Pool swim season in Petersburg, VA
Swim season in Petersburg without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Petersburg reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Petersburg pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $372 | $922 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $695 | $1,120 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VA prices of 16.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Petersburg
Heat pump + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $922 a year all-in, which works out near $184 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Petersburg, 2.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Petersburg 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 | 49° | 39° | 2.3 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Feb | 52° | 41° | 3.1 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 48° | 4.1 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 58° | 5.2 | 55° | 61° | $202 | $364 |
| May | 78° | 67° | 5.8 | 65° | 71° | $85 | $173 |
| Jun | 86° | 75° | 6.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 79° | 6.1 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 77° | 5.4 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 82° | 71° | 4.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 72° | 60° | 3.5 | 66° | 72° | $85 | $158 |
| Nov | 62° | 49° | 2.7 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 42° | 2.1 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $202 with a heat pump, $364 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 34.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Petersburg compares with nearby cities
Petersburg ranks 11 of 39 Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Heights, VA | 4 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Hopewell, VA | 8 mi | 2 | 7 | $294 |
| Richmond, VA | 23 mi | 2 | 7 | $363 |
| Williamsburg, VA | 38 mi | 2 | 7 | $339 |
| Newport News, VA | 49 mi | 2 | 6 | $154 |
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 54 mi | 2 | 7 | $309 |