Pool swim season in Doral, FL
Doral, FL: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Doral reaches 78°F in Apr to Nov, about 8 months a year. The air allows up to 12 swimmable months with a heater (all year).
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Heater options for a Doral pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 8 | Apr to Nov | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 10 | Mar to Dec | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 12 | all year | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 12 | all year | $58 | $608 |
| Gas heater + cover | 12 | all year | $202 | $627 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at FL prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Doral
Solar panels + cover: 12 of 12 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Miami International Airport, 3.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Doral 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 | 76° | 69° | 3.7 | 71° | 77° | $29 | $101 |
| Feb | 78° | 71° | 4.5 | 71° | 77° | $24 | $85 |
| Mar | 81° | 73° | 5.5 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Apr | 84° | 77° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| May | 87° | 80° | 6.2 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Jun | 89° | 83° | 5.7 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 84° | 5.9 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 84° | 5.6 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 83° | 5.0 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Oct | 86° | 80° | 4.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Nov | 81° | 75° | 3.9 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Dec | 78° | 71° | 3.4 | 73° | 79° | $5 | $16 |
Heating costs most in Jan (about $29 with a heat pump, $101 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 37.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Doral compares with nearby cities
Doral ranks 4 of 173 Florida cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater, FL | 3 mi | 6 | 12 | $91 |
| Miami Springs, FL | 4 mi | 6 | 12 | $88 |
| Hialeah Gardens, FL | 5 mi | 6 | 12 | $78 |
| Hialeah, FL | 5 mi | 6 | 12 | $78 |
| Miami Lakes, FL | 7 mi | 6 | 12 | $78 |
| South Miami, FL | 8 mi | 7 | 12 | $47 |