Pool swim season in New Orleans, LA
Swim season in New Orleans without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in New Orleans reaches 78°F in Jun to Oct, about 5 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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Heater options for a New Orleans pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $115 | $665 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $305 | $730 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at LA prices of 13.3¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in New Orleans
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month 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: NEW Orleans Lakefront Airport, 5.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
New Orleans 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 | 61° | 54° | 3.0 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Feb | 65° | 58° | 3.5 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 64° | 4.7 | 63° | 69° | $87 | $226 |
| Apr | 78° | 71° | 5.7 | 70° | 76° | $28 | $79 |
| May | 85° | 78° | 6.4 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jun | 89° | 83° | 6.2 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 84° | 5.9 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 85° | 5.6 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 81° | 5.2 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 73° | 4.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Nov | 70° | 63° | 3.5 | 69° | 75° | – | – |
| Dec | 63° | 56° | 2.7 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $87 with a heat pump, $226 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 64.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How New Orleans compares with nearby cities
New Orleans ranks 1 of 35 Louisiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gretna, LA | 12 mi | 4 | 9 | $176 |
| Slidell, LA | 19 mi | 4 | 8 | $173 |
| Kenner, LA | 19 mi | 5 | 9 | $169 |
| Mandeville, LA | 24 mi | 4 | 8 | $183 |
| Covington, LA | 31 mi | 4 | 8 | $183 |
| Picayune, MS | 37 mi | 4 | 9 | $341 |