Pool swim season in Reading, PA
Reading, PA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Reading never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Reading pool, side by side
| 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 | $251 | $801 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $356 | $781 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at PA prices of 21.1¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Reading
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: Reading Regional Airport, 2.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Reading 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 | 39° | 31° | 1.9 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Feb | 42° | 33° | 2.7 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 42° | 3.6 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 53° | 4.8 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 63° | 5.3 | 60° | 66° | $179 | $247 |
| Jun | 82° | 72° | 5.9 | 70° | 76° | $46 | $71 |
| Jul | 87° | 76° | 6.0 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 74° | 5.2 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 67° | 4.2 | 72° | 78° | $26 | $38 |
| Oct | 65° | 55° | 2.9 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 45° | 2.1 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 36° | 1.6 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $179 with a heat pump, $247 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Reading compares with nearby cities
Reading ranks 9 of 68 Pennsylvania cities for unheated swim months; Phoenixville nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyomissing, PA | 2 mi | 0 | 5 | $251 |
| Pottstown, PA | 16 mi | 0 | 5 | $339 |
| Ephrata, PA | 17 mi | 0 | 5 | $271 |
| Coatesville, PA | 25 mi | 0 | 5 | $287 |
| Phoenixville, PA | 26 mi | 1 | 5 | $227 |
| Lebanon, PA | 26 mi | 0 | 5 | $308 |