Propane generator won't start

Mike & Carol

Active Member
Ok....we had a 20 degree night...rv parked in barn...tried to start generator to run heater to prep for upcoming trip...have 1 near full tank of propane....use prime switch....then crank..chuggs alittle...then just cranks, but will not start.
gererator has only been used a few hours total...2011 Landmark...battery indicating good...was plugged into house current

should I be doing any maintanence already??

any ideeers???

feel free to call if you don't want to type

412-585-5600
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

I have better luck if I light the stove to purge air from the line, then do what you did, and it starts.
 

brianharrison

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

Fuel, air, spark, exhaust. After you confirm fuel (LP), also check air intake/filter and exhaust pipe. Parked in a barn, I may be suspicious about little critters and nests, etc. Intake or exhaust restrictions are not good for combustion engines....

Brian
 

Mike & Carol

Active Member
Re: gererator won't start

After posting i thought to fire up stove....no problem there....still starting for a couple seconds then dies....will check pipes although I don"t feel thats an issue....4 barn cats;)
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

Open both LP tanks. If one is empty, swap the full tank for the empty one and try again.
 

Mike & Carol

Active Member
Re: gererator won't start

Doesn't make sense ....But, I put the empty tank back in compartment...turned it on ---and now the generator fired up!!! Why would that have made the difference??...I had the stove running on the full tank..but wouldn't start the generator.
 

Mike & Carol

Active Member
Re: gererator won't start

Interesting twist......the generator now starts when I replaced the EMPTY tank and turned it on ...would not start with empty take disconnected ....the other tank is full.....But now when I turn the furnace on (with no other appliances or lights on) the generator shuts off. Had generator running 20 minutes before turning furnace on.

any thoughts??
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

If the full tank is on the doorside, swap the tanks and see if it runs ok with the full tank on the regulator that has the switch. You may have a problem with the doorside regulator, or with the pigtails, or the hose that runs across the RV.
 

Rickhansen

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

I can't vouch for this explanation, but I have a gas grill that if the burner valve is open and I open the propane tank valve, the flame on the burner will only be about half of normal size. If I close the tank valve and allow the gas to bleed out, close the burner valve, and then open the tank valve slowly, the burner will light and have a full flame.

I assume a generator sucks a good volume of gas on startup. If it works like my grill, it would definitely starve for fuel.
 

porthole

Retired
Re: gererator won't start

I can't vouch for this explanation, but I have a gas grill that if the burner valve is open and I open the propane tank valve, the flame on the burner will only be about half of normal size. If I close the tank valve and allow the gas to bleed out, close the burner valve, and then open the tank valve slowly, the burner will light and have a full flame.

I assume a generator sucks a good volume of gas on start up. If it works like my grill, it would definitely starve for fuel.

That is a safety feature, like it or not, you paid for that, can thank the feds for it and they fail, more often then you hear about.

I have already replaced the regulator and hos on my less then one year old Weber grill because of that.
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
This probably has nothing to do with your problem, but when I start my generator I always unplug from shore power so there is no conflict.
There should be an isolation switch,. but just in case it fails, I unplug.

Like others have said, I would purge all LP lines.

At one point on a SOB, someone over filled one of my tanks and I had liquid propane in my lines. It gummed up my regulator and my LP lines. I had to have everything cleaned and blown out.

Trace
 

porthole

Retired
This probably has nothing to do with your problem, but when I start my generator I always unplug from shore power so there is no conflict.
There should be an isolation switch,. but just in case it fails, I unplug.


The generators with factory prep are isolated when started. The transfer switch has a timer that gives the generator priority over shore power and makes the switch from shore power to genset after that delay.

At one point on a SOB, someone over filled one of my tanks and I had liquid propane in my lines. It gummed up my regulator and my LP lines. I had to have everything cleaned and blown out.

How old was that? Modern propane tanks have fill limiters inside that shut off the flow when the tank is at 80%
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
Duane, It was a horizontal tank. I said please fill it and went to the restroom.
I came out and the guy had it standing upright as full as he could get it.

I told him it said never to stand it upright. He said he'd done it for years w/o a problem.

Guess what? As soon as I turned it on my whole system was full of LP liquid.
I had to have the regulator changed and everything else blown out.
In hindsight, I probably should have bled the tank before turning it on, had I known what was about to happen. Trace
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

How would you go about bleeding a tank, and also, how do you know " IF " you should bleed it or not?

Thank you
Dick
 

brianharrison

Well-known member
Re: gererator won't start

How would you go about bleeding a tank, and also, how do you know " IF " you should bleed it or not?

Thank you
Dick

We, as the consumer, should not have to bleed a propane tank, or ever to know "IF" a tank needs bleeding. Regulations in most areas now require propane dispensor personnel be qualified/certified to fill tanks. That and as Duane mentioned, the design of tanks now with overfill protection built into tanks will hopefullly prevent this scenario.

To answer your question, safe bleeding of any gaseous fuel requires special care and attention, along with proper equipment. I would not recommend bleeding off a propane tank without that specific knowledge/equipment.

Take care,
Brian
 
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