Pool swim season in Carlisle, PA
Carlisle, PA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Carlisle never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Carlisle
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $325 | $875 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $452 | $877 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at PA prices of 21.1¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Carlisle
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Carlisle Wtp, 1.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Carlisle 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 | 38° | 29° | 1.8 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 31° | 2.6 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Mar | 50° | 40° | 3.6 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 51° | 4.7 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 61° | 5.3 | 58° | 64° | $209 | $281 |
| Jun | 81° | 70° | 5.9 | 68° | 74° | $67 | $101 |
| Jul | 86° | 74° | 5.9 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 72° | 5.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 65° | 4.2 | 70° | 76° | $49 | $70 |
| Oct | 66° | 54° | 2.9 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 43° | 2.1 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Dec | 42° | 34° | 1.5 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $209 with a heat pump, $281 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 5.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Carlisle compares with nearby cities
Carlisle ranks 33 of 68 Pennsylvania cities for unheated swim months; Mechanicsburg nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanicsburg, PA | 10 mi | 2 | 5 | $195 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 18 mi | 0 | 5 | $312 |
| Hanover, PA | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $296 |
| York, PA | 30 mi | 0 | 5 | $232 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 30 mi | 0 | 5 | $274 |
| Elizabethtown, PA | 32 mi | 0 | 5 | $349 |