Pool swim season in Augusta-Richmond County, GA
Augusta-Richmond County, GA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Augusta-Richmond County reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Augusta-Richmond County
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $307 | $857 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $768 | $1,193 |
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 Augusta-Richmond County
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 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: Augusta Bush Field Airport, 6.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Augusta-Richmond County 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 | 60° | 47° | 2.8 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 64° | 51° | 3.4 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 58° | 4.5 | 56° | 62° | $182 | $434 |
| Apr | 79° | 65° | 5.7 | 64° | 70° | $92 | $242 |
| May | 86° | 73° | 6.2 | 72° | 78° | $17 | $50 |
| Jun | 91° | 80° | 6.4 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jul | 94° | 83° | 6.1 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 82° | 5.6 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 76° | 4.9 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 66° | 4.0 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $42 |
| Nov | 69° | 56° | 3.1 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Dec | 62° | 49° | 2.5 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $182 with a heat pump, $434 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 42.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Augusta-Richmond County compares with nearby cities
Augusta-Richmond County ranks 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grovetown, GA | 10 mi | 4 | 7 | $71 |
| North Augusta, SC | 13 mi | 4 | 7 | $73 |
| Aiken, SC | 23 mi | 4 | 7 | $172 |
| Greenwood, SC | 58 mi | 3 | 7 | $202 |
| Lexington, SC | 65 mi | 4 | 7 | $153 |
| Statesboro, GA | 66 mi | 4 | 9 | $374 |