Pool swim season in Sulphur, LA
Sulphur, LA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Sulphur reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 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 Sulphur pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $198 | $748 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $513 | $938 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at LA prices of 13.3¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Sulphur
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $748 a year all-in, which works out near $150 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: Lake Charles, 11.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Sulphur 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 | 63° | 53° | 2.8 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Feb | 67° | 57° | 3.2 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Mar | 73° | 63° | 4.4 | 61° | 67° | $99 | $254 |
| Apr | 79° | 69° | 5.4 | 69° | 75° | $40 | $111 |
| May | 85° | 76° | 6.0 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Jun | 91° | 82° | 6.1 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 84° | 6.0 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 84° | 5.7 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 80° | 5.0 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Oct | 82° | 71° | 4.3 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Nov | 72° | 61° | 3.3 | 67° | 73° | $59 | $148 |
| Dec | 65° | 55° | 2.6 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $99 with a heat pump, $254 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 33.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Sulphur compares with nearby cities
Sulphur ranks 8 of 35 Louisiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | 9 mi | 4 | 9 | $198 |
| Orange, TX | 25 mi | 4 | 8 | $241 |
| Groves, TX | 39 mi | 4 | 9 | $223 |
| Port Arthur, TX | 39 mi | 4 | 9 | $223 |
| Port Neches, TX | 41 mi | 4 | 9 | $223 |
| Nederland, TX | 43 mi | 4 | 9 | $225 |