Pool swim season in Rutland, VT
Rutland, VT: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Rutland never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 70°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Rutland
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $457 | $1,007 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $670 | $1,095 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VT prices of 23.9¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Rutland
Heat pump + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $1,007 a year all-in, which works out near $252 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Rutland, 1.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Rutland 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 | 29° | 19° | 1.6 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Feb | 32° | 21° | 2.5 | 19° | 25° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 30° | 3.7 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Apr | 55° | 43° | 4.6 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| May | 68° | 55° | 5.2 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Jun | 76° | 64° | 5.6 | 62° | 68° | $168 | $250 |
| Jul | 80° | 68° | 5.8 | 69° | 75° | $68 | $107 |
| Aug | 78° | 66° | 5.2 | 70° | 76° | $61 | $93 |
| Sep | 71° | 58° | 4.2 | 64° | 70° | $160 | $220 |
| Oct | 58° | 47° | 2.6 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 46° | 36° | 1.7 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Dec | 35° | 26° | 1.2 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $168 with a heat pump, $250 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Rutland compares with nearby cities
Rutland ranks 4 of 4 Vermont cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claremont, NH | 36 mi | 0 | 4 | $525 |
| Lebanon, NH | 36 mi | 0 | 4 | $383 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $850 |
| Saratoga Springs, NY | 55 mi | 0 | 5 | $562 |
| Keene, NH | 57 mi | 0 | 4 | $458 |
| South Burlington, VT | 58 mi | 0 | 4 | $224 |