Pool swim season in Madisonville, KY
Madisonville, KY: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Madisonville reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Madisonville 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 | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $258 | $808 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $499 | $924 |
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 Madisonville
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Madisonville, 1.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Madisonville 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 | 45° | 37° | 2.1 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Feb | 50° | 41° | 2.7 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 50° | 3.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 72° | 60° | 5.1 | 57° | 63° | $147 | $278 |
| May | 79° | 69° | 5.7 | 68° | 74° | $51 | $108 |
| Jun | 86° | 77° | 6.4 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 80° | 6.2 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 79° | 5.6 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Sep | 83° | 72° | 4.7 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Oct | 72° | 61° | 3.5 | 67° | 73° | $60 | $113 |
| Nov | 58° | 49° | 2.5 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 48° | 40° | 1.8 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $147 with a heat pump, $278 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 17.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Madisonville compares with nearby cities
Madisonville ranks 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopkinsville, KY | 35 mi | 2 | 6 | $136 |
| Henderson, KY | 35 mi | 2 | 6 | $161 |
| Owensboro, KY | 36 mi | 2 | 6 | $153 |
| Evansville, IN | 45 mi | 2 | 6 | $136 |
| Clarksville, TN | 54 mi | 2 | 7 | $271 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 64 mi | 2 | 7 | $287 |