Westinghouse WGen7500c

The sensible size for most houses: 7,500 running watts runs a furnace blower, fridge, sump pump and a handful of lights through a manual transfer switch or interlock, which the L14-30R outlet is built for. The c suffix is the CO-sensor version, which shuts the engine off when carbon monoxide builds up near the unit, and owners who run generators near garages say that is the feature to pay the extra $150 over the plain WGen7500 for. Electric start with a key fob and a battery float charger are in the box, so the common first-outage failure of a flat starter battery is easier to avoid. The 420cc engine is loud at 72 dBA and thirsty at about 0.6 gallon per hour at a quarter load, and it is a 197 lb frame generator you will want a flat path for. It does not run on propane, so buyers who want stored fuel that does not go stale look at the dual-fuel DF versions instead.

7,500 W running, 9,500 W peak·CO sensor with auto shutdown·L14-30R, 11 hrs at 25% load