Pool swim season in South Charleston, WV
South Charleston, WV: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in South Charleston never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in South Charleston
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $163 | $713 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $290 | $715 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WV prices of 15.6¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in South Charleston
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Charleston NWS Office, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
South Charleston 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 | 43° | 33° | 1.8 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Feb | 46° | 36° | 2.5 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 43° | 3.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 55° | 4.9 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 64° | 5.5 | 62° | 68° | $114 | $199 |
| Jun | 83° | 71° | 6.1 | 71° | 77° | $29 | $55 |
| Jul | 86° | 75° | 5.8 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 73° | 5.4 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 67° | 4.5 | 72° | 78° | $20 | $36 |
| Oct | 68° | 55° | 3.2 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 45° | 2.3 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 47° | 37° | 1.6 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $114 with a heat pump, $199 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 25.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How South Charleston compares with nearby cities
South Charleston ranks 7 of 13 West Virginia cities for unheated swim months; Huntington nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, WV | 4 mi | 0 | 5 | $125 |
| St. Albans, WV | 6 mi | 0 | 5 | $157 |
| Huntington, WV | 40 mi | 1 | 5 | $112 |
| Beckley, WV | 49 mi | 0 | 5 | $399 |
| Ashland, KY | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $155 |
| Ironton, OH | 54 mi | 0 | 5 | $205 |