guidance, and develops policy. A good Board makes for a good organization. So who monitors the Board to make sure it’s as good as it can be?

It’s up to the Board itself to evaluate its own activities. An annual self-assessment is a great way to do that.

A good self-assessment is comprehensive and covers all areas of Board responsibility
It helps determine the Board’s effectiveness and level of functioning. It also provides

• A structured time for reflection.

• An opportunity to assess individual and group weaknesses and strengths.

• A springboard for Board member recruitment in the coming year.

• A way to identify any training that might be needed for the Board.

There are lots of tools out there that can be used to assess Board performance including surveys and questionnaires.

Related Coverage

• How to Grow Your Small Nonprofit Board of Directors

Recruiting good Board members for small nonprofit organizations isn’t always easy, but it can be done. Here are some good ideas to make it a little easier.

• 10 Keys to Effective Nonprofit Fundraising in a Soft Economy

Fundraising in a soft economy offers unique challenges to nonprofit organizations. The bad news is that you will find many doors that were historically open to you suddenly closed. The good news is that the most effective fundraisers are still able to raise significant funds.

• Why 100% Board Giving is a MUST!

Your Board is the leadership of your nonprofit organization. Not only do they set policy and plan for the organization’s future, they are expected to set the stage for fundraising by making their own gifts to the organization. This means that each one of your Board members must make a financial gift to the organization. And it should come from their own checking account. Getting a gift from their company is great and welcome, but it’s not the same as giving from their own resources.

• Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Wish List

Every nonprofit organization has more needs than they have resources to fill. A Wish List is a great tool for giving donors, volunteers, and prospects ideas about how they can help you. Typically, some items on a wish list can be fulfilled with a monetary gift, but most are usually items that are needed.

It doesn’t matter so much which tool is used as long as one is used.Giving the Board a chance to evaluate its own effectiveness is a step toward best practice in governance. It can contribute to the overall teamwork of the group and satisfaction of individual members. It points out areas where improvement is needed and sets a course of action for the coming year.

Having a policy in place that requires the Board to evaluate itself each year is a great way to make sure that it happens.

The organization will only be as good as its Board, so make the Board the best it can be through annual self-assessment!

 

 

Budget Planning For Your Association

Appoint Your 2014 Budget Committee Now

Atlanta, Georgia–With the first quarter quickly approaching, it’s “drop-dead” time for budget planning for Atlanta business community associations and homeowners associations. A tip to help with the process is to utilize a properly run budget committee. The budget committee is comprised of members of the community association, which enables residents to have a say in how their money is spent. How does the budget committee work and who serves on it?

The Treasurer’s and Accountant’s Roles
It makes sense for the board treasurer of your Atlanta community association to chair the budget committee. As chair, it’s the treasurer’s job to keep everyone on track as the budget is prepared. The treasurer also presents the budget for approval to the board and members. If your community association works with an accountant, he or she may offer consulting, but the accountant really has no significant role in the process of devising the budget.

Who Should Be on the Association’s Budget Committee?
The owners who serve on the budget committee should represent a cross-section of your Atlanta community association. Of course, if there are members willing to serve who have expertise in areas such as insurance, landscaping, contracting,  that’s even better. When it comes to size, a good general guideline is that the committee shouldn’t be so large that it becomes unwieldy.

What the Budget Committee Does
The treasurer of your Atlanta community association should make sure that all committee members understand the three basic components of the budget:

1. Non-Discretionary Operating Expenses. Funds needed for daily operation of your Atlanta  community association, such as common area electricity and water, landscaping maintenance, Atlanta association management, insurance, and general maintenance. These expenses are either contractual or can be reasonably estimated based on experience. One important consideration when looking at items in the operating budget is the level of service sought by your Atlanta community association.  Do owners want a landscaper who is on site three times a week or once a week?  Do your Atlanta association homeowners want a landscaper who is a “blow, mow, and go” type, or do they want a landscaper who provides a higher level of service?  Do your Atlanta homeowners association members want a lifeguard present at your association pool for twelve hours everyday or want to allow owners to swim at their own risk?  These decisions will significantly impact the your Atlanta community association’s operating expenses.

