Pool swim season in Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY?
An unheated pool in Lexington-Fayette urban county 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 Lexington-Fayette urban county 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $97 | $647 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $199 | $624 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at KY prices of 14.2¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Lexington-Fayette urban county
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: Lexington Bluegrass Airport, 8.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Lexington-Fayette urban county 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 | 42° | 34° | 1.9 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 47° | 38° | 2.6 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 46° | 3.7 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 56° | 5.0 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 65° | 5.5 | 63° | 69° | $87 | $176 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.3 | 73° | 79° | $10 | $23 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 6.0 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 76° | 5.6 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 69° | 4.6 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 69° | 58° | 3.3 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 56° | 46° | 2.3 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 46° | 38° | 1.7 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $87 with a heat pump, $176 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 51.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Lexington-Fayette urban county compares with nearby cities
Lexington-Fayette urban county ranks 21 of 42 Kentucky cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholasville, KY | 12 mi | 1 | 5 | $96 |
| Versailles, KY | 15 mi | 0 | 5 | $130 |
| Winchester, KY | 15 mi | 0 | 5 | $159 |
| Paris, KY | 15 mi | 0 | 5 | $131 |
| Georgetown, KY | 16 mi | 0 | 5 | $131 |
| Richmond, KY | 23 mi | 1 | 5 | $111 |