Pool swim season in Newark, DE
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Newark, DE?
An unheated pool in Newark reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months 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 Newark
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $158 | $708 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $281 | $706 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at DE prices of 18.0¢/kWh electricity and $16/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Newark
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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 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: Newark Ag Farm, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Newark 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 | 43° | 34° | 2.0 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 46° | 36° | 2.9 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 44° | 3.8 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 55° | 5.0 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 64° | 5.6 | 62° | 68° | $130 | $227 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.2 | 71° | 77° | $25 | $49 |
| Jul | 89° | 78° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 76° | 5.4 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 69° | 4.4 | 74° | 80° | $3 | $5 |
| Oct | 69° | 58° | 3.2 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 46° | 2.3 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 47° | 38° | 1.8 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $130 with a heat pump, $227 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 29.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Newark compares with nearby cities
Newark ranks 3 of 6 Delaware cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkton, MD | 6 mi | 2 | 5 | $186 |
| Wilmington, DE | 13 mi | 0 | 5 | $230 |
| Middletown, DE | 16 mi | 2 | 5 | $158 |
| Havre de Grace, MD | 21 mi | 1 | 5 | $211 |
| West Chester, PA | 21 mi | 0 | 5 | $301 |
| Coatesville, PA | 22 mi | 0 | 5 | $287 |