Pool swim season in Normal, IL
Normal, IL: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Normal never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Jul. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Normal 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $254 | $804 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $293 | $718 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at IL prices of 19.2¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Normal
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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: Normal 4NE, 3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Normal 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 | 33° | 25° | 1.9 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Feb | 38° | 29° | 2.7 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Mar | 50° | 39° | 3.7 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 50° | 4.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 62° | 5.5 | 59° | 65° | $178 | $200 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 6.3 | 70° | 76° | $41 | $52 |
| Jul | 86° | 75° | 6.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 73° | 5.6 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 66° | 4.6 | 71° | 77° | $35 | $41 |
| Oct | 66° | 54° | 3.1 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 50° | 41° | 2.1 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 38° | 30° | 1.6 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $178 with a heat pump, $200 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Normal compares with nearby cities
Normal ranks 105 of 225 Illinois cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $254 |
| Morton, IL | 26 mi | 0 | 5 | $218 |
| Washington, IL | 26 mi | 0 | 5 | $218 |
| East Peoria, IL | 31 mi | 0 | 5 | $190 |
| Pontiac, IL | 31 mi | 0 | 5 | $222 |
| Lincoln, IL | 32 mi | 0 | 5 | $211 |