Pool swim season in Rainbow City, AL
Swim season in Rainbow City without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Rainbow City reaches 78°F in Jul to Sep, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Rainbow City
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $197 | $747 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $419 | $844 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AL prices of 16.5¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Rainbow City
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month 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: Gadsden, 8.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Rainbow City 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 | 53° | 43° | 2.7 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Feb | 57° | 47° | 3.2 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 55° | 4.3 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Apr | 75° | 63° | 5.6 | 61° | 67° | $125 | $259 |
| May | 82° | 71° | 6.1 | 70° | 76° | $37 | $86 |
| Jun | 88° | 78° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 81° | 6.0 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 80° | 5.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 85° | 75° | 4.9 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 75° | 64° | 4.0 | 70° | 76° | $35 | $74 |
| Nov | 64° | 53° | 3.0 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Dec | 56° | 46° | 2.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $125 with a heat pump, $259 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 61.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Rainbow City compares with nearby cities
Rainbow City ranks 40 of 66 Alabama cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden, AL | 7 mi | 3 | 7 | $200 |
| Boaz, AL | 19 mi | 2 | 7 | $314 |
| Jacksonville, AL | 21 mi | 2 | 7 | $293 |
| Anniston, AL | 24 mi | 3 | 7 | $197 |
| Albertville, AL | 24 mi | 3 | 7 | $243 |
| Oxford, AL | 26 mi | 3 | 7 | $197 |