Pool swim season in El Dorado, AR
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in El Dorado, AR?
An unheated pool in El Dorado 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 El Dorado
| 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 | $139 | $689 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $393 | $818 |
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 El Dorado
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: El Dorado Goodwin Field, 8.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
El Dorado 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 | 56° | 45° | 2.6 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Feb | 60° | 49° | 3.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Mar | 69° | 56° | 4.2 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Apr | 76° | 64° | 5.3 | 62° | 68° | $93 | $258 |
| May | 84° | 72° | 5.9 | 71° | 77° | $23 | $71 |
| Jun | 91° | 79° | 6.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 94° | 82° | 6.3 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 94° | 82° | 5.8 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 76° | 5.0 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 78° | 65° | 4.0 | 71° | 77° | $23 | $64 |
| Nov | 66° | 54° | 2.9 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 47° | 2.3 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $93 with a heat pump, $258 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 34.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How El Dorado compares with nearby cities
El Dorado ranks 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden, AR | 26 mi | 3 | 7 | $186 |
| Magnolia, AR | 33 mi | 3 | 7 | $181 |
| Ruston, LA | 47 mi | 4 | 7 | $120 |
| Minden, LA | 54 mi | 4 | 7 | $109 |
| West Monroe, LA | 57 mi | 4 | 7 | $93 |
| Monroe, LA | 59 mi | 4 | 7 | $93 |