Pool swim season in Suffolk, VA
Swim season in Suffolk without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Suffolk reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Suffolk
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $161 | $711 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $314 | $739 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VA prices of 16.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Suffolk
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 6 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: Suffolk Lake Kilby, 2.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Suffolk 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 | 49° | 40° | 2.5 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 52° | 43° | 3.2 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Mar | 59° | 49° | 4.2 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Apr | 69° | 59° | 5.4 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 66° | 6.0 | 66° | 72° | $82 | $166 |
| Jun | 83° | 74° | 6.4 | 74° | 80° | $3 | $6 |
| Jul | 87° | 78° | 6.2 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 77° | 5.5 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 71° | 4.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 61° | 3.5 | 67° | 73° | $76 | $142 |
| Nov | 61° | 51° | 2.7 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 44° | 2.2 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $82 with a heat pump, $166 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 25.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Suffolk compares with nearby cities
Suffolk ranks 14 of 39 Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake, VA | 18 mi | 2 | 7 | $431 |
| Portsmouth, VA | 19 mi | 2 | 6 | $114 |
| Norfolk, VA | 27 mi | 2 | 6 | $114 |
| Newport News, VA | 27 mi | 2 | 6 | $154 |
| Hampton, VA | 31 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 34 mi | 2 | 6 | $158 |