Pool swim season in Robstown, TX
Robstown, TX: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Robstown reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 10 swimmable months with a heater (Feb to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Robstown
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 10 | Feb to Nov | $246 | $796 |
| Gas heater + cover | 10 | Feb to Nov | $590 | $1,015 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TX prices of 16.0¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Robstown
Solar panels + cover: 9 of 10 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 1 month 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: Robstown, 0.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Robstown 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 | 68° | 57° | 3.1 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Feb | 72° | 61° | 3.6 | 60° | 66° | $137 | $316 |
| Mar | 77° | 67° | 4.6 | 66° | 72° | $73 | $182 |
| Apr | 83° | 73° | 5.4 | 73° | 79° | $11 | $30 |
| May | 88° | 79° | 6.0 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jun | 93° | 84° | 6.6 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Jul | 95° | 85° | 6.6 | 88° | 94° | – | – |
| Aug | 96° | 86° | 6.3 | 89° | 95° | – | – |
| Sep | 92° | 82° | 5.2 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Oct | 86° | 75° | 4.6 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Nov | 77° | 66° | 3.5 | 71° | 77° | $25 | $62 |
| Dec | 70° | 59° | 2.8 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Feb (about $137 with a heat pump, $316 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 36.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Robstown compares with nearby cities
Robstown ranks 24 of 252 Texas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, TX | 22 mi | 6 | 9 | $137 |
| Kingsville, TX | 23 mi | 6 | 11 | $351 |
| Alice, TX | 24 mi | 6 | 11 | $313 |
| Ingleside, TX | 29 mi | 5 | 9 | $144 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 30 mi | 5 | 9 | $153 |
| Rockport, TX | 42 mi | 6 | 9 | $147 |