Hurricane season 2023: The dos and don'ts of using generators during storms

Both types of generators keep power flowing to the home during disruptions, but portable power generators are more of an immediate, short-term solution and home standby generators are an automatic and permanent backup.” When the power goes out, it can become a major inconvenience as essential appliances that rely on power are no longer operating,” said Mary Knight, a spokesperson for Wired Electrical Services and Generators by Wired in Houston—which has served the Bayou City community for more than 18 years. “During the event of a power outage, you would have to manually hook up your portable generator and connect it to your panel. With an automatic generator, it will kick on automatically and start powering your home.” 

Affordability also plays a factor in which power station is most suitable for you. Portable power generators are a much more affordable option, ranging between $200 to $3,000. Standby generators vary in cost from under $2,000 to $20,000 or more. “The price and size of the generator may range depending on square footage of your home, how many AC units you have, if you are wanting to hook-up your pool, etc.,” Knight said.

The cost can also vary depending on how many power sources are needed. You might need to use multiple portable generators to power different areas of your home. However, one standby generator should be enough to power an entire house during an outage, Knight said. “Automatic standby generators are extremely reliable and can power your home for multiple days if needed,” she added. “Portable generators can only run for shorter periods of time depending on the models and do need to be refueled with gasoline.”

Portable generators are commonly fueled by gas while automatic standby generators can run on natural gas, diesel or propane. Standby generators are also covered with an aluminum enclosure that makes them weatherproof and less noisy, Knight added. Whether you opt for a portable or a standby generator, there are also some dos and don’ts to stick by as a general rule of thumb, according to Knight. 

• Keep generators placed in a location away from your home that is well-ventilated and away from all doors and windows.  
• When using a portable generator, use an extension cord that is suitable for your model and that it is long enough to ensure your portable generators stays away from your home. “There are a variety of heavy-duty outdoor extension cords specifically for your portable generator,” Knight said.
• Keep your generator dry. “It is not safe to have your portable generator in the rain,” Knight said. “Make sure that it is covered and does not get wet.” 
• Install a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous since it is odorless and colorless. Detectors will alert you in the event that CO does creep inside your home. 

• Don’t use your power generator indoors. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can build inside and linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off. 
• Don’t let your pets near your generator. Keep them away from generators at all times. 
• Don’t overload your generator by using too many appliances at once and exceeding your generator’s wattage capacity. “To avoid overloading your generator, ensure that it is installed by a licensed professional,” Knight said. 
• Don’t let more than six months go by without maintenance appointments to ensure your generator is functioning properly. “Enroll in remote monitoring so that you get notifications when there is an error or when your generator needs a repair,” Knight said.