How long food stays safe in the fridge and freezer when the power goes out, according to USDA: the 4-hour and 48-hour rules, the 40-degree threshold, what to keep and what to toss, refreezing, dry ice and coolers, and how to prepare before an outage.
Portable power station or gas generator for outages? A side-by-side look at output, run time, indoor safety, noise, maintenance, fuel and battery costs, and who each one suits, with CPSC and Ready.gov safety guidance.
A step-by-step watt-hour worksheet for sizing backup power: how to find each device’s watts, estimate daily watt-hours, account for surge and inverter losses, and match the total to power banks, power stations or a generator.
What a solar generator really is, how panel ratings and peak sun hours work, how to estimate daily recharge and run time, panel and input limits, winter performance, rooftop solar during outages and safe setup, with NREL and Ready.gov guidance.
A complete emergency power guide for home outages: how to size your needs in watts and watt-hours, power stations vs generators, solar charging, carbon monoxide safety, food safety, lighting, radios, medical devices and apartment options, based on Ready.gov, CPSC, USDA and NWS guidance.