Pool swim season in Elko, NV
Swim season in Elko without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Elko never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Elko pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $333 | $883 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $597 | $1,022 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NV prices of 13.4¢/kWh electricity and $13/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Elko
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Elko Regional Airport, 1.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Elko 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 | 38° | 27° | 2.2 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Feb | 43° | 32° | 3.1 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 40° | 4.3 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Apr | 60° | 46° | 5.5 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 54° | 6.7 | 54° | 60° | $184 | $311 |
| Jun | 82° | 63° | 7.9 | 64° | 70° | $82 | $159 |
| Jul | 92° | 72° | 7.5 | 72° | 78° | $14 | $29 |
| Aug | 90° | 70° | 6.8 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 60° | 5.6 | 68° | 74° | $53 | $98 |
| Oct | 66° | 47° | 4.0 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Nov | 50° | 36° | 2.5 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Dec | 38° | 27° | 1.8 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $184 with a heat pump, $311 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 43.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Elko compares with nearby cities
Elko ranks 10 of 10 Nevada cities for unheated swim months; Mountain Home, Grantsville, Tooele nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls, ID | 137 mi | 0 | 5 | $211 |
| Jerome, ID | 145 mi | 0 | 4 | $89 |
| Burley, ID | 156 mi | 0 | 4 | $140 |
| Mountain Home, ID | 159 mi | 1 | 5 | $186 |
| Grantsville, UT | 173 mi | 1 | 5 | $202 |
| Tooele, UT | 182 mi | 1 | 5 | $180 |