Pool swim season in Ottawa, IL
Ottawa, IL: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Ottawa never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Ottawa
| 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 | $305 | $855 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $350 | $775 |
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 Ottawa
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: Marseilles Lock/Dam, 4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Ottawa 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 | 31° | 23° | 1.7 | 24° | 30° | – | – |
| Feb | 35° | 26° | 2.6 | 24° | 30° | – | – |
| Mar | 48° | 37° | 3.6 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 49° | 4.7 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 61° | 5.5 | 57° | 63° | $197 | $218 |
| Jun | 81° | 70° | 6.1 | 68° | 74° | $61 | $76 |
| Jul | 84° | 73° | 6.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 82° | 72° | 5.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 65° | 4.5 | 70° | 76° | $47 | $56 |
| Oct | 64° | 53° | 3.0 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 49° | 40° | 2.0 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Dec | 37° | 29° | 1.5 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $197 with a heat pump, $218 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 31.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Ottawa compares with nearby cities
Ottawa ranks 201 of 225 Illinois cities for unheated swim months; Streator nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streator, IL | 16 mi | 1 | 5 | $222 |
| Morris, IL | 21 mi | 0 | 5 | $260 |
| Plano, IL | 27 mi | 0 | 5 | $318 |
| Minooka, IL | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $267 |
| Channahon, IL | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $267 |
| Yorkville, IL | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $318 |