13 guides · sourced & reviewed
Generator guides
Plain-English answers to the questions that come up between "I need backup power" and "the electrician is here." Every claim is sourced, and anything that touches sizing, wiring, or placement comes with the same advice: verify it with a licensed electrician.
How to prepare for a power outage in winter
What fails first in a winter outage, how to size a standby generator for heat loads, and the cold-weather checks that keep it running when the grid goes down.
How long can a standby generator run?
A standby generator runs as long as it has fuel, but continuous duty has limits on oil, temperature, and maintenance that decide the practical run time.
How much propane does a whole-house generator use?
Spec-sheet propane burn rates for 10 to 24 kW standby generators, how many days a 250, 500, or 1,000 gallon tank lasts, and how to work out your own number.
Natural gas vs. propane generator: which fuel?
How natural gas and propane compare for a standby generator, on supply, storage, running cost, and output, and how dual-fuel units hedge the choice.
What happens during a whole-house generator installation
A standby generator install is mostly permits, plan review, and inspections. Here is the sequence, what the inspector checks, and what sets the timeline.
Battery backup vs. generator: which is right?
A home battery is silent and fuel-free but capped by stored kWh, a standby generator runs as long as it has fuel. How to choose, and why many homes pair them.
Does a whole-house generator need a transfer switch?
Why a hardwired standby generator pairs with a transfer switch, the difference between automatic and manual switches, and what affects the choice for your home.
How does a whole-house generator work?
The generator, the automatic transfer switch, and the controller that watches the grid, explained as the chain that restores power without you touching it.
Solar generator vs. gas generator
A solar generator is a battery you recharge with panels; a gas generator burns fuel. Different jobs and different tradeoffs, compared side by side.
What size generator do I need?
How to size a whole-house standby generator by your essential loads, covering running watts, motor starting surge, and how much headroom to leave.
What size solar generator do I need?
Sizing a portable power station is about kWh (how long it runs) and watts (what it can start and run at once), and the runtime reference does the math.
Where to place a standby generator
Clearances, fuel, and code set where a standby generator can sit, and getting placement wrong is the most common install problem and the hardest to fix later.
Whole-house generator maintenance
What a standby generator needs to stay ready: oil, battery, exercise cycles, and annual service, plus why skipped maintenance is why units fail to start.