Pool swim season in South Miami, FL
Swim season in South Miami without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in South Miami reaches 78°F in May to Nov, about 7 months a year. The air allows up to 12 swimmable months with a heater (all year).
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What each heater buys you in South Miami
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 7 | May to Nov | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 10 | Mar to Dec | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 12 | all year | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 12 | all year | $47 | $597 |
| Gas heater + cover | 12 | all year | $168 | $593 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at FL prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in South Miami
Solar panels + cover: 12 of 12 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $57 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 gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Miami Wso City, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
South Miami 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 | 75° | 69° | 3.7 | 71° | 77° | $26 | $90 |
| Feb | 77° | 71° | 4.5 | 72° | 78° | $19 | $69 |
| Mar | 78° | 73° | 5.5 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Apr | 81° | 76° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| May | 84° | 79° | 6.2 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jun | 87° | 82° | 5.7 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 84° | 5.9 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 84° | 5.6 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 83° | 5.0 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Oct | 84° | 80° | 4.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Nov | 80° | 75° | 3.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Dec | 77° | 71° | 3.4 | 74° | 80° | $2 | $9 |
Heating costs most in Jan (about $26 with a heat pump, $90 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 31.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How South Miami compares with nearby cities
South Miami ranks 11 of 173 Florida cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral Gables, FL | 3 mi | 7 | 12 | $47 |
| Pinecrest, FL | 3 mi | 7 | 12 | $47 |
| Palmetto Bay, FL | 6 mi | 7 | 12 | $47 |
| Miami, FL | 7 mi | 6 | 12 | $99 |
| Miami Springs, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 12 | $88 |
| Sweetwater, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 12 | $91 |