Pool swim season in East St. Louis, IL
East St. Louis, IL: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in East St. Louis reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a East St. Louis pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $107 | $657 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $128 | $553 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at IL prices of 19.2¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in East St. Louis
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $25 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: Cahokia St Louis Dwtn Airport, 3.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
East St. Louis 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 | 40° | 32° | 2.1 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 46° | 37° | 2.8 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 46° | 3.8 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 57° | 5.0 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 67° | 5.6 | 64° | 70° | $107 | $128 |
| Jun | 86° | 75° | 6.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 79° | 6.3 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 88° | 77° | 5.6 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 69° | 4.8 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Oct | 69° | 58° | 3.4 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 46° | 2.4 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 36° | 1.8 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $107 with a heat pump, $128 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 34.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How East St. Louis compares with nearby cities
East St. Louis ranks 8 of 225 Illinois cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cahokia Heights, IL | 3 mi | 2 | 5 | $107 |
| St. Louis, MO | 6 mi | 2 | 5 | $68 |
| Fairview Heights, IL | 7 mi | 2 | 5 | $107 |
| Granite City, IL | 8 mi | 2 | 5 | $124 |
| Collinsville, IL | 8 mi | 2 | 5 | $107 |
| Swansea, IL | 9 mi | 2 | 7 | $425 |