Health Canada Flags Three Models for Fuel Leak Fire Risk as Homeowners Pull Generators Out of Storage
Credit: Homeowner.ca
Spring storms are already rolling across the country, and many Canadian homeowners are doing the same thing this week: pulling a portable generator out of winter storage, checking the cord, and topping up the fuel tank. That routine is now a safety question for owners of three specific Generac models.
On April 16, 2026, Health Canada issued a consumer product recall for the Generac GP6500E, GP8000E, and GP3600 portable generators after reports that fuel can leak from the carburetor the first time the tank is filled. The leak creates a fire hazard. The recall — identification number RA-81890 — was issued jointly with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Generac Power Systems, and it covers units sold between May 2025 and February 2026.
The scope in Canada is narrow: 263 units sold here, versus roughly 149,400 in the United States. But the timing matters. Generac is one of the most recognized backup power brands in the country, and these are exactly the size of units homeowners pull out when the lights go off. What follows is a plain read on what was recalled, who is affected, and what to do — including the specific condition that determines whether you need to stop using yours right now.
The recall covers three Generac-branded liquid propane and natural gas portable generators, identifiable by a model and serial number label adhered to the side of the alternator or on the frame cross member. The brand name and unit type are printed on the control panel side of the machine. If you own a Generac portable generator purchased within the last year, compare your unit's model number against the table below.
The affected units were manufactured in Vietnam and sold at Canadian retailers between May 2025 and February 2026. If your unit falls outside that sales window, or carries a different model number, it is not part of this recall. That said, if you are uncertain, the fastest confirmation path is a serial number check through Generac directly, which we cover below.
The defect is narrow, and the remedy depends on a single question: has the generator already been fuelled and run without incident?
According to the Health Canada recall notice, fuel can leak from the carburetor when the recalled generator is first filled, creating a fire hazard. The notice states that owners whose generators have already been filled with enough fuel to move the gauge off "E," or have been used without any fuel leakage, can continue using their unit. As of March 31, 2026, the company had received no incident reports and no injury reports in Canada. In the United States, it had received 114 reports of fuel leaking — with no associated fires or injuries.
The conditional guidance matters because it splits affected owners into two groups with very different instructions. It also reflects how the defect behaves in the field: if the carburetor was going to leak, it would have done so on first fuelling. Generators that cleared that first fuelling without issue are treated as out of danger. Everything else — still unfuelled since purchase, or observed to leak when fuelled — needs to stop.
Health Canada's instruction is direct: if you own one of the recalled models, stop using it immediately and confirm whether your specific unit is part of the recall before proceeding.
If your recalled generator has not yet been filled with fuel, or showed leakage when fuelled, do not use it. Contact your Generac dealer to arrange a free repair at the dealer's location.
Owners can verify their unit by contacting Generac Power Systems at 1-800-396-9951 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or online through Generac's dedicated recall page for the GP carburetor recall. The remedy is a free carburetor-related repair performed at an authorized dealer — not a replacement of the full unit, and not a refund. Owners should be prepared to provide the model number, serial number, and, where possible, proof of purchase when arranging the repair.
Owners who purchased from a third party should also check the sales window: units sold before May 2025 or after February 2026 are not included. Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, a recalled product cannot be redistributed, sold, or given away in Canada, even if it appears to work normally. That means offloading an affected unit — even to family — is not a substitute for the dealer repair. Repair first; then use, sell, or lend it. Not the other way around.
The timing of a fire-hazard recall on portable generators is not incidental. Severe spring weather is already on the country's radar, with provincial flood and storm warnings now active across parts of Ontario, Manitoba, and Atlantic Canada. Backup generators have moved from luxury item to infrastructure in storm-prone regions, and Generac is a familiar name at exactly the unit size — 3,600 to 8,000 watts — that a typical household reaches for during a prolonged outage.
Hydro-Québec's power-outage preparedness guidance reminds households that outages often follow sudden storms or unexpected equipment failures, and warns that a gasoline generator meant for outdoor use should never be operated inside a home. That baseline rule applies to every portable generator, whether recalled or not. The April 16 recall does not change the overall safety profile of a Generac unit — it narrows the window of risk to a specific failure mode that only appears on the first fill.
The two hazards that most often put people in hospital with a portable generator — electrocution and carbon monoxide poisoning — are independent of this recall. The Canadian Red Cross's generator safety guidance names both, and adds that portable generators also pose a fire hazard — precisely the category this recall addresses. The Red Cross advises keeping the generator in a well-ventilated outdoor location away from windows and vents, and storing fuel outside in approved containers, never near the generator or any other fuel-burning appliance.
On placement specifically, Health Canada's carbon monoxide prevention guidance is explicit: a fuel-burning generator should never run indoors, in a garage, or in a shed, and should be operated at least 6 metres (20 feet) from any home or building, with exhaust directed away from windows and doors. That distance is not a suggestion. Carbon monoxide is odourless and accumulates quickly in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces.
The proximity of a running generator to an open window is one of the most common ways homes are poisoned during outages — a risk profile we cover in more depth in our guide to carbon monoxide safety for Canadian homeowners.
For owners who confirm their Generac model is not part of this recall, the recall still functions as a useful prompt. Pull the unit out now, while the weather is mild and the pressure is low. Inspect the fuel system for weeping or staining around the carburetor. Confirm where you will place the unit relative to the house when you actually need it — measure the six metres now, not in the dark during a storm. Verify that your fuel containers are approved and stored well away from the generator itself. The goal is simple: when the next outage hits, the generator works, and it does not introduce a second emergency.
