Pool swim season in Papillion, NE
Swim season in Papillion without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Papillion never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Papillion
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $166 | $716 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $288 | $713 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NE prices of 12.9¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Papillion
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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 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: Springfield 7E, 6.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Papillion 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 | 32° | 23° | 2.0 | 24° | 30° | – | – |
| Feb | 37° | 27° | 3.0 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Mar | 50° | 39° | 3.8 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 51° | 5.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 62° | 5.8 | 59° | 65° | $117 | $197 |
| Jun | 81° | 71° | 6.5 | 70° | 76° | $27 | $52 |
| Jul | 86° | 76° | 6.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 83° | 73° | 5.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 66° | 4.6 | 71° | 77° | $22 | $39 |
| Oct | 65° | 53° | 3.3 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 49° | 39° | 2.3 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Dec | 37° | 28° | 1.7 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $117 with a heat pump, $197 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Papillion compares with nearby cities
Papillion ranks 9 of 16 Nebraska cities for unheated swim months; Council Bluffs, Lincoln nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Vista, NE | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Bellevue, NE | 7 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Omaha, NE | 8 mi | 0 | 5 | $150 |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 13 mi | 2 | 5 | $132 |
| Fremont, NE | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $162 |
| Lincoln, NE | 39 mi | 2 | 5 | $124 |