Pool swim season in Benton, AR
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Benton, AR?
An unheated pool in Benton reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Benton
| 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 | 7 | Apr to Oct | $183 | $733 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $507 | $932 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AR prices of 13.7¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Benton
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Benton, 1.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Benton 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 | 53° | 42° | 2.5 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Feb | 57° | 46° | 3.0 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 54° | 4.2 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Apr | 75° | 62° | 5.3 | 60° | 66° | $114 | $309 |
| May | 82° | 71° | 5.8 | 69° | 75° | $36 | $108 |
| Jun | 89° | 79° | 6.5 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jul | 93° | 83° | 6.3 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 82° | 5.8 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 75° | 5.0 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 64° | 3.8 | 70° | 76° | $33 | $90 |
| Nov | 64° | 52° | 2.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Dec | 55° | 44° | 2.3 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $114 with a heat pump, $309 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 10.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Benton compares with nearby cities
Benton ranks 4 of 39 Arkansas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant, AR | 5 mi | 4 | 7 | $183 |
| Little Rock, AR | 16 mi | 3 | 7 | $205 |
| Malvern, AR | 20 mi | 3 | 7 | $212 |
| Maumelle, AR | 21 mi | 3 | 7 | $247 |
| North Little Rock, AR | 24 mi | 3 | 7 | $205 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 28 mi | 3 | 7 | $184 |