Generac name = GP5500 number = 0057360

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20121114-59FD6-1283892. Matched catalog product: Generac name = GP5500 number = 0057360. Source model text: GP5500. Incident: The consumer stated that she purchased a generator and when she went to turn it on it started to leak gasoline from the carburetor. The consumer stated that she decided to turn off the generator immediately and also turned off the fuel switch.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20130903-6144A-2147452410. Matched catalog product: Generac name = GP5500 number = 0057360. Source model text: GP5500. Incident: I have the Generac GP5500 portable generator. My unit is experiencing the same float needle sticking issues reported on CPSC and many internet venues. The plating is flaking off the needle, same as in all the pictures of other people's units that I have seen. During a power outage last week, I found my running generator surrounded by a pool of fuel on the floor of my barn. I am amazed that everything did not go up in flames. My unit has under 20 hours on it and is about 2 weeks out of warranty. It has always been stored with the carb empty of fuel. I have also always used ethanol free premium Shell gasoline with Sta-Bil added. Generac has an obvious issue with a defective carburetor, specifically with the plating used on the float needle.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20130130-94DC4-2147459311. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Generac name = GP5500 number = 0057360 (Portable generator MFG = Generac Model GP5500). Incident: I own a Generac GP5500 generator purchased in May 2011. The problem I have experienced is massive fuel leakage from the carburetor after the unit has been stored for several months and then put into service. Storage of the generator was in a conditioned space (garage). The procedure issued by the manufacturer is to run the unit with fuel shut off until the generator quits running. I followed this procedure before storing the unit. Having been trained to work on small and large engines and after the fuel spill occurred, I removed and disassembled the carburetor. I found that the float needle was stuck in the open position due to heavy corrosion of the needle valve, which caused it to remain in the open position, allowing fuel to continue to fill the float chamber. This corrosion is definetly a defect which deserves an immediate recall by the manufacturer. If an open flame or ignition source had been present when this occurred there is no doubt in my mind this would have been a serious fire and likely explosion of the fuel tank.