This makes a portable home generator a popular piece of gear to keep on hand, but connecting one to the house takes a bit of know-how and planning.

The running watts are the most helpful in determining how many devices you will be able to connect to a generator. Volts A volt is essentially the force of the electric current.

Adding up the running watts and the highest starting wattage of all the devices you wish to power with a generator will help you determine the size of the generator you will need. Larger, whole-house ...

Consumer Reports says to keep in mind that the generator must be at least 5,000 watts to easily connect to a transfer switch and to handle the load of several appliances.