Pool swim season in Great Bend, KS
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Great Bend, KS?
An unheated pool in Great Bend 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).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Great Bend pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $120 | $670 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $232 | $657 |
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 Great Bend
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $25 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: Great Bend 3WNW, 1.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Great Bend 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° | 30° | 2.5 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 47° | 34° | 3.3 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Mar | 58° | 44° | 4.4 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 54° | 5.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 64° | 6.3 | 62° | 68° | $110 | $210 |
| Jun | 87° | 74° | 7.1 | 73° | 79° | $10 | $22 |
| Jul | 91° | 78° | 6.9 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 76° | 6.1 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 82° | 68° | 5.0 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 69° | 56° | 3.7 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 42° | 2.8 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 32° | 2.2 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $110 with a heat pump, $210 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 30.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Great Bend compares with nearby cities
Great Bend ranks 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays, KS | 46 mi | 2 | 6 | $209 |
| Hutchinson, KS | 53 mi | 2 | 6 | $177 |
| McPherson, KS | 61 mi | 2 | 6 | $195 |
| Salina, KS | 71 mi | 2 | 5 | $98 |
| Dodge City, KS | 78 mi | 2 | 6 | $189 |
| Newton, KS | 82 mi | 2 | 5 | $94 |