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When a power outage hits, a backup generator is supposed to do one job: keep running.
But one homeowner learned the hard way that even a lightly used machine can become unreliable simply because of its age.
A Reddit user described trouble with a propane-powered generator purchased in 1998 that had logged only about 25 hours of use.
During a utility shutoff tied to wildfire risk, the unit initially came on as expected and supplied the house, but it later began cutting out after roughly 10 to 15 minutes of operation.
What happened?
According to the post, the setup included a hard-piped propane supply and a professionally installed transfer switch feeding the home.
The generator had already operated without issue earlier that day, but after being started again, it began following the same shutdown pattern over and over.
As the poster wrote, "[It] ran fine and powered the house for about 10-15 minutes and then died."
From there, commenters pointed less to an immediate fuel shortage and more to parts that can fail once heat builds up in an older machine.
One commenter summed it up bluntly: "Being 28 years old is also a factor."
Possible explanations mentioned in the thread included a heat-sensitive ignition problem, a bad automatic voltage regulator, worn wiring, and spark plugs that look normal when cool but fail once the engine warms up.
As one user put it: "It was spark plugs. Looked great, but broke down when hot.
Why does it matter?
Losing a generator in the middle of a blackout can lead to spoiled groceries, miserable indoor conditions, and costly last-minute repair or replacement decisions. In periods of wildfire shutoffs or major storms, backup electricity may be essential rather than optional.
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A machine can still age out even if it rarely runs. Components such as electronics, rubber pieces, diaphragms, and ignition parts may deteriorate over the years, including in equipment that stays sheltered and is only brought out occasionally.
What can I do?
The replies pointed to several low-cost troubleshooting steps before replacing the generator outright: try running it with no household load by leaving the breakers off, restore circuits one at a time, test for spark immediately after it stalls, look for possible rodent-chewed wiring, swap in new spark plugs even if the old ones seem fine, and inspect the propane demand regulator.
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