From: aux3.DOH.4@snet.net   
      
   Jim wrote:   
   >   
   > My daughter moved to Alaska a few years ago, and they recently   
   > moved into a small house belonging to a friend who is now   
   > living in Hawaii.  The house had been vacant for some time,   
   > and they worked a deal with the owner (a good friend) to keep   
   > the place up and do repairs, etc.  They got the oil furnace   
   > working, but since the cost of fuel oil is so expensive they   
   > are now using two electric heaters which keep the place warm   
   > as long as outside temps are above 20 degrees F.   
   >   
   > My concern is that if they lose electricity, which is not   
   > uncommon on their island, they will lose not only their   
   > electric heaters but the oil furnace too.   
   >   
   > I'm wondering what size generator they would need to keep the   
   > oil furnace working, and maybe a few lights, fridge, freezer,   
   > and a few appliances.  Would there be a label on the furnace   
   > that specifies the power needed to run it?   
   >   
   > Any ideas how much juice a small oil furnace uses?  We live in   
   > the deep South and we use natural gas for heat and for running   
   > the generator.   
      
   5KW will do. Find and adapt a construction light tower diesel genset and   
   you can run off the oil tank for the furnace. More importantly though   
   get some real numbers on what they are spending on electricity since   
   unless they are heating only a room or two, the oil furnace is likely   
   much more economical to operate. Too many people just don't do the math   
   to figure out the daily fuel consumption and it's cost vs. their little   
   electric heaters that are costing them a fortune.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)