Pool swim season in Lovington, NM
Lovington, NM: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Lovington reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Lovington
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $347 | $897 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $412 | $837 |
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 Lovington
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Hobbs 13W, 16 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Lovington 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 | 58° | 44° | 3.6 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 49° | 4.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 55° | 5.7 | 55° | 61° | $197 | $221 |
| Apr | 79° | 63° | 7.1 | 63° | 69° | $100 | $125 |
| May | 86° | 71° | 7.6 | 72° | 78° | $21 | $29 |
| Jun | 94° | 80° | 7.9 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 80° | 7.4 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 80° | 6.8 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Sep | 86° | 73° | 5.7 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 65° | 4.8 | 71° | 77° | $29 | $37 |
| Nov | 66° | 53° | 3.7 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 45° | 3.2 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $197 with a heat pump, $221 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 51.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Lovington compares with nearby cities
Lovington ranks 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbs, NM | 18 mi | 4 | 7 | $169 |
| Artesia, NM | 63 mi | 4 | 8 | $462 |
| Andrews, TX | 63 mi | 4 | 8 | $280 |
| Carlsbad, NM | 64 mi | 4 | 8 | $298 |
| Levelland, TX | 72 mi | 2 | 7 | $281 |
| Roswell, NM | 74 mi | 2 | 7 | $269 |