Pool swim season in Newton, KS
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Newton, KS?
An unheated pool in Newton 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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What each heater buys you in Newton
| 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 | $94 | $644 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $184 | $609 |
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 Newton
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: Newton, 1.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Newton 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° | 31° | 2.4 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Feb | 47° | 35° | 3.2 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 45° | 4.3 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 55° | 5.4 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 66° | 6.1 | 63° | 69° | $94 | $184 |
| Jun | 87° | 76° | 6.9 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 81° | 6.7 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 79° | 6.0 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 83° | 71° | 4.9 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Oct | 70° | 58° | 3.7 | 65° | 71° | – | – |
| Nov | 56° | 44° | 2.7 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 34° | 2.2 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $94 with a heat pump, $184 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Newton compares with nearby cities
Newton ranks 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Aire, KS | 19 mi | 2 | 6 | $169 |
| Wichita, KS | 24 mi | 2 | 6 | $168 |
| Andover, KS | 27 mi | 2 | 6 | $169 |
| McPherson, KS | 29 mi | 2 | 6 | $195 |
| El Dorado, KS | 30 mi | 2 | 6 | $178 |
| Hutchinson, KS | 31 mi | 2 | 6 | $177 |