Skip to content
Standby Generator Guide

How we earn your trust

Good generator advice should show its work. You should be able to see where a fact came from, who checked it, and what still needs confirming.

Our editorial promise

Our current editorial promise:

We distinguish manufacturer specifications from manufacturer claims, estimates, and editorial interpretation. We link to source material where practical, do not claim hands-on testing or licensed review we have not performed, and update or correct material errors transparently.

Current review status: Our guides are editorial research, not hands-on product testing, licensed electrical advice, or a substitute for a local site assessment. Where a qualified professional has not reviewed a specific article, we say so.

Sources you can check

Our editorial standard requires a source for every factual claim that can affect a buying, safety, installation, or maintenance decision. We link readers to the original material and distinguish specifications from estimates and editorial interpretation.

  1. Manufacturer specifications and manuals: the exact model, fuel rating, installation manual, maintenance schedule, and warranty document relevant to the claim. A manufacturer's claim is identified as such.
  2. Electrical requirements: NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC), with the relevant edition and section for specific code claims. Your local authority determines the adopted edition and amendments.
  3. Fire and installation standards: relevant NFPA material, including NFPA 37 for stationary combustion engines. Model-specific instructions and locally adopted requirements must also be checked.
  4. Emissions regulations: EPA stationary engine rules and applicable regulatory text. Applicability depends on the engine and its use; we do not treat one engine category's rule as universal.
  5. Pricing context: clearly identified equipment listings and itemized installation examples, with dates, scope, exclusions, and limitations. A planning estimate is never a quote for your home.

We separate mandatory requirements, manufacturer instructions, and practical recommendations. A general guide cannot establish compliance for an individual property. Your licensed installer and permitting authority must confirm that.

Named, licensed expert review

Editorial research is attributed to topic-specific desks within the Standby Generator Guide Editorial Team. These desk labels are organizational bylines, not individual people or professional credentials. Editorial research remains separate from professional electrical review.

Before an article can be described as reviewed by a licensed electrician, our standard requires:

  • The reviewer's real full name, licensing jurisdiction, verified license, and relevant experience.
  • A recorded review date and article-specific review scope, including safety and applicable technical claims.
  • Resolution of the reviewer's material corrections before the article receives a completed-review label.
  • A fresh review when a material technical change affects the earlier approval.

Pending means pending. We do not display an expert-reviewed badge, invent an expert, or imply that research authorship counts as licensed review. Our current guides remain labeled pending until evidence of a completed review exists.

Independence comes first

Independent of generator brands, dealers, and installers. We do not accept direct sponsorships, paid rankings, editorial payments, installation-lead payments, or referral fees from them. Any future programmatic advertising is kept separate from editorial decisions and cannot buy favorable coverage.

We do not accept direct sponsorships, paid rankings, editorial payments, or generator-dealer and installer referral fees. We do not sell homeowner details or installation leads. If programmatic advertising is enabled, it is served independently of the editorial process; an advertiser cannot pay us to improve a ranking, remove a limitation, or change a comparison conclusion.

Comparisons use consistent criteria: documented capability, installation fit, maintenance, warranty terms, and local service considerations. We explain limitations alongside strengths and say when the answer depends on your home.

Clear answers, honest limits

  • We write like a knowledgeable neighbor: plain language, defined terms, and concrete next steps.
  • We label estimates, distinguish starting from running loads, and ask readers to confirm their own equipment nameplates.
  • We explain what licensed professionals do without encouraging homeowners to attempt electrical or gas work.
  • We never manufacture testimonials, qualifications, certifications, or authority claims.

Corrections and updates

Send us the page URL and a supporting source if you find an error. We check substantiated reports, correct the text, and note material changes with an updated date. A research date and an expert review date are separate records.

Specifications, product availability, warranties, prices, and code adoption can change. Each article should state its verification date; readers should check current documentation before committing to a purchase.

See our funding disclosure and information-use disclaimer.