Pool swim season in Tehachapi, CA
Swim season in Tehachapi without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Tehachapi 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 (Jun to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Tehachapi
| 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 | Jun to Oct | $421 | $971 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | Jun to Oct | $536 | $961 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CA prices of 32.6¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Tehachapi
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 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: Tehachapi 4 SE, 3.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Tehachapi 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 | 52° | 42° | 2.9 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 53° | 42° | 3.8 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 45° | 5.2 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 49° | 6.6 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 57° | 7.7 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 66° | 8.5 | 67° | 73° | $139 | $189 |
| Jul | 86° | 72° | 8.1 | 74° | 80° | $3 | $5 |
| Aug | 86° | 71° | 7.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 66° | 6.3 | 72° | 78° | $42 | $57 |
| Oct | 71° | 57° | 4.7 | 63° | 69° | $237 | $285 |
| Nov | 59° | 48° | 3.4 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Dec | 51° | 41° | 2.6 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Oct (about $237 with a heat pump, $285 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Tehachapi compares with nearby cities
Tehachapi ranks 235 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months; Arvin, California City, Lancaster nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvin, CA | 22 mi | 4 | 7 | $277 |
| California City, CA | 33 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Lancaster, CA | 35 mi | 3 | 7 | $476 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 36 mi | 4 | 7 | $275 |
| Palmdale, CA | 43 mi | 3 | 7 | $365 |
| Shafter, CA | 49 mi | 3 | 8 | $774 |