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Generator or power station: which one if you live in an apartment?
Updated
If you live in an apartment, get a battery power station, not a generator. A fuel generator has to run outdoors, at least 20 feet from any home, and EPA's guide says no to balconies, decks and porches. A power station has no engine and no exhaust, so it is the one that can be used indoors. If you have a yard and face long outages, a generator still does things a battery cannot.
Why a generator does not work in an apartment
- There is nowhere legal to run it. CPSC says never inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open. EPA lists balconies, decks, porches, basements and garages as "don't" spots. A balcony also puts the exhaust right under a neighbor's window.
- There is nowhere good to store it. A generator holds gasoline and you need more in cans. Fuel should be stored outside your living space. With no garage or shed, that is hard to do. Check your lease and local fire rules too. Many buildings do not allow stored gasoline at all.
- A CO shutoff does not change this. The sensor is a backup for outdoor use. It is not a pass to run an engine on a balcony.
Side by side
| Fuel generator | Battery power station | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it can run | Outdoors only, 20 feet from homes | Indoors or outdoors |
| Exhaust | Carbon monoxide | None |
| Noise | Engine noise. The lowest maker claim among our picks is "as low as 52 dBA" | No engine |
| How long it lasts | As long as you have fuel | Until the battery is empty, then it needs a wall outlet or solar panels to recharge |
| Running watts | 1,900 to 9,500 among our picks | Varies by model. Check the rated output, the same way you would here |
| Upkeep | Oil, fresh fuel, test runs | Keep it charged |
When a power station is the right call
Apartments, condos, rowhouses with no yard, and anyone who only needs phones, a router, a CPAP, lights and maybe a refrigerator for a day. Size one by watt-hours, which is a different kind of math from this site's. Our sister site Watt Ready has a calculator for that.
When a generator still wins
You have outdoor space 20 feet from every home, outages that last days, or big motor loads like a sump pump, a furnace blower or a well pump. A battery runs down. A generator keeps going as long as you can refuel it.
- The WEN 56235i is the smallest pick here at 39 pounds, with 1,900 running watts. Its fuel shutoff helps with storage. The caveat: gasoline only, and the listing we read did not mention a CO shutoff.
- The Champion 4000-Watt Dual Fuel runs on propane, which is easier to store than gasoline, and has a CO shutoff. The caveat: 2,700 running watts on propane, so check your total in the wattage calculator first.
All five are on the roundup page. If you are not sure you can meet the placement rules, read how far a generator should be from the house before you buy anything.
Safety first, every time
- Carbon monoxide kills. Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, in a shed or on a porch, even with the door open. Keep it at least 20 feet from the house. Point the exhaust away from windows, doors and vents. Put battery CO alarms inside your home.
- Never backfeed. Do not plug a generator into a wall outlet or dryer outlet. It can kill a utility worker or a neighbor and can start a fire. To power home circuits you need a transfer switch or an interlock kit, installed by a licensed electrician.
- Without that, run heavy-duty outdoor extension cords from the generator straight to each appliance.
- Let the engine cool before you refuel. Store fuel outside the house.