Alicia Brandt, Safety & hookup editor

I read the safety section of a manual first. The warnings, the grounding page, the paragraph about distance from doors and windows. Most buyers skip straight to the wattage. I get it, but that's where the serious mistakes start.

My guides cover what happens between the generator and the house: transfer switches and interlock kits, which outlet on the panel matches which inlet, why a 30 amp cord and a 50 amp RV plug don't swap, and where the unit should sit while it runs. I check each point against the manufacturer's documents and the CPSC and Ready.gov guidance, and I keep the wording plain: nobody reads a safety guide twice.

Fuel storage sits with me too, along with the fine print: CO shutoff features, EPA and CARB status, warranty terms and what voids them. Owner reviews help more than you'd think. When several people describe the same tripping breaker or a loose inlet box, it goes next to the spec sheet.

I'm not an electrician, and I don't write as if I were. When a job belongs to a licensed pro, the guide says so and lists the questions to ask. I write the guides on transfer switches, interlock kits, CO placement and fuel storage, and I edit Rebecca's guides on starting watts and on battery stations.