Pool swim season in Fairfield, CA
Fairfield, CA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fairfield never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°F in Aug. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Fairfield pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $506 | $1,056 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $662 | $1,087 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CA prices of 32.6¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fairfield
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $47 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 4 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: Fairfield, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fairfield 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 | 57° | 49° | 2.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 62° | 52° | 3.3 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 56° | 4.6 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Apr | 71° | 60° | 6.1 | 61° | 67° | $267 | $336 |
| May | 78° | 65° | 7.3 | 67° | 73° | $140 | $189 |
| Jun | 85° | 71° | 8.1 | 73° | 79° | $17 | $25 |
| Jul | 90° | 74° | 8.0 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 74° | 7.1 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 72° | 5.8 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 78° | 65° | 4.2 | 70° | 76° | $82 | $112 |
| Nov | 66° | 55° | 2.8 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Dec | 57° | 48° | 2.0 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $267 with a heat pump, $336 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 48.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fairfield compares with nearby cities
Fairfield ranks 198 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months; Vacaville nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suisun City, CA | 2 mi | 0 | 7 | $506 |
| Vacaville, CA | 8 mi | 2 | 7 | $477 |
| American Canyon, CA | 14 mi | 0 | 6 | $738 |
| Benicia, CA | 15 mi | 0 | 7 | $501 |
| Napa, CA | 15 mi | 0 | 7 | $680 |
| Vallejo, CA | 16 mi | 0 | 7 | $501 |