Pool swim season in Bedford, IN
Swim season in Bedford without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Bedford never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Bedford 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $199 | $749 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $269 | $694 |
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 Bedford
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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: Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, 3.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Bedford 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° | 29° | 1.9 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 43° | 33° | 2.6 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 42° | 3.7 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 53° | 4.9 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 63° | 5.5 | 60° | 66° | $141 | $185 |
| Jun | 82° | 71° | 6.3 | 70° | 76° | $35 | $52 |
| Jul | 85° | 74° | 6.1 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 73° | 5.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 67° | 4.6 | 72° | 78° | $23 | $32 |
| Oct | 67° | 55° | 3.3 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 43° | 2.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 42° | 34° | 1.7 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $141 with a heat pump, $185 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Bedford compares with nearby cities
Bedford ranks 24 of 88 Indiana cities for unheated swim months; Washington, Jasper nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 21 mi | 0 | 5 | $179 |
| Seymour, IN | 33 mi | 0 | 5 | $192 |
| Martinsville, IN | 38 mi | 0 | 5 | $235 |
| Washington, IN | 39 mi | 2 | 5 | $93 |
| Columbus, IN | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $161 |
| Jasper, IN | 40 mi | 2 | 6 | $185 |