2. Future Reserves. Funds needed to maintain your Atlanta community association’s reserves at sufficient levels are essential for preserving the value of Atlanta condominium and homeowners associations. Reserve funds provide money for the repair and replacement of the community’s assets—such as the pool, roofs, pavement, etc. and must be set aside in the budget to be able to meet future expenses as they become due.

3. Discretionary Expenses. Funds for additions or enhancements to the existing property. This is a function of what members of your Atlanta community association wants and is willing to pay for. The community should provide input and approval for this component.  For example, you may want to erect a gazebo on the common grounds or install a new water slide at your community association pool.  These expenses are discretionary and should be included in your Atlanta community association’s budget only if there is money left over to pay for them after payment of all non-discretionary expenses and reserve funding.

How to Crunch the Numbers
Armed with this knowledge, your Atlanta community association’s budget committee should be able to estimate total expenses for the coming year and compare that sum to your Atlanta community association’s potential revenue (assessments, interest on investments, swim and tennis team income, and so on). If expenses are greater than revenue, the budget committee needs to look for ways to lower expenses without compromising services. If that doesn’t balance the budget, the budget committee may have to make a tough decision—whether to increase assessments or levy a one-time special assessment.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Call (678) 866-1436 for more information!  www.riversidepropertymgt.com

Riverside Property Management in Kennesaw works with homeowner and condo associations providing a variety of management, code enforcement, consulting and educational services, reserve studies, budgeting assistance and maintenance planning expertise.

 

Professional Management Companies can Help HOA Boards Run More Effectively

Organization of community care is a huge business that many volunteers find difficult to work in their busy lives.

An Association Board is supposed to guarantee that the needs of the community are satisfied and properly manage a budget. Several functions of administration may be made available by a third-party provider regarding the daily functions of the  board and is necessary in a neighborhood. Preservation, collection rates, facilities, key decisions, legal compliance and neighborhood improvement are functions of a Homeowners Association. Often, the obligations become excessive, so a property manager is a major tool for improving the community. A group of volunteers can always fight with all management tasks or the can make use of a specialists’ expertise in order to prevent residents risking their biggest investment.
Management companies provide a lot of potential ideas that an HOA can customize to meet their precise demands. The guidance given by the community management eliminates labor-intensive tasks.

Operations management strengthens simply by decreasing Board demand.
Community Managers are valuable in areas such as community covenant violations, issue resolutions of residents, service management, closing duties and home assessments.  They examine the neighborhood often and collect ongoing assessments.
The Community Manager acts as an intermediary to resolve minor problems in an effort to alleviate burdens on the Board of Directors. In addition, a manager is normally given the task of acquiring all the individual communications bring major concerns to the awareness of the board. They have the ability to monitor the area regularly, solve problems, collect on delinquent accounts, and can handle all the additional activities.

An HOA can do these activities themselves, but, association management offerings provide more time for tasks connected to  a partnership, while the fundamentals are handled reliably. The prosperity of these services often hinges on the manager because he or she is completing the duties required by the association. Property owners have control of the participants on the board, amendments, rule obedience, besides fulfilling their tax obligations in the area. In addition, volunteers are encouraged as part of the association and get involved with the neighborhood regularly. The board sets the guidelines, oversees the association, provides expenditure budgets, and also ensures the association complies with all state laws.

Management companies have their own basic functions beyond individual rights appointed by the Board. Standard responsibilities include performing on behalf of the Homeowners Association, imposing the payment of dues, collecting money, contract management, vendor relations, budget, along with record keeping. They also manage a number of other management activities and planning annual meetings. A board defines how actively involved management becomes. Community management services of the organization must be carefully outlined before recruitment is completed to make sure all expected responsibilities are adequately covered.

Call today and you will see “The Riverside Advantage”!

(678) 866-1436

www.riversidepropertymgt.com

 

Professional Management Companies can Help HOA Boards Run More Effectively

 

Organization of community care is a huge business that many volunteers find difficult to work in their busy lives.

