Pool swim season in Santa Fe Springs, CA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Santa Fe Springs, CA?
An unheated pool in Santa Fe Springs reaches 78°F in Aug to Sep, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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Heater options for a Santa Fe Springs pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Aug to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $676 | $1,226 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $898 | $1,323 |
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 Santa Fe Springs
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $1,226 a year all-in, which works out near $175 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: Fullerton Municipal Airport, 6.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Santa Fe Springs 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 | 69° | 58° | 3.1 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Feb | 69° | 59° | 4.0 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 61° | 5.2 | 62° | 68° | $236 | $304 |
| Apr | 74° | 64° | 6.3 | 66° | 72° | $154 | $206 |
| May | 76° | 67° | 6.6 | 69° | 75° | $92 | $128 |
| Jun | 79° | 71° | 6.3 | 72° | 78° | $33 | $48 |
| Jul | 84° | 75° | 6.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 77° | 6.3 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 85° | 75° | 5.5 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Oct | 80° | 69° | 4.3 | 74° | 80° | $10 | $14 |
| Nov | 74° | 62° | 3.4 | 66° | 72° | $151 | $198 |
| Dec | 68° | 57° | 2.8 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $236 with a heat pump, $304 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 62.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Santa Fe Springs compares with nearby cities
Santa Fe Springs ranks 181 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk, CA | 2 mi | 2 | 9 | $676 |
| Whittier, CA | 3 mi | 2 | 9 | $676 |
| La Mirada, CA | 4 mi | 2 | 9 | $676 |
| Downey, CA | 4 mi | 0 | 8 | $566 |
| Pico Rivera, CA | 4 mi | 2 | 9 | $721 |
| Cerritos, CA | 5 mi | 2 | 9 | $676 |