Pool swim season in Albany, GA
Swim season in Albany without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Albany reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Albany
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $305 | $855 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $765 | $1,190 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at GA prices of 15.5¢/kWh electricity and $20/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Albany
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $855 a year all-in, which works out near $171 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 2 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Albany SW Georgia Regional Airport, 3.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Albany month by month: air, sun and pool water
| Month | Air high | Air avg | Sun kWh/m²/day | Water, unheated | Water, covered | Heat pump $ | Gas $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62° | 51° | 3.0 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Feb | 66° | 54° | 3.6 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Mar | 73° | 60° | 4.8 | 59° | 65° | $144 | $357 |
| Apr | 80° | 67° | 5.9 | 67° | 73° | $65 | $176 |
| May | 88° | 75° | 6.5 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jun | 91° | 81° | 6.2 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 93° | 83° | 6.2 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 92° | 83° | 5.7 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 78° | 5.1 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Oct | 81° | 69° | 4.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Nov | 71° | 59° | 3.4 | 64° | 70° | $96 | $232 |
| Dec | 64° | 53° | 2.7 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $144 with a heat pump, $357 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 31.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Albany compares with nearby cities
Albany ranks 2 of 101 Georgia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americus, GA | 34 mi | 3 | 7 | $157 |
| Moultrie, GA | 36 mi | 4 | 8 | $246 |
| Tifton, GA | 39 mi | 4 | 7 | $134 |
| Cairo, GA | 48 mi | 4 | 9 | $334 |
| Bainbridge, GA | 52 mi | 4 | 9 | $306 |
| Thomasville, GA | 52 mi | 4 | 9 | $333 |