An Association Board is supposed to guarantee that the needs of the community are satisfied and properly manage a budget. Several functions of administration may be made available by a third-party provider regarding the daily functions of the  board and is necessary in a neighborhood. Preservation, collection rates, facilities, key decisions, legal compliance and neighborhood improvement are functions of a Homeowners Association. Often, the obligations become excessive, so a property manager is a major tool for improving the community. A group of volunteers can always fight with all management tasks or the can make use of a specialists’ expertise in order to prevent residents risking their biggest investment.
Management companies provide a lot of potential ideas that an HOA can customize to meet their precise demands. The guidance given by the community management eliminates labor-intensive tasks.

Operations management strengthens simply by decreasing Board demand.
Community Managers are valuable in areas such as community covenant violations, issue resolutions of residents, service management, closing duties and home assessments.  They examine the neighborhood often and collect ongoing assessments.
The Community Manager acts as an intermediary to resolve minor problems in an effort to alleviate burdens on the Board of Directors. In addition, a manager is normally given the task of acquiring all the individual communications bring major concerns to the awareness of the board. They have the ability to monitor the area regularly, solve problems, collect on delinquent accounts, and can handle all the additional activities.

An HOA can do these activities themselves, but, association management offerings provide more time for tasks connected to  a partnership, while the fundamentals are handled reliably. The prosperity of these services often hinges on the manager because he or she is completing the duties required by the association. Property owners have control of the participants on the board, amendments, rule obedience, besides fulfilling their tax obligations in the area. In addition, volunteers are encouraged as part of the association and get involved with the neighborhood regularly. The board sets the guidelines, oversees the association, provides expenditure budgets, and also ensures the association complies with all state laws.

Management companies have their own basic functions beyond individual rights appointed by the Board. Standard responsibilities include performing on behalf of the Homeowners Association, imposing the payment of dues, collecting money, contract management, vendor relations, budget, along with record keeping. They also manage a number of other management activities and planning annual meetings. A board defines how actively involved management becomes. Community management services of the organization must be carefully outlined before recruitment is completed to make sure all expected responsibilities are adequately covered.

Call today and you will see “The Riverside Advantage”!

(678) 866-1436

www.riversidepropertymgt.com

 

 

How Professional Management Companies can Help HOA Boards Manage More Effectively

Organization of community care is a huge business that many volunteers find difficult to work in their busy lives.

An Association Board is supposed to guarantee that the needs of the community are satisfied and properly manage a budget. Several functions of administration may be made available by a third-party provider regarding the daily functions of the  board and is necessary in a neighborhood. Preservation, collection rates, facilities, key decisions, legal compliance and neighborhood improvement are functions of a Homeowners Association. Often, the obligations become excessive, so a property manager is a major tool for improving the community. A group of volunteers can always fight with all management tasks or the can make use of a specialists’ expertise in order to prevent residents risking their biggest investment.
Management companies provide a lot of potential ideas that an HOA can customize to meet their precise demands. The guidance given by the community management eliminates labor-intensive tasks.

Operations management strengthens simply by decreasing Board demand.
Community Managers are valuable in areas such as community covenant violations, issue resolutions of residents, service management, closing duties and home assessments.  They examine the neighborhood often and collect ongoing assessments.
The Community Manager acts as an intermediary to resolve minor problems in an effort to alleviate burdens on the Board of Directors. In addition, a manager is normally given the task of acquiring all the individual communications bring major concerns to the awareness of the board. They have the ability to monitor the area regularly, solve problems, collect on delinquent accounts, and can handle all the additional activities.

An HOA can do these activities themselves, but, association management offerings provide more time for tasks connected to  a partnership, while the fundamentals are handled reliably. The prosperity of these services often hinges on the manager because he or she is completing the duties required by the association. Property owners have control of the participants on the board, amendments, rule obedience, besides fulfilling their tax obligations in the area. In addition, volunteers are encouraged as part of the association and get involved with the neighborhood regularly. The board sets the guidelines, oversees the association, provides expenditure budgets, and also ensures the association complies with all state laws.

