We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Rankings are computed from specs and prices, never from commissions. How we make money
Best picks › Furnace blower
Best portable power stations for furnace blowers
A gas or oil furnace still needs electricity for its blower and controls, so it goes cold in an outage even though the fuel is there. A power station can run the blower, which keeps the whole house warm for far less energy than electric heaters.
A furnace is hardwired, so powering it from a power station needs a transfer switch or inlet installed by a licensed electrician. Never backfeed a house through an outlet.
Assumed device: Gas furnace blower, 600W running, 1,200W to start, running about 6 hours a day in total (150W average). 22 of 25 stations we track can run it; 12 last a night or more on one charge.
Top picks
| Category | Winner | Runtime | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest that lasts a night · lightest that lasts a night | Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | 11.6 hrs | $899 |
| Longest runtime | EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra | 34.8 hrs | $4,199 |
| Best value (price per hour of runtime) | Bluetti Elite 200 V2 | 11.8 hrs | $899 |
Every station that can run a gas furnace blower
| Model | Runtime | Output / surge | Weight | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | 1.6 hrs | 600W / 1,200W | 10.4 lb | $259 | |
| Bluetti AC70 | 4.4 hrs | 1,000W / 2,000W | 22.5 lb | $359 | |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | 4.4 hrs | 800W / 1,600W | 18.2 lb | $369 | |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | 5.8 hrs | 1,800W / 2,700W | 27 lb | $449 | |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 6.1 hrs | 1,500W / 3,000W | 23.8 lb | $499 | |
| Bluetti AC180 | 6.5 hrs | 1,800W / 2,700W | 35.3 lb | $499 | |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 | 6.0 hrs | 1,800W / 2,400W | 28.4 lb | $600 | |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 5.8 hrs | 2,000W / 3,000W | 24.9 lb | $600 | |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus | 7.2 hrs | 2,000W / 4,000W | 32 lb | $619 | |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | 5.8 hrs | 1,800W / 3,600W | 27 lb | $719 | |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | 11.6 hrs | 2,200W / 4,400W | 39.5 lb | $899 | |
| Bluetti AC200L | 11.6 hrs | 2,400W / 3,600W | 61.6 lb | $899 | |
| Bluetti Elite 200 V2 | 11.8 hrs | 2,600W / 3,900W | 53.4 lb | $899 | |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 11.6 hrs | 2,400W / 4,800W | 50 lb | $1,029 | |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus | 11.6 hrs | 3,000W / 6,000W | 61.5 lb | $1,499 | |
| Bluetti Apex 300 | 15.7 hrs | 3,840W / 7,680W | 85 lb | $1,599 | |
| Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus | 20.3 hrs | 3,600W / 7,200W | 77.2 lb | $1,709 | |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 | 21.8 hrs | 6,000W / 9,000W | 132 lb | $2,200 | |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | 21.8 hrs | 6,000W / not published | 136.7 lb | $2,700 | |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 23.2 hrs | 4,000W / 6,000W | 114 lb | $2,799 | |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 28.6 hrs | 7,200W / 14,400W | 134.5 lb | $3,149 | |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra | 34.8 hrs | 7,200W / 10,800W | — | $4,199 |
Runtime running only a gas furnace blower, at 85% inverter efficiency. Sorted by typical sale price; prices move often, so check the retailer.
Stations that can't run it
- EcoFlow RIVER 3 (300W output)
- Jackery Explorer 300 v2 (300W output)
- Bluetti Elite 100 mini (700W surge)
Tips
- Our estimate assumes the blower runs about 6 hours in a day, the same figure our home backup planner uses. In a hard freeze it runs more, so leave a margin.
- Check the blower motor's nameplate: larger or older motors draw more and need a bigger start-up surge than the 600W / 1,200W assumed here.
- Lowering the thermostat a few degrees and closing off unused rooms cuts how often the blower runs.
Running more than one device? Add everything in the runtime calculator.