With all the outlets, inputs, buttons and switches, home generators can be overwhelming. If you’re not a trained electrician or someone who works closely with wires and power, these backup power devices can seem like some sort of cryptic 3D puzzle. Yet, if you live in a hurricane-prone area or if you like to be prepared during a power outage, getting a portable generator of your own can be a huge help. And according to the experts we consulted, home generators are less confusing than they may seem.

First things first, what is a home generator? And is it the same thing as a portable power bank? (Spoiler: No.)

“A generator uses a fuel source to convert it to electrical energy,” said Aaron Willeford (also known as “Aaron the TikTok Handyman”), a regional maintenance director in McKinney, Texas. “[A] power station [is] a battery bank which provides power without the need for fuel or moving parts, only recharging.”

Willeford said generators typically range from 1,000 to 40,000 watts and are used for longer-term power for homes and larger appliances, like air conditioners and refrigerators. Because they run on fuel, they can run as long as there is a fuel source.

“Power stations, on the other hand, have a max life of around 6 hours with a peak wattage of around 1,000 watts,” Willeford said. “Which will be good for charging phones and electronics, but not for powering the home.”

Harry De Loach, a master electrician, founder of The Academy of Industrial Arts and the director of education and training for the Leaders of Electrical License Preparation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, explained that there are two main categories of home generators: permanent and portable.

Permanent generators have something called an automatic transfer switch and can be set up to run on natural gas. “As soon as you lose power from the utility company, it’ll switch over seamlessly,” De Loach told HuffPost. “There’s no noise, there are no fumes.”

Because these generators can automatically keep your entire house running during a power outage, they’re not cheap. De Loach says a permanent power backup system can run you up to $25,000 and requires professional installation.

A more affordable option — and something you can purchase and set up on your own — is a portable home generator, which runs on gas and/or propane. They range in size, wattage, functionality and, ultimately, price. (One of Loach’s recommendations, the DuroMax XP12000EH 12,000-watt generator, is currently 20% off at Amazon.)

Cheaper ones demand power and elbow grease to get going, and they also can be less consistent with their power supply, said Gabriel Erde-Cohen, technical supervisor at We Clean Heat Pumps heating, ventilating and air conditioning services in Westminster West, Vermont.

“A more inexpensive, accessible model is hard to start, run and maintain, [and] there are also usually power fluctuations that come from a cheaper generator that can mess with electronics and appliances in the home.”

Erde-Cohen also said that while more expensive generators may have automatic starts and stops and smoother power flow, they need to be run regularly for maintenance, demanding extra gas or propane just to stay working well.

Before scrolling through different home generators, De Loach says the first step is to calculate your usage.

“You actually have to reverse engineer the process,” he said. “Figure out what your critical moves [are] in the event of a storm, what is a necessity. If you have a four-bedroom house and two freezers and grandma on a breathing machine, then you need something that can handle a heavy load or something that’s going to run almost indefinitely.”

To help with your calculations, Willeford said a home air conditioner requires 1,000 watts of energy for every 600 square feet of home. “A gas heater uses around 1,000 watts and electric portable heaters use around 2,000 watts,” Willeford added. “A refrigerator uses between 350-750 watts.” Add up everything you plan to use, and you’ll need at least that much running power.

Beyond wattage, Willeford encourages you to think about your living needs and demands. “Next is noise. If you live in the country, a loud generator may not be an issue. But if you live in a neighborhood, there are many quiet generator models,” Willeford says. “Then, you will need to decide which fuel source: gas, diesel or propane.”

To help you find your backup power source, the experts shared their favorite home generators and a couple of power banks for good measure.

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