Management companies have their own basic functions beyond individual rights appointed by the Board. Standard responsibilities include performing on behalf of the Homeowners Association, imposing the payment of dues, collecting money, contract management, vendor relations, budget, along with record keeping. They also manage a number of other management activities and planning annual meetings. A board defines how actively involved management becomes. Community management services of the organization must be carefully outlined before recruitment is completed to make sure all expected responsibilities are adequately covered.

Call today and you will see “The Riverside Advantage”!

(678) 866-1436

www.riversidepropertymgt.com

 

Budget Planning For Your HOA

Appoint Your 2013 Budget Committee Now

Atlanta, Georgia–With the first quarter quickly approaching, it’s “drop-dead” time for budget planning for Atlanta business community associations and homeowners associations. A tip to help with the process is to utilize a properly run budget committee. The budget committee is comprised of members of the community association, which enables residents to have a say in how their money is spent. How does the budget committee work and who serves on it?

The Treasurer’s and Accountant’s Roles
It makes sense for the board treasurer of your Atlanta community association to chair the budget committee. As chair, it’s the treasurer’s job to keep everyone on track as the budget is prepared. The treasurer also presents the budget for approval to the board and members. If your community association works with an accountant, he or she may offer consulting, but the accountant really has no significant role in the process of devising the budget.

Who Should Be on the Association’s Budget Committee?
The owners who serve on the budget committee should represent a cross-section of your Atlanta community association. Of course, if there are members willing to serve who have expertise in areas such as insurance, landscaping, contracting,  that’s even better. When it comes to size, a good general guideline is that the committee shouldn’t be so large that it becomes unwieldy.

What the Budget Committee Does
The treasurer of your Atlanta community association should make sure that all committee members understand the three basic components of the budget:

1. Non-Discretionary Operating Expenses. Funds needed for daily operation of your Atlanta  community association, such as common area electricity and water, landscaping maintenance, Atlanta association management, insurance, and general maintenance. These expenses are either contractual or can be reasonably estimated based on experience. One important consideration when looking at items in the operating budget is the level of service sought by your Atlanta community association.  Do owners want a landscaper who is on site three times a week or once a week?  Do your Atlanta association homeowners want a landscaper who is a “blow, mow, and go” type, or do they want a landscaper who provides a higher level of service?  Do your Atlanta homeowners association members want a lifeguard present at your association pool for twelve hours everyday or want to allow owners to swim at their own risk?  These decisions will significantly impact the your Atlanta community association’s operating expenses.

2. Future Reserves. Funds needed to maintain your Atlanta community association’s reserves at sufficient levels are essential for preserving the value of Atlanta condominium and homeowners associations. Reserve funds provide money for the repair and replacement of the community’s assets—such as the pool, roofs, pavement, etc. and must be set aside in the budget to be able to meet future expenses as they become due.

3. Discretionary Expenses. Funds for additions or enhancements to the existing property. This is a function of what members of your Atlanta community association wants and is willing to pay for. The community should provide input and approval for this component.  For example, you may want to erect a gazebo on the common grounds or install a new water slide at your community association pool.  These expenses are discretionary and should be included in your Atlanta community association’s budget only if there is money left over to pay for them after payment of all non-discretionary expenses and reserve funding.

How to Crunch the Numbers
Armed with this knowledge, your Atlanta community association’s budget committee should be able to estimate total expenses for the coming year and compare that sum to your Atlanta community association’s potential revenue (assessments, interest on investments, swim and tennis team income, and so on). If expenses are greater than revenue, the budget committee needs to look for ways to lower expenses without compromising services. If that doesn’t balance the budget, the budget committee may have to make a tough decision—whether to increase assessments or levy a one-time special assessment.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Who should pay to maintain vacant homes?

Federal agencies, cities spar over cost of keeping up homes during the foreclosure process. The FHFA is challenging Chicago’s ordinance in court.

