Pool swim season in Emporia, KS
Swim season in Emporia without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Emporia reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Emporia pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $140 | $690 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $271 | $696 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at KS prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Emporia
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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: Emporia 3 NW, 2.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Emporia 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 | 39° | 29° | 2.4 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 44° | 33° | 3.1 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 55° | 43° | 4.1 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 53° | 5.2 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 63° | 5.9 | 61° | 67° | $119 | $226 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.8 | 72° | 78° | $18 | $39 |
| Jul | 89° | 78° | 6.6 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 76° | 5.9 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 68° | 4.8 | 74° | 80° | $3 | $6 |
| Oct | 68° | 56° | 3.6 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 43° | 2.6 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 33° | 2.1 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $119 with a heat pump, $226 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 29.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Emporia compares with nearby cities
Emporia ranks 36 of 38 Kansas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka, KS | 51 mi | 2 | 5 | $103 |
| Ottawa, KS | 52 mi | 2 | 5 | $119 |
| El Dorado, KS | 54 mi | 2 | 6 | $178 |
| Junction City, KS | 56 mi | 2 | 5 | $119 |
| Manhattan, KS | 59 mi | 2 | 5 | $103 |
| Lawrence, KS | 63 mi | 2 | 5 | $106 |