Pool swim season in Woonsocket, RI
Swim season in Woonsocket without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Woonsocket never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
- J
- F
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Heater options for a Woonsocket pool, side by side
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $202 | $752 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $311 | $736 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at RI prices of 29.1¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Woonsocket
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 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: Woonsocket, 1.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Woonsocket 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 | 38° | 28° | 1.8 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 40° | 31° | 2.7 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Mar | 47° | 38° | 3.7 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Apr | 60° | 49° | 4.7 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 59° | 5.3 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 68° | 5.7 | 66° | 72° | $127 | $198 |
| Jul | 84° | 74° | 6.0 | 74° | 80° | $4 | $7 |
| Aug | 83° | 72° | 5.3 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 75° | 65° | 4.3 | 70° | 76° | $71 | $106 |
| Oct | 64° | 53° | 2.8 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 53° | 43° | 2.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 34° | 1.5 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $127 with a heat pump, $198 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 55.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Woonsocket compares with nearby cities
Woonsocket ranks 7 of 8 Rhode Island cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Town, MA | 7 mi | 0 | 5 | $616 |
| North Attleborough Town, MA | 9 mi | 0 | 4 | $198 |
| Central Falls, RI | 9 mi | 0 | 4 | $191 |
| Pawtucket, RI | 11 mi | 0 | 4 | $191 |
| Attleboro, MA | 12 mi | 0 | 4 | $297 |
| Providence, RI | 13 mi | 0 | 4 | $171 |