Our editorial approach

Generator Den aims to make home backup power guidance clear, traceable and useful to the household making the decision. When guides and reviews are published, this is the standard they must meet.

Start with the right source

Equipment-specific advice should identify the model and use the relevant manufacturer manual or support documentation. Safety guidance should refer to sources such as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Installation guidance should distinguish a general explanation from requirements that depend on local authorities, utilities, the equipment and the installer.

A source should support the claim beside it. Specifications, maintenance intervals, recall information and prices need context and a date when their age affects the reader’s decision. A gap in evidence should be stated rather than filled with an assumption.

Make sizing examples understandable

Load examples should separate running watts from starting demand and state which appliances run together. Runtime estimates should identify the fuel, load or battery capacity used in the calculation. An example for one household is a starting point, not a guarantee for another.

Be precise about reviews

Reviews and comparisons should identify exact models, fuel types and relevant variants. Manufacturer specifications, published evidence and firsthand measurements should be clearly distinguished. Generator Den should claim hands-on testing only when that testing actually took place and its method can be described.

A useful recommendation explains who a model suits, where it falls short and which requirements the reader still needs to check. Commercial relationships, if introduced, should be disclosed alongside the affected content.

Put safety in the explanation

An instruction should explain the conditions that make it appropriate and when the reader needs professional help. Guides should never present backfeeding, defeated protective sensors or improvised fuel and electrical connections as shortcuts.

For portable combustion generators, the CPSC’s carbon monoxide guidance calls for outdoor operation at least 20 feet from homes, with exhaust directed away. Its warning against running a portable generator inside a home or garage applies even when doors and windows are open.

Keep the site honest about its stage

The category introductions describe the site’s scope. They are not a claim that the planned guides, reviews or tests have already been completed. Published content should carry dates, and substantive changes should explain what was updated when that context matters.