Pool swim season in Fruita, CO
Fruita, CO: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fruita 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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What each heater buys you in Fruita
| 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 | $175 | $725 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $228 | $653 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CO prices of 16.8¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fruita
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 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: Fruita, 0.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fruita 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° | 27° | 2.6 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 47° | 34° | 3.5 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 59° | 44° | 4.8 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 51° | 6.0 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 78° | 62° | 7.0 | 60° | 66° | $139 | $177 |
| Jun | 89° | 71° | 8.0 | 71° | 77° | $25 | $36 |
| Jul | 95° | 77° | 7.3 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 92° | 75° | 6.5 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 83° | 66° | 5.5 | 73° | 79° | $11 | $15 |
| Oct | 69° | 52° | 4.0 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 40° | 2.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 40° | 28° | 2.2 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $139 with a heat pump, $177 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 43.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fruita compares with nearby cities
Fruita ranks 2 of 53 Colorado cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction, CO | 10 mi | 2 | 5 | $115 |
| Rifle, CO | 58 mi | 0 | 5 | $470 |
| Montrose, CO | 67 mi | 0 | 5 | $237 |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 79 mi | 0 | 5 | $416 |
| Vernal, UT | 99 mi | 0 | 5 | $270 |
| Steamboat Springs, CO | 136 mi | 0 | 4 | $479 |