By Teresa at MSN Real Estate Thu 6:20 AM

The mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac spent $953 million to maintain vacant homes in 2010, but cities plagued by foreclosure blight say the agencies aren’t doing enough.

• City sues lender, calls bank ‘slumlord’

Municipalities argue that vacant homes are costing their taxpayers money and putting neighbors in jeopardy. Stories about homes that were taken over by squatters, thieves or drug dealers abound.

Las Vegas passed an ordinance last week that requires lenders to maintain homes in default or foreclosure or face criminal penalties.

This summer, Chicago passed a similar ordinance, requiring mortgage holders to register properties in foreclosure with the city, at a cost of $500 each, and to pay up to $1,000 a day in fines if certain standards are not met.

According to a new report by the General Accounting Office, the number of vacant properties in the United States increased 50% from 2000 to 2010, to 10 million nationwide. You can read the 102-page report here.

• Don’t let foreclosed homes ruin your neighborhood

One challenge is pinpointing who owns a property at various stages of the foreclosure process, particularly between the time the original owner leaves the home and the time a lender takes title and can offer it for sale.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency sued Chicago in federal court this week, arguing that the city’s ordinance oversteps federal law. The agency also argues that it’s unfair to require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to maintain properties when they don’t have other rights of ownership, such as the right to sell or rent out the homes.

• Bank works with cities to combat foreclosure blight

Chicago officials argue that they’re doing what’s necessary to protect their taxpayers.

“Given the failures of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Finance (Agency) to protect Americans from the abuses that led to this crisis, you’d think they’d be working overtime to turn things around in communities that are suffering,” Illinois state Rep. Karen Yarbrough said at a hearing to discuss a similar ordinance for Cook County. “Instead they’re paying their lawyers with our tax dollars to stop communities from doing anything to help.”

 

Budget Planning For Your Community Association

Appoint Your 2012 Budget Committee Now

Atlanta, Georgia–With the first quarter quickly approaching, it’s “drop-dead” time for budget planning for Atlanta business community associations and homeowners associations. A tip to help with the process is to utilize a properly run budget committee. The budget committee is comprised of members of the community association, which enables residents to have a say in how their money is spent. How does the budget committee work and who serves on it?

The Treasurer’s and Accountant’s Roles
It makes sense for the board treasurer of your Atlanta community association to chair the budget committee. As chair, it’s the treasurer’s job to keep everyone on track as the budget is prepared. The treasurer also presents the budget for approval to the board and members. If your community association works with an accountant, he or she may offer consulting, but the accountant really has no significant role in the process of devising the budget.

Who Should Be on the Association’s Budget Committee?
The owners who serve on the budget committee should represent a cross-section of your Atlanta community association. Of course, if there are members willing to serve who have expertise in areas such as insurance, landscaping, contracting,  that’s even better. When it comes to size, a good general guideline is that the committee shouldn’t be so large that it becomes unwieldy.

What the Budget Committee Does
The treasurer of your Atlanta community association should make sure that all committee members understand the three basic components of the budget:

1. Non-Discretionary Operating Expenses. Funds needed for daily operation of your Atlanta  community association, such as common area electricity and water, landscaping maintenance, Atlanta association management, insurance, and general maintenance. These expenses are either contractual or can be reasonably estimated based on experience. One important consideration when looking at items in the operating budget is the level of service sought by your Atlanta community association.  Do owners want a landscaper who is on site three times a week or once a week?  Do your Atlanta association homeowners want a landscaper who is a “blow, mow, and go” type, or do they want a landscaper who provides a higher level of service?  Do your Atlanta homeowners association members want a lifeguard present at your association pool for twelve hours everyday or want to allow owners to swim at their own risk?  These decisions will significantly impact the your Atlanta community association’s operating expenses.

2. Future Reserves. Funds needed to maintain your Atlanta community association’s reserves at sufficient levels are essential for preserving the value of Atlanta condominium and homeowners associations. Reserve funds provide money for the repair and replacement of the community’s assets—such as the pool, roofs, pavement, etc. and must be set aside in the budget to be able to meet future expenses as they become due.

