Pool swim season in Placentia, CA
Placentia, CA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Placentia reaches 78°F in Jul to Sep, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 12 swimmable months with a heater (all year).
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What each heater buys you in Placentia
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 12 | all year | $1,269 | $1,819 |
| Gas heater + cover | 12 | all year | $1,641 | $2,066 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CA prices of 32.6¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Placentia
Heat pump + cover: 12 of 12 possible months for about $1,819 a year all-in, which works out near $202 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: Anaheim, 1.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Placentia 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 | 71° | 60° | 3.2 | 60° | 66° | $285 | $360 |
| Feb | 71° | 60° | 4.1 | 61° | 67° | $258 | $327 |
| Mar | 74° | 63° | 5.4 | 64° | 70° | $198 | $260 |
| Apr | 77° | 65° | 6.5 | 68° | 74° | $123 | $167 |
| May | 78° | 68° | 6.9 | 71° | 77° | $61 | $86 |
| Jun | 82° | 72° | 7.3 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 87° | 76° | 7.4 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 77° | 7.1 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 76° | 6.0 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 83° | 71° | 4.6 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Nov | 77° | 65° | 3.6 | 69° | 75° | $101 | $136 |
| Dec | 71° | 59° | 2.9 | 62° | 68° | $243 | $305 |
Heating costs most in Jan (about $285 with a heat pump, $360 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 7.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Placentia compares with nearby cities
Placentia ranks 129 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brea, CA | 3 mi | 3 | 12 | $1,269 |
| Fullerton, CA | 4 mi | 2 | 9 | $635 |
| Yorba Linda, CA | 5 mi | 3 | 12 | $1,269 |
| Anaheim, CA | 6 mi | 3 | 12 | $1,269 |
| La Habra, CA | 6 mi | 2 | 9 | $635 |
| Orange, CA | 7 mi | 1 | 9 | $644 |