Pool swim season in Ruston, LA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Ruston, LA?
An unheated pool in Ruston reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 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 Ruston
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $120 | $670 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $318 | $743 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at LA prices of 13.3¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Ruston
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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: Ruston La Tech, 1.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Ruston 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° | 46° | 2.7 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Feb | 61° | 50° | 3.1 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 69° | 57° | 4.3 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Apr | 76° | 64° | 5.4 | 63° | 69° | $85 | $221 |
| May | 83° | 72° | 6.0 | 71° | 77° | $20 | $57 |
| Jun | 89° | 79° | 6.4 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 82° | 6.2 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 82° | 5.8 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 76° | 5.1 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 78° | 66° | 4.1 | 72° | 78° | $15 | $40 |
| Nov | 68° | 56° | 3.1 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 48° | 2.4 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $85 with a heat pump, $221 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 13.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Ruston compares with nearby cities
Ruston ranks 26 of 35 Louisiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Monroe, LA | 28 mi | 4 | 7 | $93 |
| Monroe, LA | 33 mi | 4 | 7 | $93 |
| Minden, LA | 38 mi | 4 | 7 | $109 |
| El Dorado, AR | 47 mi | 4 | 7 | $139 |
| Bossier City, LA | 59 mi | 4 | 8 | $202 |
| Natchitoches, LA | 62 mi | 4 | 9 | $266 |