Guides

Short, sourced answers to the questions behind the numbers.

Generator Derating for Altitude and HeatGenerac's rule: about 3.5% less power per 1,000 ft above sea level and 1% per 10 °F above 60 °F. A table for every Guardian size from sea level to 9,000 ft. How Far From the House Should a Generator Be?Federal agencies say at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, never in a garage, with CO alarms inside. What CPSC, CDC, OSHA and FEMA say. How Long Will Propane Run a Standby Generator?Hours per 100 gallons of propane for every Generac Guardian size at half and full load, from Generac's fuel table, with a worked tank example. Running vs Starting Watts: How to Size a GeneratorRunning watts and starting watts explained with the method Generac, EWEB and Champion print, a worked outage example and why the tables disagree. Transfer Switches and Backfeeding a GeneratorWhy plugging a generator into a wall outlet is dangerous, what a transfer switch does, and how it changes what size generator a house can use.