Pool swim season in Red Bluff, CA
Swim season in Red Bluff without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Red Bluff 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 Red Bluff
| 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 | $448 | $998 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $585 | $1,010 |
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 Red Bluff
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: Red Bluff Municipal Airport, 1.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Red Bluff 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 | 57° | 47° | 2.0 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Feb | 61° | 51° | 3.0 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 55° | 4.2 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Apr | 72° | 60° | 5.8 | 60° | 66° | $286 | $359 |
| May | 82° | 68° | 7.1 | 68° | 74° | $110 | $155 |
| Jun | 91° | 76° | 8.1 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Jul | 98° | 82° | 8.2 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 96° | 80° | 7.2 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 91° | 75° | 5.8 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 65° | 4.0 | 71° | 77° | $52 | $71 |
| Nov | 64° | 53° | 2.4 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 56° | 47° | 1.7 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $286 with a heat pump, $359 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 8.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 42.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Red Bluff compares with nearby cities
Red Bluff ranks 45 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months; Marysville nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson, CA | 19 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Redding, CA | 28 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Shasta Lake, CA | 36 mi | 3 | 6 | $159 |
| Chico, CA | 36 mi | 2 | 7 | $512 |
| Oroville, CA | 59 mi | 3 | 7 | $408 |
| Marysville, CA | 79 mi | 4 | 7 | $342 |