Pool swim season in Wildwood, FL
Swim season in Wildwood without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Wildwood reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 11 swimmable months with a heater (Feb to Dec).
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Heater options for a Wildwood 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 | 8 | Apr to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 11 | Feb to Dec | $447 | $997 |
| Gas heater + cover | 11 | Feb to Dec | $1,419 | $1,844 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at FL prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Wildwood
Heat pump + cover: 11 of 11 possible months for about $997 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 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: Bushnell 1 E, 10.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Wildwood 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 | 69° | 56° | 3.4 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Feb | 73° | 59° | 4.1 | 59° | 65° | $145 | $447 |
| Mar | 77° | 63° | 5.3 | 64° | 70° | $96 | $311 |
| Apr | 82° | 69° | 6.3 | 69° | 75° | $41 | $143 |
| May | 88° | 75° | 6.7 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jun | 90° | 79° | 6.1 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 80° | 5.7 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 80° | 5.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 79° | 5.1 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Oct | 84° | 72° | 4.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Nov | 77° | 64° | 3.7 | 69° | 75° | $46 | $153 |
| Dec | 72° | 59° | 3.1 | 62° | 68° | $119 | $365 |
Heating costs most in Feb (about $145 with a heat pump, $447 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 58.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Wildwood compares with nearby cities
Wildwood ranks 172 of 173 Florida cities for unheated swim months; Leesburg, Tavares, Groveland nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leesburg, FL | 9 mi | 6 | 11 | $285 |
| Lady Lake, FL | 9 mi | 4 | 10 | $310 |
| Tavares, FL | 15 mi | 6 | 11 | $285 |
| Groveland, FL | 17 mi | 6 | 11 | $285 |
| Eustis, FL | 20 mi | 4 | 10 | $310 |
| Minneola, FL | 22 mi | 6 | 12 | $340 |