Pool swim season in Charleston, WV
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Charleston, WV?
An unheated pool in Charleston never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°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 Charleston
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $125 | $675 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $226 | $651 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WV prices of 15.6¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Charleston
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $57 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Charleston - Yeager Airport, 3.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Charleston 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 | 44° | 35° | 1.8 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 38° | 2.5 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 46° | 3.6 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Apr | 69° | 57° | 4.9 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 65° | 5.5 | 63° | 69° | $97 | $171 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 6.1 | 72° | 78° | $19 | $38 |
| Jul | 86° | 76° | 5.8 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 75° | 5.4 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 68° | 4.5 | 73° | 79° | $9 | $17 |
| Oct | 69° | 57° | 3.2 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 46° | 2.3 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 48° | 39° | 1.6 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $97 with a heat pump, $171 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 20.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Charleston compares with nearby cities
Charleston ranks 4 of 13 West Virginia cities for unheated swim months; Huntington nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Charleston, WV | 4 mi | 0 | 5 | $163 |
| St. Albans, WV | 10 mi | 0 | 5 | $157 |
| Huntington, WV | 44 mi | 1 | 5 | $112 |
| Beckley, WV | 47 mi | 0 | 5 | $399 |
| Ashland, KY | 55 mi | 0 | 5 | $155 |
| Ironton, OH | 58 mi | 0 | 5 | $205 |