Pool swim season in Mountain Home, AR
Swim season in Mountain Home without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Mountain Home reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Mountain Home
| 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 | 6 | May to Oct | $139 | $689 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $380 | $805 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AR prices of 13.7¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Mountain Home
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 6 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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: Mountain Home 1 NNW, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Mountain Home 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 | 46° | 36° | 2.4 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Feb | 51° | 40° | 3.0 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 49° | 4.1 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 58° | 5.2 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 66° | 5.8 | 65° | 71° | $70 | $201 |
| Jun | 85° | 75° | 6.6 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 79° | 6.3 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 78° | 5.7 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 82° | 71° | 4.9 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 60° | 3.7 | 66° | 72° | $69 | $179 |
| Nov | 59° | 48° | 2.7 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Dec | 49° | 39° | 2.1 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $70 with a heat pump, $201 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 21.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Mountain Home compares with nearby cities
Mountain Home ranks 32 of 39 Arkansas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Plains, MO | 40 mi | 2 | 5 | $112 |
| Harrison, AR | 41 mi | 2 | 6 | $145 |
| Branson, MO | 54 mi | 2 | 5 | $86 |
| Batesville, AR | 58 mi | 2 | 7 | $263 |
| Ozark, MO | 67 mi | 2 | 6 | $189 |
| Nixa, MO | 70 mi | 2 | 6 | $189 |