Pool swim season in Bullhead City, AZ
Bullhead City, AZ: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Bullhead City reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Bullhead City
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $144 | $694 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $348 | $773 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AZ prices of 15.4¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Bullhead City
Solar panels + cover: 9 of 9 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 1 month 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: Bullhead City, 1.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Bullhead City 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 | 65° | 55° | 3.2 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Feb | 70° | 58° | 4.2 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Mar | 79° | 65° | 5.7 | 64° | 70° | $89 | $214 |
| Apr | 87° | 72° | 7.1 | 72° | 78° | $13 | $35 |
| May | 96° | 81° | 8.0 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Jun | 107° | 90° | 8.6 | 91° | 97° | – | – |
| Jul | 111° | 96° | 7.6 | 98° | 104° | – | – |
| Aug | 109° | 95° | 7.1 | 100° | 106° | – | – |
| Sep | 103° | 88° | 6.2 | 95° | 101° | – | – |
| Oct | 89° | 75° | 4.8 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Nov | 74° | 62° | 3.6 | 69° | 75° | $42 | $99 |
| Dec | 64° | 54° | 2.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $89 with a heat pump, $214 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Bullhead City compares with nearby cities
Bullhead City ranks 2 of 44 Arizona cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingman, AZ | 31 mi | 4 | 7 | $200 |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 46 mi | 6 | 10 | $304 |
| Boulder City, NV | 53 mi | 6 | 8 | $133 |
| Henderson, NV | 66 mi | 5 | 8 | $161 |
| North Las Vegas, NV | 86 mi | 5 | 8 | $162 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 86 mi | 4 | 8 | $183 |