3. Discretionary Expenses. Funds for additions or enhancements to the existing property. This is a function of what members of your Atlanta community association wants and is willing to pay for. The community should provide input and approval for this component.  For example, you may want to erect a gazebo on the common grounds or install a new water slide at your community association pool.  These expenses are discretionary and should be included in your Atlanta community association’s budget only if there is money left over to pay for them after payment of all non-discretionary expenses and reserve funding.

How to Crunch the Numbers
Armed with this knowledge, your Atlanta community association’s budget committee should be able to estimate total expenses for the coming year and compare that sum to your Atlanta community association’s potential revenue (assessments, interest on investments, swim and tennis team income, and so on). If expenses are greater than revenue, the budget committee needs to look for ways to lower expenses without compromising services. If that doesn’t balance the budget, the budget committee may have to make a tough decision—whether to increase assessments or levy a one-time special assessment.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Steps in Pool Closing for Your HOA

Locate all your winterizing supplies.  This should include the cover, the water tubes, the plugs for the skimmers (gizzmos) and return jets and your winterizing chemicals.  You will also need an air compressor or a powerful shop vac.  You need these items for proper winterization. If you are using the green Gizzmos to plug your skimmers, check them out and make sure that they are not cracked.   This is very important when dealing with gizzmos. Gizzmos with holes or cracks will not work !

1. Backwash the filter very well to clean it out.   Drain DE filter tanks and leave backwash valve open.  On sand filters, unplug the filter drain plug and leave off. Put drain plug with other removed items in the pump basket. Make sure multiport valve has no water in it. Blow it out with a compressor or shop vac if necessary. Please note that it is not recommended to “acid wash” DE filters at the time of the pool closing.  This is best to do in the Spring so that you can immediately run pool water through the system.  It is not good to use muriatic acid on a DE filter and then just rinse it off and put it away.  The acid may degrade the filter parts over the winter.
   
2. Disconnect your pump and filter.  Make sure that pump is totally drained out of any water. Turn pump upside down once to make sure !   Remove any drain plugs from the pump.  It is a good idea to store any small plugs or parts in the pump basket.  This way you will be able to find them easily in the Spring.
   
3. If there is a heater, drain it and make sure there is no sitting water inside.  Blow it out with a compressor or shop vac. Drain heater totally and remove all drain plugs (if any). Put drain plugs in the pump basket for safe keeping.  We do not recommend to remove the heater tray.  You can remove it if you want, but you may have trouble putting it back in the Spring.  It is not necessary on most units.
   
4. Unscrew and loosen any quick disconnect fittings or unions at your pump and filter system.  Remember, the name of the game is “no freeze cracks”.  If the water is all drained out of your pipes and fittings, it cannot freeze and expand and crack.
   
5. Remove all return jet fittings ( the entire fitting ! ). If you crack a fitting while removing it, don’t panic!! You can get a replacement come Spring.  Remove all skimmer baskets. Put fittings and any other items that you remove in one of the skimmer baskets or the pump basket to avoid loss ( this includes the dive board bolts too ).
   
6. Blow out all return jet pipes using an air compressor or shop vac. Hook up air compressor or shop vac to the return lines at the filter system – or – some people prefer to screw the compressor fitting into the drain plug of the pump.   This will give a good seal and allow you to blow out the entire system from that one spot – but this is up to you.  Keep the air blowing until the air bubbles start to become visible from the return jets in the pool.   Put a plug in the fitting under the water when you see the bubbles blowing at full force. This will mean that 99% of the water is out of the pipe.  Make sure plug is in tight ! This is most important.
   
