Pool swim season in Biddeford, ME
Swim season in Biddeford without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Biddeford never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 69°F in Aug. The air allows up to 3 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Aug).
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Heater options for a Biddeford pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $465 | $1,015 |
| Gas heater + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $576 | $1,001 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ME prices of 30.2¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Biddeford
Solar panels + cover: 2 of 3 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 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: Kennebunkport, 6.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Biddeford 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 | 33° | 23° | 1.7 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Feb | 35° | 25° | 2.5 | 23° | 29° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 32° | 3.7 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Apr | 52° | 42° | 4.7 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| May | 62° | 52° | 5.3 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Jun | 71° | 62° | 5.6 | 59° | 65° | $267 | $320 |
| Jul | 77° | 67° | 5.9 | 67° | 73° | $113 | $147 |
| Aug | 76° | 66° | 5.3 | 69° | 75° | $85 | $109 |
| Sep | 69° | 59° | 4.3 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Oct | 59° | 48° | 2.8 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Nov | 48° | 39° | 1.8 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Dec | 39° | 29° | 1.4 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $267 with a heat pump, $320 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 11.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Biddeford compares with nearby cities
Biddeford ranks 11 of 11 Maine cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saco, ME | 6 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| South Portland, ME | 14 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| Portland, ME | 17 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| Sanford, ME | 18 mi | 0 | 4 | $541 |
| Westbrook, ME | 19 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| Somersworth, NH | 28 mi | 0 | 4 | $347 |