Pool swim season in Cayce, SC
Cayce, SC: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Cayce 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 Cayce
| 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 | 8 | Mar to Oct | $254 | $804 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $518 | $943 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at SC prices of 15.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Cayce
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 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: Columbia Univ Of Sc, 3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Cayce 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° | 48° | 2.9 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Feb | 64° | 52° | 3.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Mar | 72° | 59° | 4.5 | 57° | 63° | $171 | $336 |
| Apr | 81° | 67° | 5.8 | 66° | 72° | $74 | $162 |
| May | 87° | 75° | 6.2 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jun | 93° | 81° | 6.4 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 96° | 84° | 6.2 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 94° | 82° | 5.6 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 77° | 4.9 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Oct | 80° | 67° | 4.0 | 73° | 79° | $9 | $20 |
| Nov | 69° | 57° | 3.1 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Dec | 61° | 50° | 2.5 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $171 with a heat pump, $336 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 65.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Cayce compares with nearby cities
Cayce ranks 2 of 42 South Carolina cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbia, SC | 4 mi | 4 | 7 | $153 |
| Forest Acres, SC | 7 mi | 4 | 8 | $258 |
| Columbia, SC | 10 mi | 4 | 7 | $180 |
| Lexington, SC | 11 mi | 4 | 7 | $153 |
| Irmo, SC | 14 mi | 2 | 7 | $298 |
| Orangeburg, SC | 33 mi | 4 | 8 | $301 |