Pool swim season in Del Rio, TX
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Del Rio, TX?
An unheated pool in Del Rio reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 10 swimmable months with a heater (Feb to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Del Rio
| 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 | 10 | Feb to Nov | $259 | $809 |
| Gas heater + cover | 10 | Feb to Nov | $611 | $1,036 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TX prices of 16.0¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Del Rio
Solar panels + cover: 9 of 10 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: Del Rio International Airport, 2.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Del Rio 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 | 68° | 56° | 3.3 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Feb | 73° | 61° | 4.0 | 59° | 65° | $148 | $337 |
| Mar | 80° | 68° | 4.9 | 66° | 72° | $70 | $177 |
| Apr | 87° | 75° | 5.7 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| May | 93° | 82° | 5.9 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jun | 98° | 88° | 6.8 | 89° | 95° | – | – |
| Jul | 100° | 90° | 6.8 | 92° | 98° | – | – |
| Aug | 101° | 90° | 6.5 | 93° | 99° | – | – |
| Sep | 94° | 84° | 5.3 | 89° | 95° | – | – |
| Oct | 86° | 75° | 4.4 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Nov | 75° | 64° | 3.4 | 70° | 76° | $41 | $97 |
| Dec | 68° | 56° | 3.0 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Feb (about $148 with a heat pump, $337 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 39.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Del Rio compares with nearby cities
Del Rio ranks 5 of 252 Texas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Pass, TX | 52 mi | 4 | 10 | $403 |
| Uvalde, TX | 67 mi | 4 | 9 | $344 |
| Kerrville, TX | 115 mi | 4 | 7 | $137 |
| Boerne, TX | 133 mi | 4 | 9 | $364 |
| Helotes, TX | 133 mi | 5 | 9 | $191 |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 135 mi | 4 | 8 | $291 |