Pool swim season in Babylon, NY
Babylon, NY: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Babylon never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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Heater options for a Babylon pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $135 | $685 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $171 | $596 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NY prices of 29.3¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Babylon
Solar cover only: 3 of 4 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $17 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: Farmingdale Republic Airport, 5.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Babylon 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 | 39° | 32° | 1.9 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 34° | 2.8 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 48° | 40° | 3.8 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 50° | 5.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 68° | 60° | 5.6 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 69° | 6.1 | 68° | 74° | $104 | $132 |
| Jul | 83° | 75° | 6.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 82° | 74° | 5.5 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 75° | 67° | 4.4 | 72° | 78° | $31 | $39 |
| Oct | 64° | 56° | 3.0 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 53° | 46° | 2.1 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 38° | 1.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $104 with a heat pump, $132 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 26.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Babylon compares with nearby cities
Babylon ranks 14 of 90 New York cities for unheated swim months; Massapequa Park, Westbury, Hempstead nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenhurst, NY | 2 mi | 0 | 4 | $135 |
| Massapequa Park, NY | 7 mi | 1 | 4 | $78 |
| Freeport, NY | 14 mi | 0 | 4 | $143 |
| Westbury, NY | 15 mi | 1 | 5 | $321 |
| Hempstead, NY | 15 mi | 1 | 5 | $321 |
| Lake Grove, NY | 16 mi | 0 | 4 | $143 |