Pool swim season in Huntington, WV
Huntington, WV: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Huntington reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Huntington
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $112 | $662 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $203 | $628 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WV prices of 15.6¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Huntington
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $17 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: Huntington Swg Pl, 5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Huntington 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 | 44° | 34° | 1.9 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 38° | 2.6 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 45° | 3.7 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 69° | 56° | 5.0 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 65° | 5.5 | 63° | 69° | $98 | $175 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.2 | 72° | 78° | $14 | $27 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 5.9 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 76° | 5.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 69° | 4.6 | 74° | 80° | – | $1 |
| Oct | 70° | 58° | 3.3 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 46° | 2.3 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 47° | 39° | 1.6 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $98 with a heat pump, $175 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 11.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Huntington compares with nearby cities
Huntington ranks 1 of 13 West Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland, KY | 12 mi | 0 | 5 | $155 |
| Ironton, OH | 16 mi | 0 | 5 | $205 |
| St. Albans, WV | 33 mi | 0 | 5 | $157 |
| Portsmouth, OH | 37 mi | 0 | 5 | $168 |
| South Charleston, WV | 40 mi | 0 | 5 | $163 |
| Charleston, WV | 44 mi | 0 | 5 | $125 |