Pool swim season in Dunedin, FL
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Dunedin, FL?
An unheated pool in Dunedin reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 11 swimmable months with a heater (Feb to Dec).
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What each heater buys you in Dunedin
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 8 | Apr to Nov | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 11 | Feb to Dec | $270 | $820 |
| Gas heater + cover | 11 | Feb to Dec | $891 | $1,316 |
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 Dunedin
Heat pump + cover: 11 of 11 possible months for about $820 a year all-in, which works out near $164 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: Tarpon Spgs Sewage Plt, 8.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Dunedin 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 | 69° | 60° | 3.4 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Feb | 72° | 63° | 4.1 | 63° | 69° | $104 | $338 |
| Mar | 76° | 67° | 5.3 | 67° | 73° | $59 | $203 |
| Apr | 81° | 72° | 6.3 | 73° | 79° | $10 | $36 |
| May | 86° | 78° | 6.7 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jun | 90° | 82° | 6.1 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 83° | 5.7 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 83° | 5.5 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 81° | 5.1 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Oct | 84° | 76° | 4.6 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Nov | 76° | 68° | 3.7 | 72° | 78° | $15 | $51 |
| Dec | 71° | 62° | 3.1 | 65° | 71° | $82 | $263 |
Heating costs most in Feb (about $104 with a heat pump, $338 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 58.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Dunedin compares with nearby cities
Dunedin ranks 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater, FL | 4 mi | 6 | 12 | $295 |
| Safety Harbor, FL | 6 mi | 6 | 12 | $302 |
| Oldsmar, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 11 | $270 |
| Tarpon Springs, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 11 | $270 |
| Largo, FL | 9 mi | 6 | 12 | $295 |
| Pinellas Park, FL | 13 mi | 6 | 12 | $295 |