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PowerBack generators

4 reports to CPSC, the latest made Jun 2, 2020. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search, on saferproducts.gov

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At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

  • 4reports to CPSC
  • Jun 2, 2020the latest report was made
  • Sep 1, 2011the earliest
  • 2with the company’s comments
Brand
PowerBack
Maker
Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.Makers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product
GeneratorsIncluding power plantsCPSC’s product type: Generators or Power Plants (code 606), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Electrical Systems
Other ways the reports write the brand (2)

“Poweback” and “Power Back Generator”

By month

1 report from July 2019 to June 2020; the most in June 2020, 1. 3 earlier reports, since September 2011, are in the table.
The numbers, as a table
Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
MonthReports
June 20201
December 20111
September 20112

How badly anyone was hurt

  • No one hurt 4 CPSC: Incident, No Injury

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

Source:

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

  1. No one hurt

    Made Jun 2, 2020, sent to the company Jul 17, 2020, published by CPSC Jul 31, 2020

    The product, in the report: Generator

    6/1/2020: The consumer called the firm’s recall number (Tel: 800-888-2468). He stayed on the line for approximately 1 hour, when the call dropped and disconnected him.

    6/2/2020: The consumer called the firm again and stayed on the line for nearly an hour, when the call dropped and disconnected him.

    * Both times, their automated system indicated they could not take the consumer’s call and referred him to portercable.com, just before disconnecting.

    The consumer went to portercable.com and tried to fill out the “contact form” on their site (https://www.portercable.com/support/contact-us), but each time there was an issue with their site and the form could not be submitted.

    The consumer then called a Porter Cable, Jackson, TN: Tel: 731-660-5986. He was able to speak with a live rep. but the person (name unknown) told him they were no longer a part of Porter Cable.

    End of May, 2020, the consumer pulled the generator out to use it and as he was filling it, fuel began to leak onto the floor.

    The plastic fuel tank is secured to the generator by 4 bolts. Fuel leaked from the area where one of the 4 bolts is secured to the generator. The tank was less than half full when this happened. The consumer placed a 2” x 4” piece of wood underneath 1 part of the generator, so that it was tilted and this helped prevent any further leaking of fuel. Since it leaked, the consumer did not use the generator.

    No injuries. Prior to this instance, he never experienced any problems with the generator.

    Model
    GT5250
    Serial number
    9912116010
    Where
    Luray, Tennessee: Home/Apartment/Condominium
    Who was involved
    Male
    The reporter’s relation to them
    Self
    As this report names them
    Brand Poweback, made or sold by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    Incident, No Injury
  2. No one hurt

    Made Dec 20, 2011, sent to the company Dec 28, 2011, published by CPSC Jan 12, 2012

    The product, in the report: Powerback generator model 5250-1

    I filled the Fuel tank after a power outage and it started leaking so was unsafe for use. after examination I noticed the plastic fuel tank ears that mounted it to the frame of the generator had cracked and was leaking.I could not use the product and the power outage lasted a week.

    Model
    5250-1
    UPC
    na
    Serial number
    9912083229
    Bought from
    Lowes, Connecticut
    Bought
    Aug 23, 1999, about then
    Where
    Plainville, Connecticut: Home/Apartment/Condominium
    Who was involved
    Age 47, Male
    The reporter’s relation to them
    Self
    As this report names them
    Brand Powerback, made or sold by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    Incident, No Injury
  3. No one hurt

    Made Sep 16, 2011, sent to the company Sep 26, 2011, published by CPSC Oct 12, 2011

    The product, in the report: Portable Gasoline Powered Generator

    This safety concern request is to expand and include all generators using the gasoline tanks that were involved in previous recalls 00-047 (December 30, 1999) and 00-067 (May 6, 2001) regardless of date of manufacture. Even though these recalls do not currently cover our generator, we have discovered that other owners as well as ourselves, have experienced the identical problem as noted in these recalls. Our research indicates cracks in these gasoline tanks seem to appear after about 100 to 150 hours of generator usage. Since this product is used mostly for backup emergency electrical power, it will depend on the user’s number and duration of power failures, as to how soon these gasoline tank cracks will appear. Our generator’s tank cracks appeared at 108 hours of proper usage. In short, these tanks are very likely to fail due to a design flaw and the way they are attached to the generator’s frame. Therefore, at some point it appears that gasoline will leak onto the engine below. If this happens to occur during otherwise normal generator operation, a fire and/or explosion is the most likely result. Although we were lucky to have caught our tank problem while our generator was cool and not running, we find this an unacceptable situation. We feel the manufacture should replace, at no cost to us, the defective designed tank with a tank designed to not have this problem. Simply replacing the tank with an identical one will only guarantee the same problem in the future.

    Our conversation with the manufacture indicates that the replacement tanks are on back order with availability not known at this time. They also stated our generator is not currently involved in the recalls. The local repair center in Richmond, VA states the same information regarding availability and the recalls. They also state the cost for tank replacement is about $120.00. We are not sure the replacement tank is redesigned to prevent the same problem in the future. CPSC help is hereby requested regarding our concerns.

    Model
    GT5250-2
    UPC
    Unknown
    Serial number
    2012081978
    Bought from
    Lowe’s, Virginia
    Bought
    Oct 30, 2000
    Where
    Richmond, Virginia: Home/Apartment/Condominium
    Who was involved
    Unspecified
    The reporter’s relation to them
    Unspecified
    As this report names them
    Brand Power Back Generator, made or sold by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    Incident, No Injury
  4. No one hurt

    Made Sep 1, 2011, published by CPSC Sep 26, 2011

    The product, in the report: Gasoline powered electric generator distributed by PowerBack

    I own a gasoline powered PowerBack electric generator and the fuel tank started leaking. The leak is identical to the leackage described in the December 30, 1999 CPSC Release #00-047.

    Model
    GBFE6010
    Where
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Home/Apartment/Condominium
    Who was involved
    Age 72, Male
    The reporter’s relation to them
    Self
    As this report names them
    Brand PowerBack, made or sold by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Source:

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

Sources

  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

    Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Source:

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Back to Generators

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 8, 2026. Updated monthly.

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