Pool swim season in Fenton, MI
Fenton, MI: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fenton never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Fenton
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $294 | $844 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $295 | $720 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MI prices of 21.7¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fenton
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.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Linden Water Treatment Plant, 4.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fenton 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 | 30° | 23° | 1.6 | 24° | 30° | – | – |
| Feb | 33° | 24° | 2.4 | 23° | 29° | – | – |
| Mar | 42° | 33° | 3.5 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Apr | 55° | 45° | 4.7 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| May | 68° | 57° | 5.4 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 66° | 6.2 | 65° | 71° | $117 | $119 |
| Jul | 81° | 70° | 6.2 | 71° | 77° | $35 | $37 |
| Aug | 79° | 68° | 5.3 | 71° | 77° | $34 | $36 |
| Sep | 72° | 61° | 4.3 | 66° | 72° | $108 | $103 |
| Oct | 59° | 50° | 2.8 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Nov | 47° | 39° | 1.8 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Dec | 34° | 28° | 1.2 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $117 with a heat pump, $119 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 37.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fenton compares with nearby cities
Fenton ranks 85 of 90 Michigan cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton, MI | 15 mi | 0 | 4 | $269 |
| Flint, MI | 16 mi | 0 | 4 | $243 |
| Wixom, MI | 21 mi | 0 | 4 | $231 |
| South Lyon, MI | 24 mi | 0 | 4 | $279 |
| Pontiac, MI | 24 mi | 0 | 4 | $153 |
| Novi, MI | 25 mi | 0 | 4 | $224 |