OUR DATA

Traceable facts.
Visible uncertainty.

StandbyScout is an independent research prototype for US home standby generator buyers.

What is covered

The first edition contains eight model/package records from two manufacturers. It is not comprehensive, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Each record was checked against its linked manufacturer product page on 10/24/2026. We have not physically tested these generators.

How facts are recorded

We retain exact manufacturer model numbers, fuel-specific output, published consumption at 50% and full load, limited-warranty duration, and package details. Each populated specification has its source URL, section, and review date in the downloadable JSON. Missing values remain unknown.

When sources disagree

Champion package pages 100837 and 201016 contain fuel figures in descriptive text that disagree with their specification tables. Their fuel consumption is withheld from this edition and from the calculator pending reconciliation with the exact unit documentation. We do not silently select the more attractive figure.

How the calculator works

Propane expense = published gallons per hour × outage hours × your price per gallon. Consumption is used only at the two published load points. There is no interpolation. The same load percentage across differently sized generators does not represent the same electrical demand, so these results are scenario estimates, not efficiency rankings.

What could it power?

The home planner screens running load, not final generator size. The all-together scenario sums selected running watts. The take-turns scenario sums every Together load plus the largest Flexible running load; no flexible load is discarded. The latter requires an effective manual plan or automatic load controls. The largest extra starting allowance is shown separately and is not compared with continuous kW as proof of motor-starting capability. No diversity factor or blanket 20% margin is applied.

Editable defaults are illustrative assumptions. Gas and electric appliances use different assumptions; unresolved equipment types remain flagged. An electric tankless water heater requires an entered rating. Actual demand, motor starting, load overlap, power factor, phase balance, fuel delivery, and local requirements need installer assessment. A model that meets the running screen can still fail the starting check. Unknown fuel uses the lower of the two published fuel outputs.

Features, reviews, and service

Feature statements are linked to exact-model manufacturer pages and dated 10/27/2026. Manufacturer marketing is not independent testing. Noise is not ranked when load conditions differ or are missing; Champion 201614 has conflicting descriptive and table figures. Warranty length is shown with separate switch terms and missing coverage details. Our reviews page links to dated external testing pages, editorial comparisons, and owner feedback. Each link labels model coverage, access limitations, and any observed syndication or incentives. We do not reproduce or combine star ratings, claim to have inspected paywalled scores, or imply that related-model coverage establishes exact-model performance. No reliability score or market-share ranking has been collected. Official dealer locators support ZIP searches; StandbyScout does not claim to verify local response times.

Budget reference

The $8,000–$16,000 national Generac installed-system reference is not a quote for a scenario or matched model. Complex sites, larger systems, or new fuel infrastructure may exceed it.

What remains unknown

We have not established installed prices, reliability rates, local availability, service quality, or site suitability. Limited-warranty length does not establish identical coverage. Generator and transfer-switch warranty terms can differ.

Updates

This is a dated research snapshot. An update is not implied by a page visit. Source changes need review before catalog values or verification dates change.

Release and review dates

Build 005 / Finalized comparison experience. Core specifications were checked 10/24/2026; features and review links were checked 10/27/2026. Display dates use MM/DD/YYYY. Structured data retains machine-readable date formats.

Business and privacy

This edition has no affiliate links, paid placement, account system, or collection forms. Home plans are stored in sessionStorage in your browser tab and reused on model pages; answers are not submitted. Changing the form invalidates the previous result. Clear my home plan removes that saved plan. Storage-blocked browsers retain a plan only on the current page. Comparison selections are stored in the same browser tab and follow you across pages until you clear them. Hosting providers may process routine request logs.

Download source-linked JSON ↗ · Download core specifications CSV ↗ · Download feature sources CSV ↗