Pool swim season in Artesia, NM
Swim season in Artesia without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Artesia reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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Heater options for a Artesia pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $462 | $1,012 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $530 | $955 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Artesia
Gas heater + cover: 8 of 8 possible months for about $955 a year all-in, which works out near $239 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Artesia 6S, 7.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Artesia 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 | 58° | 40° | 3.6 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 45° | 4.5 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 53° | 5.7 | 52° | 58° | $239 | $256 |
| Apr | 79° | 60° | 7.1 | 60° | 66° | $129 | $155 |
| May | 87° | 70° | 7.6 | 70° | 76° | $38 | $51 |
| Jun | 95° | 79° | 7.8 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 95° | 81° | 7.2 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 94° | 79° | 6.6 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 72° | 5.7 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Oct | 78° | 61° | 4.8 | 68° | 74° | $56 | $68 |
| Nov | 66° | 49° | 3.7 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 57° | 41° | 3.2 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $239 with a heat pump, $256 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 39.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Artesia compares with nearby cities
Artesia ranks 8 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad, NM | 33 mi | 4 | 8 | $298 |
| Roswell, NM | 37 mi | 2 | 7 | $269 |
| Lovington, NM | 63 mi | 4 | 8 | $347 |
| Hobbs, NM | 74 mi | 4 | 7 | $169 |
| Alamogordo, NM | 89 mi | 4 | 7 | $140 |
| Portales, NM | 110 mi | 3 | 7 | $244 |