Pool swim season in College Station, TX
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in College Station, TX?
An unheated pool in College Station reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in College Station
| 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 | 9 | Mar to Nov | $267 | $817 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $631 | $1,056 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TX prices of 16.0¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in College Station
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $817 a year all-in, which works out near $163 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: College Station Easterwood Field, 4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
College Station 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 | 62° | 52° | 2.9 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Feb | 66° | 55° | 3.4 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Mar | 73° | 62° | 4.5 | 60° | 66° | $133 | $312 |
| Apr | 79° | 69° | 5.4 | 68° | 74° | $55 | $139 |
| May | 86° | 76° | 5.9 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Jun | 92° | 83° | 6.6 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Jul | 95° | 85° | 6.6 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Aug | 97° | 86° | 6.2 | 89° | 95° | – | – |
| Sep | 91° | 81° | 5.2 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Oct | 82° | 71° | 4.3 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Nov | 71° | 60° | 3.2 | 66° | 72° | $79 | $180 |
| Dec | 63° | 53° | 2.6 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $133 with a heat pump, $312 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 21.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How College Station compares with nearby cities
College Station ranks 73 of 252 Texas cities for unheated swim months; Katy nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan, TX | 8 mi | 4 | 9 | $267 |
| Brenham, TX | 30 mi | 4 | 9 | $318 |
| Huntsville, TX | 45 mi | 4 | 7 | $93 |
| Conroe, TX | 51 mi | 4 | 9 | $248 |
| Tomball, TX | 53 mi | 4 | 9 | $238 |
| Katy, TX | 61 mi | 5 | 9 | $191 |