Pool swim season in Charlottesville, VA
Charlottesville, VA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Charlottesville reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Charlottesville pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $112 | $662 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $226 | $651 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VA prices of 16.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Charlottesville
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $25 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 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: Charlottesville 2W, 2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Charlottesville 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 | 45° | 36° | 2.2 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Feb | 49° | 39° | 3.0 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 46° | 4.0 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 57° | 5.0 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| May | 75° | 65° | 5.5 | 64° | 70° | $100 | $199 |
| Jun | 83° | 74° | 6.2 | 73° | 79° | $12 | $27 |
| Jul | 87° | 78° | 6.0 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 76° | 5.3 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 69° | 4.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 69° | 59° | 3.4 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 58° | 49° | 2.5 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Dec | 48° | 40° | 1.9 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $100 with a heat pump, $199 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 51.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Charlottesville compares with nearby cities
Charlottesville ranks 21 of 39 Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro, VA | 23 mi | 0 | 5 | $214 |
| Staunton, VA | 32 mi | 0 | 5 | $218 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 35 mi | 0 | 5 | $216 |
| Culpeper, VA | 40 mi | 0 | 5 | $205 |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 57 mi | 2 | 6 | $230 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 59 mi | 0 | 5 | $182 |