Table Of Content
- Home backup power. Comfort. Security. Convenience.
- Rated Watts (Watts)
- Portable
- Best Standby Generators
- How to Determine Which Whole House Generator Is Best for You
- Champion 12.5-kW Home Standby Generator with 100-Amp Transfer Switch
- Things to Consider when Choosing a Solar Powered Generator
- The 5 Best Whole House Generators of 2024

Choosing the right generator is more than a simple purchase; it's an investment in comfort and peace of mind. While portable generators offer a quick fix, they often require more setup and deliver less power. On the other hand, a standby generator is like having your own personal power station, ready to light up your entire home at a moment's notice, without any intervention from you.
Home backup power. Comfort. Security. Convenience.

Though home generators can be true life savers, the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is real if they’re not used properly. Never operate a generator inside a home or garage, even if the windows and doors are open. Place the unit at least 20 feet from your home, with the exhaust pointed away from any windows, doors or air conditioners. If your backup power needs are more modest, you can opt for this affordable Craftsman generator without sacrificing much in the way of performance or features. The engine is made by Briggs & Stratton, a reliable name in outdoor power equipment.
Rated Watts (Watts)
Additionally, because these power stations must be charged via plug-in or solar, they may be difficult to use long-term during a power outage. If you are looking for an option for tailgating, powering key devices or appliances during a short-term outage, portable power stations are a great choice. The front of the Power+ Nexus has an interface similar to that of the gas generators, with a selection of outlets and USB ports. It also gives a readout of how much time remains at the current load.

Portable
When we switched it to “eco” mode, which reduces engine speed when power isn’t called for, sound was reduced to 76 decibels. Generac home backup generators are the most cost-effective on the market. Installation costs vary by system size, installation considerations, and local building codes.
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Best Standby Generators
Check your local regulations or get in touch with a certified accountant to learn more. Heat control, similarly to high temperature shutdown, can help mitigate any damage done to a generator, which is why the team included it as a category to make up 5% of the total ranking. The Champion 14-kW aXis Home Standby Generator with 200-Amp Whole House Switch runs about $4,799 on average.
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But keep in mind that per watt, it isn’t performing any better than its competitors—all of which have higher outputs. Standby generators used in larger homes often run on natural gas or propane. These power plants are more environmentally friendly than others because of the way they generate electricity.
But it’s a good idea to have the equipment serviced annually by a qualified professional. About the size of a central air conditioning unit, they run on natural gas or propane, so they don’t need to be refueled as often either. This add-on will make the generator much easier to use, but you’ll still need to be home to manually activate the switch, and installation costs average around $1,000. That's about what you'll spend on the installation of an entry-level standby generator, which is permanently connected to your home's electrical panel by a professional electrician.
Our generator ratings include portable and inverter models in addition to home standby generators. CR members can read on for reviews of the best home standby generators in our ratings. The investment you make in a generator is often backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. Most residential portable and inverter generators are protected by a 2- or 3-year warranty period that covers parts and labor. Standby generators, which are generally larger investments, usually offer 3- or 5-year warranty periods, like our best overall pick, the Generac Guardian 24kW Home Generator. Considering its reliable several-hour runtime, this unit seems a reliable propane-powered solution to the increasingly frequent controlled power outages many communities have adopted to save energy.
The 5 Best Whole House Generators of 2024
The Briggs & Stratton 12,000 Watt Generator packs quite the punch for a narrow footprint unit and ships at a solid price. Though one of the smallest generators on our best-of list, this product delivers a solid 12,000 watts and comes in as one of the best ranked generators by customer reviews. The biggest downside of using a solar generator for home backup is that you are limited in storage capacity. Even if you are charging gadgets like your smartphone, tablet, and camera, it’s still a good idea to get a decently sized solar generator. Portability is also important in solar tracking, where you move the solar generator and panels to maximize sun exposure.
A standby generator, like the Generac Guardian 24kW Home Generator, is the most common option for whole-home generators since it offers average power outputs ranging from 10,000 to 24,000 watts. This type of generator is permanently installed outside the home and is connected to a propane fuel tank or natural gas line. With the addition of a transfer switch, standby generators are ready to supply power for a few hours or a few days or more, thanks to a readily available fuel supply and high wattages. Air-cooled units, which use fans to keep engines from overheating, can well serve residential homes with average power needs. Liquid-cooled generators tend to be found in higher-wattage units, which homes in warmer climates rely on to run central air conditioner systems.
You just need one of those 30 amp generator boxes to connect the Delta Pro (via the 30A outlet) to a power inlet box or transfer switch. For regular household appliances, there are four 20A 120V AC outlets, plus a fifth more powerful 30A outlet for heavier duty stuff. If you don't plan to use the Explorer 2000 Pro often, the Li-ion battery inside will last for years. But if you plan to use it daily, I recommend getting a LiFePO4 solar generator instead such as the aforementioned Bluetti AC200MAX. But I think the Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro offers the best combination of value, power, capacity, versatility and charging performance. It’s hard to choose the best 2000W home backup solar generator because there are so many of them in this range.
The 220W solar panel is a good start, especially if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a solar generator kit. You can combine the smart generator (or a wall outlet) with 800W solar charging to get up to 3400W input for faster charging. AC power is available via six 120V AC outlets with a combined output of 2400W. You can increase these runtimes by expanding the Delta Max capacity.
The Generac Guardian Backup Generator ensures that it is always ready to supply power to the most important systems of your home by conducting a weekly self-test lasting either five or twelve minutes. This model is fuel-efficient and operates quietly, with a five-minute test cycle producing only 57 decibels of noise. Installing a whole house generator or its transfer switch is a job best done by an experienced professional to ensure compliance with local safety codes.
David Bush, Honda’s senior marketing strategist for general-purpose engines and industrial products, has been with the company for 21 years and spends much of his time focusing on engines and generators. Jake Thomas, director of global services at Generac, has been with Generac for 22 years and has had roles in marketing, engineering, and sales. In both interviews we focused on generators as a general category, but we also discussed each company’s line of products. In addition to testing larger generators, like the Champion , we’re also looking at the battery-powered Ryobi 40V 1800-Watt Power Station Battery Generator. When you start to see dimming or flickering lights, or sluggish performance in appliances, that’s usually a sign that your generator is overextended.
We continued to let it run for over an hour at this level, and we saw no indications that it wouldn’t continue to hold the excessive, 1,930-watt load. This generator may only be around $2,000, but it’s fully capable of preventing the contents of your fridge from spoiling and keeping the inside of your house at a reasonable temperature. It is able to power up to eight circuits in your home and significantly quieter than a portable generator. It has a durable aluminum housing that will keep it protected from inclement weather. The generator also features three removable sides, which allow for easy access should it require maintenance. While generators can be lifesavers in a storm, they often lose their reliability in hotter climates.
You’ll need to weigh a few factors to come up with the best home generator for your needs. After crunching all that data, the following generators earned a spot in our picks for the best home generators. Find the one that's right for you — and never get caught in the dark again. The operating temperature range of each generator was compared against the field to determine this ranking. The exhaust systems on these units are also more intelligent, and they have been designed to tamp down the noise.