7. Blow out all skimmer (suction side) pipes in a similar fashion as noted in #7. Put a Gizzmo-type screw in plug in the skimmer when bubbles start to become visible. We know that this is sometimes difficult, but proper gizzmo installation is important. Make sure that you put PTFE tape on the gizzmo threads before installing. This insures a tight seal. If you don not want to use Gizzmo plugs and want to use black rubber-type plugs instead, that is OK as long as there is something in the skimmer to allow for water expansion when it freezes. Usually a closed plastic empty soda-type bottle will work. This is very important !  Do not just plug the skimmer lines and forget about them.  Water can easily freeze in a skimmer and crack the plastic.  This would be bad !  Also, if you have a slide, an auto vac system or a waterfall, you will have to drain and blow out those pipes as well. Remember – we do not recommend putting anti-freeze type products in the pipes.  You will not need it if the lines are properly blown out.  The anti-freeze can cause a mess in the Spring when you go to start your system and it gets sucked into your filter and blown back into the pool.  Try to avoid antifreeze – if possible – by properly evacuating all the water from the pipes.
   
8. Blow out main drain line (if any). No, you don’t have to dive down and plug the drain pipe. When you see bubbles coming out of the drain, plug the pipe on your end or close the gate valve. This is as much protection as you can give to a main drain line.  By doing this you will cause an “air lock” in the line and no more water should enter the pipe from the pool side.
   
9. Put duct tape on all exposed pipes to prevent anything from getting into them. Use a lot of tape, it’s cheap !
   
10. Remove rope and floats from pool and put with the rest of the supplies.
    
11. Remove dive board and ladders. Put in a safe spot – a shed or the garage.  Put the pump and filter in the shed or garage as well.  You probably are not going to want to move your filter if it is a sand filter.  You can leave that outside !  Remember … do not lose dive bolts or ladder bumpers. Put them in the skimmer or pump baskets.
    
12. Mix any granular winterizing chemicals in a bucket so that they are totally dissolved. Dump mixture into the pool. You want to avoid any undissolved granules from settling on the pool floor and staining the liner. This is very important. If you are using any liquid winterizing chemicals, pour them in the pool as well.  Test the pool for pH and Total Alkalinity.  Adjust to normal levels using pH PLUS or MINUS and ALKALINITY PLUS.  pH should be between 7.2 – 7.6 and Alkalinity between 100-150 ppm.  Make sure one of your winterizer chemicals consists of a SHOCK-type product.  You want the chlorine level in the pool to be rather high (over 3.0 for wintertime).
    
13. Water level.  This is an area of a little controversy with some people, so we are going to tell you how they close the pools in New York & the Northeast.  You do not have to drain any water out of the pool provided that you have properly blown out and plugged all your underground pipes as outlined above and you do not have a pool that has decorative ceramic tiles at the water line.  Some people are used to their pool being drained down past the skimmer. This is usually done instead of blowing out the pipes and using gizzmos. Realize that the higher their water level is through the winter, the better it is for the pool cover. Pools that are drained down low cause a lot of undue stress on the pool cover thereby shortening its life – as well as exposing the pool liner to the air and causing it to prematurely dry out. The use of gizzmos prevents the skimmers from cracking, plugs the pipes and allows the water level to remain high for the cover so that rain water does not cause a lake on top of the pool cover – possibly causing it to fall in. We feel that the way we have stated to close a pool is the proper way.  You really only have to drain the water down in a pool if it has tile at the water level because the surface water will freeze and expand over the winter and this could cause those tiles to crack.  Aside from this situation, we feel that there is no valid reason to lower the water in the pool.  Also, you do not have to remove or “lower” the pool light provided that you keep your water at the normal level.
    
14. Place the cover on the pool. If there are rips or tears in the cover that are repairable, patch them with either vinyl pool patch (for vinyl covers) or with pool cover patch tape ( for lightweight covers) or with a heavy duty duct-type tape. Remember, if your cover was declared legally dead a few years ago then patching probably is not the right thing to do !  It is probably time to get a new cover.  If there are sharp points that extend into the pool, like step units or “ELS”, then it is a good idea to put rags or cardboard between the cover and the points on the pool which extend out.  Do this right or the cover may rip on those stress points.
    
