Pool swim season in Española, NM
Swim season in Española without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Española never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
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Heater options for a Española 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 | 6 | May to Oct | $368 | $918 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $428 | $853 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Española
Gas heater + cover: 6 of 6 possible months for about $853 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 2 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Espanola, 0.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Española 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 | 48° | 32° | 3.1 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Feb | 55° | 38° | 4.0 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Mar | 63° | 44° | 5.3 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 51° | 6.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 78° | 59° | 7.4 | 60° | 66° | $138 | $164 |
| Jun | 89° | 69° | 7.9 | 69° | 75° | $42 | $57 |
| Jul | 91° | 74° | 6.8 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 88° | 71° | 6.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 82° | 64° | 5.6 | 70° | 76° | $34 | $43 |
| Oct | 70° | 52° | 4.5 | 60° | 66° | $154 | $164 |
| Nov | 59° | 41° | 3.3 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Dec | 47° | 31° | 2.7 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Oct (about $154 with a heat pump, $164 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 67.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Española compares with nearby cities
Española ranks 16 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months; Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Los Lunas nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | 24 mi | 0 | 5 | $300 |
| Las Vegas, NM | 55 mi | 0 | 5 | $391 |
| Rio Rancho, NM | 61 mi | 2 | 7 | $313 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 70 mi | 2 | 7 | $348 |
| Los Lunas, NM | 92 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Farmington, NM | 128 mi | 2 | 5 | $156 |