Pool swim season in Richmond, VA
Swim season in Richmond without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Richmond 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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What each heater buys you in Richmond
| 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 | $363 | $913 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $681 | $1,106 |
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 Richmond
Heat pump + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $913 a year all-in, which works out near $183 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: Richmond International Airport, 8.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Richmond 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 | 48° | 38° | 2.3 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Feb | 52° | 41° | 3.1 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 48° | 4.1 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 58° | 5.2 | 56° | 62° | $197 | $358 |
| May | 78° | 67° | 5.8 | 65° | 71° | $83 | $168 |
| Jun | 86° | 75° | 6.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 90° | 79° | 6.1 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 88° | 78° | 5.4 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 71° | 4.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 60° | 3.5 | 66° | 72° | $83 | $155 |
| Nov | 60° | 50° | 2.7 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 52° | 42° | 2.1 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $197 with a heat pump, $358 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 4.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Richmond compares with nearby cities
Richmond ranks 8 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 | 19 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Hopewell, VA | 19 mi | 2 | 7 | $294 |
| Petersburg, VA | 23 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Williamsburg, VA | 46 mi | 2 | 7 | $339 |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 53 mi | 2 | 6 | $230 |
| Newport News, VA | 61 mi | 2 | 6 | $154 |