I am considering a generator for my house. What do I need to know?

Fuel prices.

…........ mike wtf do you need a generator for?

Uhh, they run on gasoline, it’s going to cost you a bare minimum of several hundred dollars… into the thousands for a good one.

They’re typically very loud, and they smell bad. While running it has to be kept outside.

They’re loud. You will want a separate shed for it.

They can run on propane. I don’t know if it’s cheaper, but you can get cut down on fuel deliveries with one of those huge propane tanks

If you are on the grid, the utility can probably give you power a lot cheaper.

I would also look into solar or wind power with a generator backup. Maybe there are tax credits for renewables which would apply to the whole system

I assume you are looking for an emergency backup. That being the case, you need to properly size the unit. Start by figuring out the minimum amount of stuff you need to run. Don’t go nuts thinking you need to run your stove, washer, dryer, and AC unit. Even the fridge is pretty much a stretch, but it is doable if you consider that a top priority (for example if you take perishable medications that need to be kept cold).

For me, I’d stick with something that will run a fan and a couple of light bulbs.

As a general tip on stuff you need to get by for a few days without juice from “uncle sugar”, go on a few camping trips. You will soon get a grip on what is really required and what is just fluff and the equipment you gather during the experience will be in your garage ready for use when the blackout happens.

Talk to @WorriedGuy. I’ll send this to him.

What are your needs when the power goes out?
That will determine the size of the generator you will need.

An “RV” type generator is the quietest type you can buy, but they’re expensive. They aren’t just “a regular generator with better insulation”; they’re engineered from the ground up to be quieter. All of that makes them more expensive. But if you’re going to be running it for more than a few hours in a residential setting, then it’s worth considering.

They produce CO gas as part of the combustion process, so they definitely have to be run (or at least properly vented) outside. (I expect that most building codes won’t allow them to be run indoors and vented, but it’s something you may want to consider for security. In a case where there’s a regional power failure or transmission line failure, which amounts to the same thing, “outdoor” generators will be precious – and may be stolen when it gets dark. And it will be getting much darker if there’s no local power.)

Some generators are “multi-fuel” capable, which would be handy to have if the power is out for an extended time and gas station pumps are idle. And that’s something to consider.

You will definitely need to have it wired into your home power board by a qualified electrician. The reason is that you don’t want to be back-feeding power to the grid, which can be dangerous for linemen working on lines outside your home which they expect to be “dead”. You don’t want to start killing linemen outside your house. Aside from the expense, I’m sure it would be messy and more than a bit upsetting.

As others have said, consider your bare necessities for power requirements: A small heater (to prevent the house plumbing from freezing, not to keep you “comfortable”), a few lights and power tools, perhaps, and that should be it. I’m sure that you can get by with a minimum sized generator.

I suggest diesel. It’d take some rigging, but diesel motors can run on warmed up vegetable oil. If gas prices get too high, or even if they don’t, you can stretch your diesel supply by having a warming tank that can sometimes be used as an alternate fuel source. A lot of people rig up diesel vehicles to do that, so there should be conversion kits you could use for it.

@tedd So I can keep my shit in the freezer.

@CWOTUS How much does one cost?

@everyone If I do this now, do you think I would earn that back when I sell the house? I want something serious, I dont even want to know the power goes out.

@mowens – Given your goal of not wanting to even know if the power goes out, I would suggest going solar with a battery backup. In short you have a solar array that is sufficient to provide your average power coupled to the regular electric grid, which will provide peak power when needed. You can also include a battery bank (usually led-acid) that will provide a store of back up power to provide for peak usage and longer term average usage should the grid cease providing for those needs.

Upside – no external fuel needed and it is quite and environmentally friendly

Downside – They are relatively expensive (but then again, so are industrial sized liquid fuel power stations).

I agree with @YoBob (in general): any kind of “set it and forget it” backup with automatic takeover on failure of the main, automatic breaker set from the “street power”, etc. is going to be pretty darn expensive. And you’d really want some kind of “always on” system for that: a solar system deep-charging lead-acid batteries with overflow back to the power company (and turning your meter in reverse, so that you get the benefit of being a co-generator), etc.

But that requires a lot of coordination between you and the power company, too. It’s not as simple as plug-and-play. That’s what most household generators are: “Oh, the power’s off. I’d better start the genny and flip the breaker so that I’m not feeding the street.” But that doesn’t happen unknowingly.

If it’s only for a freezer…

How long does the freezer maintain it’s temperature if the power goes out?

How often does the power go out long enough to ruin the food?

What is the cost of replacing one freezer full of food compared to the cost of the generator?

You need to decide what you expect the generator to do and what fuel is available.
Your last statement had conflicting info.
If it is for a freezer, refrigerator and sump pump, you can get by with a small 1.1 kW for $350 that you plug into an outside outlet. It will use very little gasoline so in a pinch you can run your sump pump and refrigerator for weeks with only 5 gallons of gas.
Then you said “I want something serious….”. If you have natural gas available an 8.0 kW Guardian with an automatic transfer switch will do the job. Cost ~$7000 installed.
The Guardian is the best I have seen. Quiet, clean, reliable, long life, but expensive. It will look like an air conditioner/heat pump on the outside of your house.

There are other factors to consider. Is money no object? Are you prepared to have it tested and/or serviced regularly? Do you want only for a one-two week outage or are you planning for Armageddon? Do you have sump pump that must run many times per day?
A good unit adds as much to the value of a home (and costs the same) as a good heating plant or central air conditioning system. Here is a link for the Guardian Series.
May you never need it.