Pool swim season in Chattanooga, TN
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Chattanooga, TN?
An unheated pool in Chattanooga reaches 78°F in Jul to Sep, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Chattanooga pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $200 | $750 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $337 | $762 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TN prices of 13.8¢/kWh electricity and $12/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Chattanooga
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 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: Chattanooga Airport, 3.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Chattanooga 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 | 51° | 42° | 2.3 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Feb | 56° | 46° | 2.9 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Mar | 64° | 53° | 4.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 74° | 62° | 5.3 | 60° | 66° | $119 | $196 |
| May | 81° | 70° | 5.8 | 69° | 75° | $40 | $73 |
| Jun | 88° | 77° | 6.3 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 81° | 6.0 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 80° | 5.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 84° | 74° | 4.8 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Oct | 74° | 63° | 3.7 | 69° | 75° | $41 | $68 |
| Nov | 62° | 51° | 2.8 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 44° | 2.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $119 with a heat pump, $196 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Chattanooga compares with nearby cities
Chattanooga ranks 9 of 65 Tennessee cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bank, TN | 4 mi | 0 | 5 | $90 |
| East Ridge, TN | 5 mi | 3 | 7 | $195 |
| Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 9 mi | 2 | 7 | $299 |
| Collegedale, TN | 11 mi | 3 | 7 | $200 |
| Soddy-Daisy, TN | 14 mi | 1 | 7 | $314 |
| Cleveland, TN | 23 mi | 2 | 7 | $262 |