Pool swim season in Kingsport, TN
Swim season in Kingsport without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Kingsport reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Kingsport pool, side by side
| 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $331 | $881 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $533 | $958 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TN prices of 13.8¢/kWh electricity and $12/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Kingsport
Heat pump + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $881 a year all-in, which works out near $147 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Kingsport, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Kingsport 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 | 46° | 37° | 2.2 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Feb | 51° | 40° | 2.8 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 48° | 4.0 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 71° | 58° | 5.2 | 55° | 61° | $167 | $260 |
| May | 78° | 66° | 5.8 | 65° | 71° | $74 | $129 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.2 | 73° | 79° | $9 | $17 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 5.9 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 76° | 5.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 70° | 4.7 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 58° | 3.6 | 65° | 71° | $81 | $127 |
| Nov | 59° | 47° | 2.7 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Dec | 50° | 40° | 2.0 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $167 with a heat pump, $260 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 4.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Kingsport compares with nearby cities
Kingsport ranks 57 of 65 Tennessee cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | 15 mi | 0 | 6 | $224 |
| Bristol, TN | 18 mi | 0 | 6 | $201 |
| Elizabethton, TN | 21 mi | 0 | 6 | $224 |
| Bristol, VA | 22 mi | 0 | 5 | $190 |
| Greeneville, TN | 29 mi | 0 | 6 | $193 |
| Morristown, TN | 47 mi | 1 | 6 | $170 |