Pool swim season in Farmington, NM
Farmington, NM: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Farmington 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 Farmington 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $156 | $706 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $193 | $618 |
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 Farmington
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 5 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 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: Farmington Four Corners Regional A, 2.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Farmington 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 | 43° | 31° | 3.0 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 50° | 37° | 4.0 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 45° | 5.5 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 51° | 6.8 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 60° | 7.8 | 61° | 67° | $126 | $152 |
| Jun | 89° | 71° | 8.4 | 71° | 77° | $24 | $34 |
| Jul | 93° | 77° | 7.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 75° | 6.8 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 82° | 66° | 5.9 | 73° | 79° | $6 | $7 |
| Oct | 69° | 53° | 4.7 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 41° | 3.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 31° | 2.6 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $126 with a heat pump, $152 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Farmington compares with nearby cities
Farmington ranks 15 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durango, CO | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $478 |
| Gallup, NM | 91 mi | 0 | 5 | $272 |
| Montrose, CO | 120 mi | 0 | 5 | $237 |
| Española, NM | 128 mi | 0 | 6 | $368 |
| Rio Rancho, NM | 131 mi | 2 | 7 | $313 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 143 mi | 2 | 7 | $348 |