Pool swim season in Cottonwood, AZ
Swim season in Cottonwood without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Cottonwood 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).
- J
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Heater options for a Cottonwood pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $519 | $1,069 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $1,120 | $1,545 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AZ prices of 15.4¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Cottonwood
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $1,069 a year all-in, which works out near $214 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: Tuzigoot, 2.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Cottonwood 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 | 61° | 45° | 3.3 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Feb | 65° | 49° | 4.2 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 54° | 5.7 | 54° | 60° | $205 | $427 |
| Apr | 79° | 61° | 7.1 | 62° | 68° | $114 | $263 |
| May | 88° | 69° | 8.0 | 70° | 76° | $32 | $81 |
| Jun | 99° | 79° | 8.5 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jul | 101° | 84° | 6.9 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 98° | 82° | 6.5 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 93° | 76° | 5.9 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Oct | 83° | 65° | 4.9 | 72° | 78° | $17 | $41 |
| Nov | 71° | 53° | 3.7 | 60° | 66° | $151 | $308 |
| Dec | 60° | 45° | 2.9 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $205 with a heat pump, $427 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 52.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Cottonwood compares with nearby cities
Cottonwood ranks 34 of 44 Arizona cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Verde, AZ | 14 mi | 3 | 8 | $433 |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 22 mi | 1 | 6 | $249 |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 24 mi | 2 | 7 | $378 |
| Prescott, AZ | 28 mi | 1 | 6 | $249 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 36 mi | 0 | 4 | $308 |
| Payson, AZ | 52 mi | 1 | 7 | $406 |