Who writes the guidesMeet our editors
Three people write and edit everything on Portable Backup Generators. We don't run the generators ourselves and won't pretend otherwise. What we do is read: spec sheets, owner's manuals, runtime tables, warranty terms, EPA and CARB listings and a great many owner reviews. Then we put the models side by side and update the rankings when prices or models change. Each guide names who wrote it and who edited it.
Senior editor
Rebecca runs the editorial side of Portable Backup Generators. She picks which models make each ranking, holds every wattage and outlet claim up against the spec sheet and the owner's manual, and goes through owner reviews looking for the problems that show up again and again. Sizing is her hobbyhorse: the big number on the box is rarely the one your well pump cares about.
- Starting vs running watts
- Sizing from a written load list
- Backing up a whole house
- Generator or battery power station
- Keeping the rankings current
Fuel & runtime writer
Gordon writes about what keeps a generator going: gasoline versus propane, how long a tank really lasts at the load you will put on it, oil changes and the maintenance pages nobody reads, and the noise figures in the listings. He reads runtime tables line by line and gets suspicious when a listing quotes hours at quarter load without saying so.
- Gasoline, propane and dual fuel
- Runtime per tank at real loads
- Break-in, oil changes and maintenance intervals
- Noise ratings and the distance behind them
Safety & hookup editor
Alicia covers the place where a generator meets your house: transfer switches, interlock kits, outlets and cords, and the placement rules that keep carbon monoxide outside. She reads the safety pages of every manual first, checks which models list a CO shutoff, and goes through the warranty small print. When a hookup step belongs to a licensed electrician, her guides say so.
- Transfer switches and interlock kits
- Carbon monoxide: placement and CO shutoff
- Outlets and cords: TT-30, L14-30, 50 A
- Storing gasoline and propane at home
- Warranty terms and EPA / CARB status