Portable or standby: choosing backup power that actually works
Around here, backup power is not a doomsday purchase; it is what keeps the sump pump running, the freezer cold and the furnace alive through the ice storm or the third outage of the winter. The real decision is between two very different setups, and the right answer depends on how you live, not on the biggest number on the box.
The portable-plus-inlet setup
A portable generator on its own powers whatever you run extension cords to, which gets old fast in February. The upgrade that changes everything is an outdoor inlet and a transfer switch or interlock at the panel: wheel the generator out, plug in one cord, flip the transfer, and your chosen circuits run through the house wiring like nothing happened.
The strengths are cost and flexibility; the same generator can leave with you for camp. The tradeoffs are that someone has to be home to set it up, it needs fuelling every few hours, and it lives outside while running, full stop. A generator in a garage or under a deck is a carbon monoxide risk, not a convenience.
The automatic standby unit
A standby generator sits on a pad, runs on propane or natural gas, monitors the utility feed and takes over by itself within seconds of an outage, whether you are home or not. For a property with a well, a sump, livestock equipment, or someone who depends on powered medical equipment, that unattended part is the whole argument.
The tradeoffs are up-front cost and the fact that it is a permanent installation: gas fitting, an automatic transfer switch, clearances, and annual maintenance like any engine. It is the right answer more often on properties where outages are long or where being away during one costs real money.
Sizing is a list, not a horsepower contest
Sizing starts with an honest list of what must run at once: furnace fan, well pump, sump, fridge and freezer, some lights, maybe the internet. Motors take a surge to start, which is why the well pump matters more than its running watts suggest. A generator sized to the essential list, with transfer equipment that makes overload impossible, beats a big unit chosen by gut feel. This calculation is part of any quote worth having.
The one thing never to do
Backfeeding, plugging a generator into a dryer or welder outlet with a homemade double-ended cord, energizes the utility lines outside your house. It can kill the line crew working to restore your neighbourhood, and it is illegal for exactly that reason. A proper transfer switch or interlock physically separates generator power from the grid. It is not an optional accessory; it is the difference between backup power and a hazard.
The paperwork, briefly
Inlets, transfer equipment and standby installations are filed with the ESA and inspected, and gas-fired units involve a licensed gas fitter for their side of the work. The result is a system your insurer recognizes and the next owner of the house can trust, which is the standing this equipment should have given what you buy it for.