Pool swim season in Richmond, KY
Swim season in Richmond without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Richmond reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Richmond pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $111 | $661 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $225 | $650 |
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 Richmond
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $17 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: Eastern Kentucky Univ, 2.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Richmond 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° | 34° | 2.0 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 37° | 2.7 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 45° | 3.8 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 55° | 5.1 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 65° | 5.7 | 63° | 69° | $92 | $184 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 6.3 | 72° | 78° | $15 | $33 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 6.0 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 75° | 5.6 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 69° | 4.6 | 74° | 80° | $4 | $8 |
| Oct | 69° | 57° | 3.5 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Nov | 56° | 46° | 2.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 46° | 37° | 1.8 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $92 with a heat pump, $184 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 31.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Richmond compares with nearby cities
Richmond ranks 24 of 42 Kentucky cities for unheated swim months; Berea, Lexington-Fayette urban county nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berea, KY | 10 mi | 2 | 6 | $221 |
| Nicholasville, KY | 18 mi | 1 | 5 | $96 |
| Winchester, KY | 20 mi | 0 | 5 | $159 |
| Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY | 23 mi | 2 | 5 | $97 |
| Danville, KY | 27 mi | 0 | 5 | $114 |
| Versailles, KY | 32 mi | 0 | 5 | $130 |