Pool swim season in Madison Heights, MI
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Madison Heights, MI?
An unheated pool in Madison Heights never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
- J
- F
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- M
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- J
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- D
Heater options for a Madison Heights pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $121 | $671 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $128 | $553 |
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 Madison Heights
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.
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: Detroit City Airport, 8.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Madison Heights 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 | 32° | 26° | 1.6 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 35° | 28° | 2.4 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Mar | 45° | 37° | 3.5 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 48° | 4.7 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 60° | 5.4 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 70° | 6.2 | 68° | 74° | $72 | $78 |
| Jul | 84° | 74° | 6.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 81° | 73° | 5.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 74° | 65° | 4.3 | 70° | 76° | $49 | $50 |
| Oct | 61° | 53° | 2.8 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 48° | 41° | 1.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 37° | 32° | 1.2 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $72 with a heat pump, $78 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 32.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Madison Heights compares with nearby cities
Madison Heights ranks 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |
| Clawson, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 4 | $153 |
| Hazel Park, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |
| Ferndale, MI | 4 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |
| Warren, MI | 4 mi | 0 | 4 | $121 |
| Berkley, MI | 4 mi | 0 | 4 | $224 |