Federal Pacific Electric Panels A Summary Of The Issues

Fires waiting to happen debate waiting to be ended.

Federal pacific electric panels a summary of the issues.

The following has been said about federal pacific electric stab lok panels. Federal pacific electric stab lok service panels and breakers are dangerous and can fail leading to electrical fires problem analysis and explanation for home inspection home buyers home owners. Issues about federal pacific electric s stab lok. And canadian homes were built with circuit breaker panels that one expert has questioned as a potential fire hazard.

This article summarizes the safety issues concerning federal pacific electric fpe stab lok electrical panels and circuit breakers. Federal pacific panels also known as fpe panels were a popular residential electrical panel choice in the mid to late 20th century. They are typically clearly labeled with the words federal pacific electric or fpe also when you open the door you will often see the words stab lok in the center or on the side of the breaker panel. Ul standards require that breakers trip or shut off the current when overloaded to prevent electrical.

Federal pacific electric fpe stab lok panels shouldn t be inspected but replaced. An estimated 2 800 fires. That these panels pose a latent threat and could be a hazard. A circuit breaker that fails to trip could cause a fire or personal injury.

According to a report some federal pacific electric panels failed to operate properly nearly 60 of the time in the event of a power surge. According to the united states consumer product safety commission fpe stab lok residential circuit breakers may fail to trip properly with overload and short circuiting underwriters laboratories inc. In 1983 the consumer product safety commission closed its two year investigation and felt it impossible to create a product recall at the time because of budget issues even as federal pacific panels and breakers continued to be installed in millions of homes that to this day still run the risk of an electrical fire. The panel was well known in the building community as a cheaper alternative to some of the more recognizable panel companies such as general electric i t e and square d.

This website explains the fire and shock hazards associated with federal pacific electric stab lok circuit breakers and service panels provides a history of the issue recounts research on fpe failures and recommends replacement of the panels. The circuit breakers may fail to trip in the case of an overload or short circuit.