To power your entire house with a generator you'll need a generator that supplies 240 volts and also need a cord that plugs into the twist lock 240 volt outlet of the generator.
Then you'll need a plug that leads into your breaker box that the generator cord can attach too.
You need to have either a breaker or transfer switch to stop the flow of electricity through the meter to prevent backfeed.
What I did was have a separate breaker and a breaker to go to the generator and a breaker to the house from the meter.
When the power is out I switch off the breaker that comes from the meter into my panel outside.
Then that prevents any backfeed of electricity from the generator.
I then switch on the breaker that is connected to the generator plug which then sends electricity into the house from the generator.
However you can also have an electrician install a transfer switch which is much better but I did it the cheaper way which also works.
A portable generator should be started and ran at least once every 30 days.
When you start your generator every 30 days you should allow it to run for 2 to 3 hours and put a load on it.
This ensures the generator is working properly and also gets rid of any moisture in the generator stator and rotor windings.
As a general rule, a generator should be exercised without a load between once a week and once a month.
Testing with a load should be done on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Your generator's exercise cycle may be automated by a timer, which ensures the generator is tested on a regular basis.
When the generator is not in use the generator should be stored in a garage or shed.
You don't want to leave the generator out in the elements to get rained on when not in use and it also prevents the generator from getting stolen.
So you want to store you generator where it can be locked up and out of view.
You can leave gasoline in a generator for 1 to 2 months and after a few months the leftover gasoline in the generator can start to go bad.
You should also run your generators carburetor out of gasoline to prevent varnish buildup in the carburetor which will prevent the generator from starting and require a carburetor cleaning and rebuild.
Untreated fuel can go bad when exposed to the elements, so it may not power the generator when you need to use it next.
The gasoline can also do a lot of damage to various parts of the generator while it's in storage.
So leaving untreated fuel in the generator isn't really an option.
To make your generator use less fuel only run the generator when needed and only put enough load on the generator that you reasonably need.
The more load on the generator the more fuel the generator will use.
Other ways to make a generator use less fuel include.
Only run the necessary appliances.
Service your generator on time.
Do not run your generator on less than 50% Load.
Remove carbon deposits on time.
Service on time and use genuine replacement parts.
Use alternative power sources.
Choose a high-quality set.
Never overload your generator.
Large generators will run on one gallon of gas for around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours while smaller generators can run for 4 to 5 hours on one gallon of gas.
If your generator is a 5,000 watt to 10,000 watt generator then expect the generator to use one gallon of gas every 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours of run time.
If you have an 800 to 1500 watt generator then it should use around 1 gallon every 5 hours or so.
The actual usage of the gasoline in the generator also depends on the load on the generator and the size of the engine.
2 cycle engines usually use less gasoline per hour than 4 cycle engines.
A generator will usually run about 8 hours to 10 hours on 5 gallons of gas for larger generators.
Smaller generators can usually go 5 hours on a gallon of gas which means it will use around 5 gallons of gas in 24 to 25 hours.
The larger the generator the more fuel it's gonna use and the more load you put on the generator the more gasoline it's gonna use.
Adding gas to a generator while it's running is not recommended although it can be done safely.
The reason why you're not supposed to add gas to a generator while it's running is because you could spill some gas on the hot engine, hot exhaust etc and cause a fire or explosion.
I have however added gas to my generator while it was running for a long time and never had any issue.
I just make sure to pour the gas in slowly and be careful about it.
During a wind storm that took out the power for a week I had a generator running all the time to have electricity and about every 3 hours I would go out and top off the gasoline tank to keep it running.
Never once did I shut the generator down to refuel and it kept running all that time until the power came back on and I shut it off and checked the oil which was also fine.
If you're not sure if you can go without spilling gasoline then it's best to shut the generator off for a few minutes or so and allow it to cool down while you add some fuel.
Although generators can run for a long time it's okay to give it a break once in awhile and it will save you money on gasoline if you don't need it running constantly.
If you don't have enough fuel then you should only run it as much as you need too.
But if you have enough fuel then you can run it all day and all night if you need to or want too.