Pool swim season in Shawnee, KS
Swim season in Shawnee without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Shawnee 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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Heater options for a Shawnee pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $146 | $696 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $282 | $707 |
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 Shawnee
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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: Bonner Springs, 5.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Shawnee 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 | 38° | 28° | 2.1 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Feb | 43° | 33° | 3.0 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Mar | 55° | 43° | 3.9 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 53° | 5.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 63° | 5.7 | 61° | 67° | $120 | $227 |
| Jun | 83° | 73° | 6.5 | 72° | 78° | $19 | $41 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 6.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 76° | 5.7 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 67° | 4.8 | 73° | 79° | $7 | $14 |
| Oct | 67° | 55° | 3.4 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 43° | 2.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 42° | 32° | 1.9 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $120 with a heat pump, $227 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 59.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Shawnee compares with nearby cities
Shawnee ranks 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenexa, KS | 4 mi | 2 | 5 | $108 |
| Merriam, KS | 6 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Mission, KS | 8 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Kansas City, KS | 8 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Prairie Village, KS | 9 mi | 2 | 5 | $108 |
| Olathe, KS | 9 mi | 2 | 5 | $108 |