Learn how to choose, size, run, maintain and troubleshoot portable, inverter, standby and diesel generators.
A generator is the one piece of equipment most households buy before they understand it, usually the day after a storm. These guides are written to be read before that day. Start with how to size a generator, then choose between portable, inverter and standby types, and learn the one connection rule that keeps you and your neighbors safe. The maintenance and troubleshooting guides cover the reasons generators fail to start and how to prevent them.
Every guide here is based on manufacturer documentation and published safety guidance, and our free generator size calculator turns a list of appliances into a size in a minute.
Generac Power Systems beyond generators: transfer switches, Mobile Link, PWRcell 2 batteries, solar, ecobee and EV chargers, and how the pieces fit.
Read GuideEvery Generac portable generator compared: GP open-frame models, iQ inverters, dual fuel, tri fuel and diesel, with picks for job sites, RVs and camping.
Home electric generators explained: battery power stations and home batteries, how long they run, how they charge, how they compare with gas, and top…
Plan home backup with a portable propane generator: what it can run on propane, how many cylinders you need, safe hookup, cylinder storage and…
Generac propane generators explained: LP ratings for every standby size, tank run-time tables, dual fuel portables, cold weather tips and safe hookup.
Champion Power Equipment profiled: who they are, where they are based, what they make, how model numbers work, warranty rules and how to get…
Portable gas generators explained: why gasoline, how much they burn, safe fuel storage, EFI vs carburetor, upkeep, mistakes to avoid and five solid picks.
Kohler Power Systems explained: the Rehlko name change, the business today, how to read model codes and document numbers, and how to get support.
New to generators for home use? Six questions, six backup paths, ten myths and a first-30-days plan that take you from confused to confident.
How to read portable generator ratings: running vs starting watts, dBA noise, THD, run time at 25% or 50% load, CO safety standards and…
Generac generators by size: one chart from 2,200 watts to 28 kW and beyond, with what each size runs, amps at 240 volts and…
What size generator do you need in 2026? A sizing chart by home type, six worked examples, EV and heat pump loads, soft starters…
New to generators? Start here. Plain-English answers on sizing, types, fuel, safe hookup, upkeep and repair, with links to every generator guide we publish.
Wood gas generators turn wood chips into engine fuel. See how gasifiers work, what the FEMA emergency design can do, the real dangers and…
Want to build your own generator? Compare three realistic DIY routes: an engine with a generator head, a solar power box and an alternator…
Thirty plain answers about a Generac generator: how it works, noise, fuel, run time, oil, storage, lights, alarms, warranty and when to call a…
Generac generator installation explained step by step: where it can sit, clearance rules, gas supply, transfer switch, permits, inspection and first start.
A new owner's guide to a Champion portable generator: oil, fuel, first start, break-in, safe use, maintenance schedule, storage and warranty steps.
A 72-hour emergency power checklist: what to do hour by hour, how much fuel and battery you need, food safety limits and the gear…
No transfer switch? See the safe, legal ways to power your home from a generator: cords, an interlock kit with an inlet box, and…
Size a generator in four steps: list what runs at once, add the running watts, allow for the largest motor starting, then add headroom.…
A plain-language tour of what happens inside a portable generator, from the engine to the outlets, and why inverter models produce cleaner power.
Typical fuel consumption for portable generators from 2,000 to 12,000 watts, how to work it out from a spec sheet, and practical ways to…
The three safe ways to power a house from a portable generator: extension cords, a manual transfer switch, or an interlock kit with an…
The handful of rules that prevent nearly every generator death and injury: where to run it, how to handle fuel and cords, and what…
Kohler 8.5RES explained: 8.5 kW on propane, 7 kW on natural gas, what it can run, upkeep for a discontinued model and the best…
Champion 42431 explained: the 80 cc, 1,200-watt class it belongs to, what it can run, upkeep from the sister model's manual and today's replacements.
Kohler 30RESA guide from the factory spec sheet: 30 kW on propane, 27 kW on natural gas, GM 1.6 L engine, fuel use, gas…
Kohler 20RESA explained: the 20 kW generator sold without a switch, how to choose a transfer switch, RDC2 basics, fuel use, used checks and…
Diesel or gas generator for your workshop? Compare run hours, fuel use, fuel storage rules, noise and motor starting, with four shop-ready picks.
Kohler 14RESA guide from the factory documents: 14 kW on propane, 12 kW on natural gas, fuel use, the RDC2 controller, service schedule and…
The Generac 4000XL explained: real specs from the owner's manuals, outlet types, part numbers, common problems and fixes, and the best modern replacements.
Generac 5500XL specs from the owner's manual: 5,500 running watts, 6,875 surge, outlets, common problems and fixes, storage tips and modern replacements.
Kohler 20RESAL specs from the factory spec sheet: 20 kW on propane, 18 kW on natural gas, fuel use, battery, maintenance, SA2 and SA7…
Portable generator reviews based on published specs: Honda, Champion, Generac, Westinghouse, DuroMax and Pulsar models compared, with honest pros and cons.
Pulsar generator reviews based on published specs: the G12KBN, PGD105TiSCO, PGD40iSCO and PG1202SA compared, with honest pros, cons and warranty notes.
Honda EU2000i generator guide: official specs and dimensions, maintenance schedule, parallel setup with the EU2200i, common problems and what replaced it.
A plain-English owner's guide to the Kohler 20RESAL: weekly exercise, service schedule, oil change steps, battery checks, fault messages and storage.
Generac generator troubleshooting in plain English: what the status lights mean, common error codes, safe reset steps, portable fixes and when to call a…
A printable maintenance schedule for portable generators: before each use, after break-in, every 50 to 100 hours and once a year, with step-by-step oil…
From the obvious to the awkward: a step-by-step diagnosis for a generator that cranks but will not fire, in the order that finds the…
A generator that starts and then stops is telling you something. Here are the ten usual reasons, how to tell them apart, and what…
Stale fuel is the main reason stored generators refuse to start. Here is how to put a generator away for a month or a…
Kohler home generators explained: the current 10 to 150 kW lineup, what the Rehlko name change means, real specs, fuel use, and the best…
Generac standby generators explained: 10 to 28 kW sizes, what changed with the Next Gen line, natural gas vs propane, transfer switches and three…
Which Generac portable generator fits your home? Compare sizes, gasoline vs propane vs natural gas, run times and safe hookup, with four current picks.
Honda generators explained: EU, EM, EG and EB series, real specs for the EU2200i, EU3200i, EU3000iS and EU7000iS, the old EU2000i, and how to…
Champion generators explained: inverter, dual fuel, tri fuel and home standby models, real specs for four popular picks, and how to choose a size.
Champion 41533 generator guide: 9,200 starting and 7,200 running watts, remote start tips, maintenance schedule, common problems and modern replacements.
Dual fuel generator reviews for 2026: fifteen models compared on gasoline and propane output, weight, start type and outlets, with six top picks.
Our tri fuel generator review compares 11 current models on gasoline, propane and natural gas output, weight, noise and outlets, with six top picks.
Honda EU2000i review for 2026: what it still does well, where it shows its age, how it compares with four modern rivals, and how…
Looking for a Generac 5000 watt generator? See the current models near 5,000 watts, what that power can run, diesel vs gasoline, and four…
Kohler generators explained: who makes them now, the Rehlko name, a century of history, the home lineup, dealers, warranty, service and what to buy.
Kohler natural gas home generators explained: ratings on natural gas, how much gas each model burns, gas pressure and pipe sizes, and what to…
