Pool swim season in Berea, KY
Swim season in Berea without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Berea reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Berea
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | Apr to Sep | $221 | $771 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | Apr to Sep | $423 | $848 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at KY prices of 14.2¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Berea
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 6 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Berea College, 1.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Berea 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 | 45° | 37° | 2.0 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Feb | 51° | 41° | 2.7 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 49° | 3.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 59° | 5.1 | 56° | 62° | $157 | $291 |
| May | 78° | 67° | 5.7 | 66° | 72° | $64 | $132 |
| Jun | 84° | 74° | 6.3 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 6.0 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 76° | 5.6 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 70° | 4.6 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Oct | 70° | 60° | 3.5 | 65° | 71° | – | – |
| Nov | 58° | 49° | 2.5 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Dec | 49° | 41° | 1.8 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $157 with a heat pump, $291 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 20.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Berea compares with nearby cities
Berea ranks 20 of 42 Kentucky cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, KY | 10 mi | 1 | 5 | $111 |
| Nicholasville, KY | 26 mi | 1 | 5 | $96 |
| Danville, KY | 27 mi | 0 | 5 | $114 |
| Winchester, KY | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $159 |
| Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY | 32 mi | 2 | 5 | $97 |
| Somerset, KY | 39 mi | 2 | 6 | $147 |