Pool swim season in Americus, GA
Swim season in Americus without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Americus reaches 78°F in Jul to Sep, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Americus pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $157 | $707 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $416 | $841 |
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 Americus
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month 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: Americus, 3.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Americus 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 | 59° | 47° | 2.9 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 50° | 3.4 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Mar | 70° | 56° | 4.5 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Apr | 77° | 63° | 5.7 | 62° | 68° | $106 | $274 |
| May | 84° | 71° | 6.3 | 71° | 77° | $29 | $83 |
| Jun | 89° | 78° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 80° | 6.1 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 80° | 5.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 75° | 4.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Oct | 78° | 66° | 4.1 | 72° | 78° | $22 | $59 |
| Nov | 68° | 55° | 3.2 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Dec | 61° | 49° | 2.5 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $106 with a heat pump, $274 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 54.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Americus compares with nearby cities
Americus ranks 41 of 101 Georgia cities for unheated swim months; Albany, Perry, Warner Robins nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, GA | 34 mi | 4 | 9 | $305 |
| Perry, GA | 40 mi | 4 | 7 | $132 |
| Columbus, GA | 49 mi | 3 | 7 | $167 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 49 mi | 4 | 7 | $132 |
| Phenix City, AL | 54 mi | 4 | 8 | $268 |
| Eufaula, AL | 56 mi | 4 | 9 | $363 |