Pool swim season in Eagan, MN
Swim season in Eagan without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Eagan never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Jul. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Eagan
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $107 | $657 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $147 | $572 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MN prices of 16.4¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Eagan
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 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 gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, 5.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Eagan 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 | 24° | 16° | 1.8 | 18° | 24° | – | – |
| Feb | 29° | 21° | 3.0 | 18° | 24° | – | – |
| Mar | 42° | 33° | 3.7 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Apr | 57° | 47° | 4.7 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 60° | 5.4 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 70° | 6.0 | 68° | 74° | $57 | $81 |
| Jul | 83° | 74° | 6.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 81° | 72° | 5.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 73° | 64° | 4.2 | 69° | 75° | $50 | $66 |
| Oct | 58° | 50° | 2.7 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Nov | 42° | 35° | 1.8 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Dec | 29° | 22° | 1.3 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $57 with a heat pump, $81 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 44.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Eagan compares with nearby cities
Eagan ranks 3 of 103 Minnesota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendota Heights, MN | 5 mi | 0 | 4 | $137 |
| Inver Grove Heights, MN | 5 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |
| Apple Valley, MN | 5 mi | 0 | 4 | $189 |
| Rosemount, MN | 7 mi | 0 | 4 | $189 |
| Burnsville, MN | 7 mi | 0 | 4 | $147 |
| West St. Paul, MN | 7 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |