Power
The power goes out and the list of what stops working is longer than you think: the well pump, the furnace fan, the sump pump. This is the no-nonsense version of home power for rural properties — generators, solar, batteries, and going off-grid: how each one works, how to size it, what it costs, and what actually matters when the grid goes dark. Written for homeowners, not electricians. More guides are on the way.
Know your system
How backup power actually works — generators, batteries, transfer switches — and what keeps the essentials running.
How Home Backup Power Works
Portable vs. standby generators, transfer switches, fuel choices, and sizing basics — a plain-English guide to keeping the lights and the well pump on.
What Size Generator Do I Need?
Start with your well pump's starting watts, not the box's big number. How to read a pump nameplate, two worked sizing examples, and transfer-switch math.
Portable vs. Standby Generators: Which One Actually Fits Your Home?
Portable vs. standby generator compared: 10-year costs, outage economics, fuel, noise, and installation — plus which one fits your situation.
Manual vs. Automatic Transfer Switches: Costs, Pairing, and What to Tell Your Electrician
Manual vs automatic transfer switch: what each costs installed, how each works, service-rated vs subpanel switches, sizing to your generator, and what to tell your electrician.
Costs
What backup power actually costs — installed, fueled, and maintained over the years.
Whole-House Generator Cost: What You'll Actually Pay
Standby generator installed cost by size ($6,000–$28,000), what moves the number, annual maintenance, fuel cost per hour, and a 10-year ownership example.
Your well pump
The well pump is the hardest load in the house to start. Match the generator to the pump.
Best Generator for a Well Pump: What Actually Matters
A well pump is the hardest load in your house to start. This sizing-first guide shows how to match a generator to your pump — conventional or constant-pressure — using real locked-rotor numbers, not marketing watts.
Alternatives
Other ways to keep the power on — and where they honestly fall short.
Solar vs. Generator for Rural Homes: An Honest Comparison
Grid-tied solar shuts off in a power outage. Here's what it actually takes to keep the lights on, what solar-plus-battery costs, and when a generator wins.
Solar and off-grid
Solar panels, solar roofs, batteries, and cutting the cord entirely — what each option honestly delivers at a rural home.
Going Off-Grid at a Rural Home: Sizing Solar, Batteries, and the Generator That Backs Them Up
Going off-grid means no utility connection at all. How to size solar, batteries, and a backup generator around a well pump — costs and winter reality.
Tesla Solar Roof vs. Solar Panels vs. Ground-Mount: What Actually Works on a Rural Home
Tesla's Solar Roof is discontinued. How solar shingles, rooftop panels, and ground-mount arrays compare for a rural home — cost, snow, shade, and roof age.
When the power goes out
The first ten minutes when the grid goes dark — what dies, what you still have, and the clocks that are now ticking.
The Power Just Went Out: Your First-10-Minute Playbook
Power's out on your well-and-septic home — no water, dead sump pump, septic alarm. A first-10-minute playbook: what to do, in order, plus the clocks now ticking.
Your Generator Is Running but the House Has No Power
Generator running but the house is dark? Work the triage in order — exercise mode, breakers, GFCI, transfer switch, cord, and load — and know when to stop and call a pro.
Free tools
Generator Size Calculator
Add up what you actually need to run — well pump, sump pump, fridge, heat — and get a right-sized wattage range instead of a guess.
Generator Fuel Cost Calculator
Pick your generator size and fuel — see what an outage actually costs in propane or natural gas, from spec-sheet numbers.
Generator Inlet Size Planner
30A or 50A inlet box? Check the loads you want on backup — well pump, sump, furnace blower — and get the right size plus the spec for your electrician.
Pairs with
Your well pump is the heaviest load on the generator
A well pump's startup surge is usually the biggest single draw on a rural home's backup power — and the most common reason an undersized generator trips. Know your pump before you size anything.
Browse the Well Water guides →
Well pump & pressure tank troubleshooting →