A DeWalt generator owner said a nearly new DXGNR10500E tri-fuel unit, with only about 1.5 hours on gasoline, wouldn't fire on propane even after about 15 tries.
Here's what to know
Gas mode worked, but propane did not on a tri-fuel generator. The owner also indicated the tank itself seemed fine. In the Reddit thread, they said: "The gauge reads full. It was just filled. And I just hooked it up to something else and it works."
(If the video doesn't appear, click here.)
Among the explanations offered was a common propane-tank quirk: "When you open the propane tank, do it very slowly. There is a little valve that can close to prevent a leak if you open the tank too fast and there is no pressure in the line."
The same reply noted that "a lot of generators need to try to start 2-3 times to purge the air out of the line before they will start after hooking up the propane tank." But the original poster said this case went much further and that they had reached "attempt number 15 or so."
More background
Because the generator could still run on gasoline, users had reason to believe the propane system, not the whole engine, was the issue. After being asked to verify that, the owner answered: "It does. I ran it for a bit after this video to cut the fuel and drain the carb. (Then tried the lpg again)."
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One user suggested holding a regulator button for 30 seconds, if present, and separately recommended checking the tank on another appliance to confirm propane was moving; the owner had already done part of that by testing the tank elsewhere.
When the regulator was disconnected from the tank, the owner reported a large "whoosh," a sign that propane was at least coming out of the tank, even if the generator was not receiving it properly.
People often buy tri-fuel generators specifically for outage flexibility. If propane mode doesn't cooperate, owners may be left relying on gasoline even after paying to fill a tank that, in this case, the OP said was "just filled."
What can be done?
The most concrete troubleshooting step in the discussion was to reset what users suspected was the excess-flow safety feature. One reply described the process as shutting the tank valve, bleeding pressure through the quick connect, reconnecting the hose, and then "SLOWLY, open the valve on the tank."
Someone also recommended, for standby use, that owners "check out a dual tank auto switch from an RV." It would not directly fix a no-start condition, but it could help limit overnight tank changes during outages.
Confirming that the generator still ran on gasoline helped narrow the possibilities to a propane-delivery issue, an air-in-line problem, or something more serious within the generator itself.
Where can I learn more?
Trouble starting a propane generator can come down to the startup sequence, the regulator, or a simple fuel-flow issue.
• Owners say the line needs priming before propane generators fire, not replacing a bad regulator.
• In Hawaiʻi, one owner learned propane mode won't work after a dead battery.
• A standby unit stayed down until an ant nest in the regulator pointed to a part swap.
• Some owners asked if two 20-pound tanks can run a 13-kilowatt generator through winter.
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