Pool swim season in South Salt Lake, UT
Swim season in South Salt Lake without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in South Salt Lake reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in South Salt Lake
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $118 | $668 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $180 | $605 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at UT prices of 13.2¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in South Salt Lake
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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 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: Salt Lake Triad Center, 4.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
South Salt Lake 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 | 40° | 34° | 2.3 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 46° | 39° | 3.2 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 47° | 4.5 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 62° | 53° | 5.6 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 62° | 6.6 | 61° | 67° | $102 | $152 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 7.8 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $28 |
| Jul | 91° | 81° | 7.5 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 79° | 6.6 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 69° | 5.4 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 66° | 56° | 3.8 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 52° | 44° | 2.5 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 41° | 34° | 1.9 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $102 with a heat pump, $152 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How South Salt Lake compares with nearby cities
South Salt Lake ranks 10 of 67 Utah cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millcreek, UT | 4 mi | 2 | 5 | $165 |
| Murray, UT | 4 mi | 2 | 5 | $163 |
| Taylorsville, UT | 4 mi | 2 | 5 | $128 |
| Holladay, UT | 5 mi | 2 | 5 | $163 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 5 mi | 2 | 5 | $128 |
| West Valley City, UT | 6 mi | 2 | 5 | $128 |