Weathering disaster: Generators

A growing number of hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, and other natural disasters in recent years have probably put preparedness on your radar screen. Along with an emergency plan and a three-day supply of food and water, you might want to consider adding backup power at your home.

Generators: better, beefier choices

Wheeled, portable generators are the biggest sellers. But you might need plenty of fuel on hand, since filling stations often shut down during blackouts and most home-sized models use 12 to 18 gallons of gasoline per day. You'll also need to preserve that fuel with stabilizer and store it in a well-vented shed or other area, away from the house and any ignition source.

Our wattage calculator, which provides an average wattage rating for most common electricity-using household appliances and devices, will help you tally your needs.

How to choose

Portable models we tested claimed between 2,800 and 6,600 watts—enough to power plug-in appliances and lights, but not nearly enough for heavy power drains like central air. Add up the watts for the items you need. Then check our videos with buying advice and safety instructions for generators. Figure on $500 to $1,000 for installing stationary generators and, for all types, at least $500 for a power-transfer switch to power hardwired circuits and avoid having to run extension cords.

Also remember that manufacturers often overstate run time for gasoline models by basing it on 50 percent load. Our run times use a more conservative, 80 percent load.