Pool swim season in Palm Bay, FL
Swim season in Palm Bay without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Palm Bay reaches 78°F in Jun to Oct, about 5 months a year. The air allows up to 12 swimmable months with a heater (all year).
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Heater options for a Palm Bay pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 8 | Apr to Nov | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 12 | all year | $351 | $901 |
| Gas heater + cover | 12 | all year | $1,155 | $1,580 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at FL prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Palm Bay
Heat pump + cover: 12 of 12 possible months for about $901 a year all-in, which works out near $129 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: Palm Bay, 3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Palm Bay 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 | 73° | 61° | 3.5 | 63° | 69° | $105 | $332 |
| Feb | 75° | 64° | 4.3 | 64° | 70° | $94 | $309 |
| Mar | 79° | 67° | 5.3 | 67° | 73° | $58 | $198 |
| Apr | 83° | 71° | 6.1 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $56 |
| May | 87° | 76° | 6.4 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Jun | 90° | 80° | 5.9 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 82° | 5.9 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 92° | 82° | 5.6 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 80° | 5.0 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Oct | 85° | 76° | 4.4 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Nov | 79° | 69° | 3.6 | 73° | 79° | $9 | $33 |
| Dec | 75° | 64° | 3.2 | 66° | 72° | $69 | $227 |
Heating costs most in Jan (about $105 with a heat pump, $332 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Palm Bay compares with nearby cities
Palm Bay ranks 131 of 173 Florida cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Melbourne, FL | 7 mi | 5 | 12 | $324 |
| Melbourne, FL | 11 mi | 5 | 12 | $339 |
| Satellite Beach, FL | 16 mi | 5 | 12 | $339 |
| Sebastian, FL | 16 mi | 5 | 12 | $264 |
| Rockledge, FL | 26 mi | 5 | 12 | $339 |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | 26 mi | 5 | 12 | $339 |