15. If you use water tubes, lay out the water tubes, placing them through loops on cover. Fill tubes with water to approx. 85% and tightly seal all tubes. Do not overfill the tubes – when they freeze you do not want them to expand and split.  Tubes should ideally be touching each other end to end. However spacing them one (1) foot apart is OK. If you find that tubes are leaking do not fill them. Replace them with new.  It is not a good idea to patch the old tubes unless you absolutely have to.  Remember…do not overfill tubes. They should not be totally filled with water. Allow enough slack in the tube for water expansion !

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1. Locate all your winterizing supplies.  This should include the cover, the air pillow, the plugs for the skimmers ( gizzmos or rubber plugs ), the winter plate ( if used ) and your winterizing chemicals.  You need these items for proper winterization. If you are using the green Gizzmos to plug your skimmers, check them out and make sure that they are not cracked.  This is very important when dealing with gizzmos. Gizzmos with holes or cracks will not work !
   
2. Backwash the filter very well to clean it out.   Drain DE filter tanks and leave backwash valve open.  On sand filters, unplug the filter drain plug and leave off. Put drain plug with other removed items in the pump basket. Make sure multiport valve ( if any ) has no water in it. Blow it out with a compressor or shop vac if necessary. Please note that it is not recommended to “acid wash” DE filters at the time of the pool closing.  This is best to do in the Spring so that you can immediately run pool water through the system.  It is not good to use muriatic acid on a DE filter and then just rinse it off and put it away.  The acid may degrade the filter parts over the winter.
   
3. Plug return pipes and skimmer (see #5 for skimmer details  and remove all hoses.
   
4. Disconnect your pump and filter.  Make sure that pump is totally drained out of any water. Turn pump upside down once to make sure !   Remove any drain plugs from the pump.  It is a good idea to store any small plugs or parts in the pump basket.  This way you will be able to find them easily in the Spring.   Store in a shed or garage.
   
5. Some people like to remove the skimmer box and install a winter plate with gaskets.  If you do this, make sure it does not leak.  Yes, you will get wet doing this !  Most people simply plug the skimmer hole with a black rubber plug or a gizzmo.  It is easier.  You can let the water in the pool go down to the bottom of the skimmer if you like – then you do not have to plug the hole at all.  This method is also OK, but realize that the pool cover will sit lower in the pool – therefore you might want to use a cover that is one or two sizes bigger than your pool so that you have the extra material available.  Any of these methods are OK – it is mainly personal preference.
   
6. Blow up and install your air pillow.  Air pillows are usually used but are not absolutely necessary.  They are a good idea in case the water in the pool freezes, expands, and breaks the pool wall. The pillow takes up the slack.  However realize that this is somewhat rare. If no pillow is available, you can use tires, tubes, balls, or other air filled floating objects.  Throw them into the pool to take up ice expansion. Tie air pillow at two places and position in center of pool. Tie strings to the pool wall so the pillow does not move during cover installation. If the pillow is leaking, either patch it or get a new one. Remember…the pillow is there to take up any expansion of the water which may occur due to freezing and possibly causing the above ground pool wall to split.  Pillows are NOT to keep the rain water out of the pool cover.  They will not do that.  The rain water will always settle around the outside of the pillow.
   
7. Remove all deck equipment from pool, if any (ladders, rails, slides, etc.).
   
8. Add chemicals. Mix any granular winterizing chemicals in a bucket so that they are totally dissolved. Dump mixture into the pool. You want to avoid any undissolved granules from settling on the pool floor and staining the liner. This is very important. If you are using any liquid winterizing chemicals, pour them in the pool as well.  Test the pool for pH and Total Alkalinity.  Adjust to normal levels using pH PLUS or MINUS and ALKALINITY PLUS.  pH should be between 7.2 – 7.6 and Alkalinity between 100-150 ppm.  Make sure one of your winterizer chemicals consists of a SHOCK-type product.  You want the chlorine level in the pool to be rather high (over 3.0 for wintertime).
   
9. Place cover on pool and secure. Make sure that cover cable wire is tight so that cover does not blow off or fall in pool. Make sure the pillow is still in the middle of the pool after cover installation. If not, reset cover and pillow.

Courtesy: http://www.poolandspa.com/