Pool swim season in Martinez, CA
Swim season in Martinez without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Martinez never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 72°F in Aug. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in Martinez
| 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $968 | $1,518 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $1,249 | $1,674 |
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 Martinez
Heat pump + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $1,518 a year all-in, which works out near $217 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Martinez Wtp, 1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Martinez 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 | 56° | 46° | 2.5 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Feb | 61° | 49° | 3.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 53° | 4.6 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Apr | 71° | 57° | 6.0 | 58° | 64° | $340 | $411 |
| May | 78° | 62° | 6.7 | 63° | 69° | $214 | $278 |
| Jun | 85° | 67° | 7.3 | 69° | 75° | $92 | $128 |
| Jul | 88° | 70° | 6.5 | 72° | 78° | $33 | $48 |
| Aug | 87° | 69° | 5.8 | 72° | 78° | $33 | $47 |
| Sep | 84° | 67° | 5.1 | 70° | 76° | $73 | $102 |
| Oct | 76° | 61° | 4.0 | 65° | 71° | $183 | $235 |
| Nov | 64° | 52° | 2.8 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Dec | 57° | 46° | 2.1 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $340 with a heat pump, $411 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 64.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Martinez compares with nearby cities
Martinez ranks 303 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Hill, CA | 4 mi | 0 | 7 | $483 |
| Benicia, CA | 6 mi | 0 | 7 | $501 |
| Concord, CA | 6 mi | 0 | 7 | $513 |
| Lafayette, CA | 7 mi | 0 | 7 | $483 |
| Walnut Creek, CA | 8 mi | 0 | 7 | $483 |
| Orinda, CA | 9 mi | 0 | 6 | $995 |