Federal emergency and consumer-safety guidance treats backup power as a planning and life-safety issue. Essential electrical loads should be identified before an outage, and portable generators must be operated far enough from buildings to prevent exhaust from entering occupied space.
A household plan should first identify medically necessary equipment, refrigeration, water or sump pumps, communications, lighting, and minimum safe heating or cooling needs. Backup equipment can then be sized from documented voltage, running power, startup demand, and required operating time.
What truly has to keep running?
Write down medical equipment, refrigeration, a well or sump pump, communications, a few lights, and the smallest safe heating or cooling option. Record each item’s voltage, running watts, startup surge, and expected hours of use. Motors can need much more power for a moment when they start.
The completed load list shows which equipment can operate within a generator or battery system’s rated output and energy capacity. High-power loads such as central air conditioning, electric resistance heat, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying must be included explicitly rather than assumed to be available.
The generator rule worth memorizing
Outside, at least 20 feet from the home or building, with exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents.
That is CPSC’s 2026 guidance for portable generators. An open garage door does not make the garage safe. Neither does an open window in a shed. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and can kill before people recognize what is happening.
Keep carbon-monoxide alarms working on every level and outside sleeping areas as required by their instructions and local rules. Follow the generator maker’s directions for weather protection, grounding, cords, cooling, refueling, and fuel storage. Let the unit cool before adding fuel.
If a generator will feed home circuits, use a properly installed listed transfer device. Never backfeed through a receptacle. Backfeeding can energize utility lines and put line workers and neighbors at risk.
Make one room safer in heat, cold, or smoke
For extreme heat, select the room with the least afternoon sun and the most practical cooling load. Exterior shade and sealed obvious leaks can help. Fans cool people through air movement; they do not lower room temperature, so follow public-health alerts when indoor heat becomes dangerous.
For cold, protect vulnerable pipes, know the main water shutoff, and identify a local warming center before the storm. Never use a gas oven, charcoal grill, camp stove, or outdoor heater to heat the house.
For wildfire smoke, check AirNow and local instructions. EPA recommends MERV 13 or better filtration when the HVAC system can handle the resistance. A properly sized portable air cleaner can serve a closed cleaner-air room; the indoor-air guide explains how to size one. Learn how to put outdoor-air intakes in recirculation mode without interfering with combustion safety, and watch room temperature during long smoke events. Ozone generators and ionizers are not recommended for smoke removal.
Water changes the rules
In a flood-prone area, professionally elevating HVAC equipment, water heaters, electrical components, and backup equipment can reduce damage, but the elevation and installation must follow current local floodplain and building requirements. Keep drainage paths, sump equipment, and approved backflow measures maintained before storms.
After flooding, return only when officials say it is safe. FEMA warns against touching wet electrical equipment or touching equipment while standing in water. Submerged panels, wiring, appliances, and fuel equipment may create shock, fire, explosion, or contamination hazards even after the water recedes.
EPA also advises leaving a flooded home’s HVAC system off until the house has been cleaned and dried and required repairs and remediation are complete. Otherwise the system can spread contamination.
Practice once while the lights are on
Test alarms and backup equipment according to manufacturer instructions, check battery charge, manage stored fuel as directed, and update medications and emergency contacts. Verify that users can locate flashlights, shutoffs, exits, and operating instructions, and confirm that the backup supply starts each intended motor load.
The plan should account for renters, children, older adults, pets, and anyone who uses powered medical or mobility equipment. Operating steps and limitations should be documented before severe weather or an outage.
Reviewed August 20, 2026. Program rules, codes, utility rates, and local requirements can change; confirm them for the property before starting work.
This guide is educational and does not replace project-specific tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice.