Backup Power & Fuel

Depends on load. A 5,000W portable generator with a 6-gallon tank runs about 8 hours at 50% load, 5 hours at 75%, and 3-4 hours at full load. Our generator runtime calculator takes your tank size, fuel type, and actual load to give realistic hours.

Enough for your expected outage length plus 50% buffer. Gasoline deteriorates in 3-6 months untreated (add a stabilizer like Sta-Bil for 1-2 year storage). Diesel and propane last much longer. Our fuel storage calculator sizes for your generator, vehicles, and expected duration.

For short outages (under 8 hours) or specific loads (medical equipment, router, fridge), a battery is quieter, cleaner, and safer indoors. For multi-day outages or whole-home power, generators are still the practical choice. Many households combine both: battery for silent short-term, generator for recharging and heavy loads.

No. Generators must run outside with at least 20 feet of clearance from windows, doors, and vents. CO poisoning from a generator kills within hours, and storm-aftermath statistics consistently show more CO deaths than storm deaths.

Solar-plus-battery systems work well for daily load shifting and short outages, but sizing for multi-day outages gets expensive quickly. For pure backup, a generator costs less per watt-hour. Hybrid setups (solar for normal use, generator for extended outages) are often the best balance.