Consumer Product Safety Commission
Generac has recalled approximately 64,000 of its portable generators due to fire and burn risks.
CNN –
As a devastating hurricane season continues to knock out power to communities across the U.S., Generac Power Systems says it is recalling thousands of portable generators due to the risk of fire and burns.
The generators were sold at major hardware and hardware stores in the U.S. and Canada from April 2011 to June 2023, the Wisconsin company said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.
Generac said the fuel tanks on the GP15000E and GP17500E units “may not be adequately vented, which could result in the tank building up excessive fuel vapor pressure when operating in high ambient temperatures and expelling this fuel vapor when opened, resulting in the risk of fire and burns.” .”
A repair kit has been developed and is available to consumers free of charge.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission previously said in a statement that Generac had recalled 64,000 portable generators after more than two dozen reports of overheating, some of which resulted in serious burns.
Generac received more than two dozen reports of “the generators overheating and pressurizing or expelling fuel when opened.” The commission said at least three incidents resulted in serious burn injuries.
“The fuel tank of the recalled generators may not be able to adequately vent through the rollover valve, causing the gas tank to build up overpressure and expel fuel when opened, creating a fire and burn hazard,” the commission said. The group advises people to immediately stop using the recalled generators and contact Generac for a free repair kit.
The generators in question were sold in most hardware stores “from April 2011 to June 2023 for between $3,300 and $3,650,” the commission said.
Generac apologized for any inconvenience.
Thursday’s recall comes during hurricane season, when many people turn to generators to power their homes after a storm.
This year’s hurricane season over the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean runs from June 1 to November 30. Tens of thousands of people are currently without power as post-tropical cyclone Lee continues to bring rain, wind and flooding to parts of Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
When Hurricane Idalia hit Florida in late August, hundreds of thousands of people were without power.