Pool swim season in Gallup, NM
Swim season in Gallup without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Gallup never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Gallup
| 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 | $272 | $822 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $326 | $751 |
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 Gallup
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 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: Gallup Sand & Gravel, 2.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Gallup 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 | 44° | 30° | 3.2 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 34° | 4.1 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 41° | 5.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 48° | 6.9 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 57° | 7.8 | 57° | 63° | $166 | $190 |
| Jun | 85° | 67° | 8.3 | 67° | 73° | $58 | $76 |
| Jul | 87° | 72° | 7.0 | 74° | 80° | $3 | $4 |
| Aug | 84° | 70° | 6.5 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 63° | 5.8 | 69° | 75° | $45 | $56 |
| Oct | 68° | 51° | 4.8 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 39° | 3.6 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 30° | 2.8 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $166 with a heat pump, $190 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 22.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Gallup compares with nearby cities
Gallup ranks 17 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months; Farmington, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington, NM | 91 mi | 2 | 5 | $156 |
| Show Low, AZ | 113 mi | 0 | 5 | $205 |
| Rio Rancho, NM | 116 mi | 2 | 7 | $313 |
| Los Lunas, NM | 121 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 122 mi | 2 | 7 | $348 |
| Durango, CO | 130 mi | 0 | 5 | $478 |