Pool swim season in Terre Haute, IN
Swim season in Terre Haute without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Terre Haute 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 Terre Haute
| 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $215 | $765 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $276 | $701 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at IN prices of 17.0¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Terre Haute
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 6 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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: Terre Haute Indiana State, 1.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Terre Haute 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° | 30° | 1.8 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 34° | 2.6 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 44° | 3.7 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 69° | 56° | 4.9 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 78° | 66° | 5.5 | 64° | 70° | $99 | $136 |
| Jun | 87° | 75° | 6.3 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 90° | 78° | 6.2 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 77° | 5.6 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 84° | 70° | 4.7 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 57° | 3.3 | 64° | 70° | $116 | $140 |
| Nov | 56° | 45° | 2.2 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 35° | 1.6 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Oct (about $116 with a heat pump, $140 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 11.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Terre Haute compares with nearby cities
Terre Haute ranks 7 of 88 Indiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, IL | 43 mi | 2 | 5 | $127 |
| Crawfordsville, IN | 47 mi | 0 | 5 | $267 |
| Danville, IL | 49 mi | 0 | 5 | $194 |
| Bloomington, IN | 50 mi | 0 | 5 | $179 |
| Martinsville, IN | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $235 |
| Danville, IN | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $164 |