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More Information

Federal Pacific Electric Stab Lok Panels in a gangFPE Electrical PANEL AGE - Does age matter in the safety of FPE Stab-Lok Equipment?
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  • A discussion of the role of electrical panel age or year of manufacture - the panel date does not affect the level of risk nor the need for replacement of this equipment
  • Questions & answers about the effects of electrical panel age and FPE Stab-lok circuit breaker & panel hazards

Does age matter when evaluating FPE Stab-lok elecrical panels or circuit breakrs? Is Federal Electric Pacific Stab-lok design equipment safer if made during certain years?

Replacement FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers are unlikely to reduce the failure risk of this equipment. We recommend that residential FPE Stab-Lok electrical panels be replaced entirely or the entire panel bus assembly be replaced, regardless of FPE model number or FPE year of manufacture. We do not sell circuit breakers nor any other products.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

AGE MATTERS? - Does the age of Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok Electric Panels make a difference in the safety concerns?

The following is a personal opinion by the website author: From my knowledge of the history, pattern, and nature of FPE manufacturing and management difficulties, and from a study of the nature of the cause of the fail-to-trip problem, bus connection problems, overheating and fire reports, as well as the history of how the product was made, on-the-fly un-approved changes, label swapping, and other troubles, it appears that the entire FPE-Stab-Lok product line may have had defects, labeling errors, safety, or other performance issues for both commercial and residential equipment, where circuit breakers and panels are concerned. (I do not have similar criticism of the older FUSE equipment).

However we have test data only for the FPE Stab-Lok series of residential electrical panels and circuit breakers. The "Stab-Lok" product involves a specific electrical panel, bus, and circuit breaker design. Therefore the FPE Stab-Lok Panel Website only includes research and warnings for this specific product line.

People write to ask if their Federal Pacific Electric equipment is "OK" based on a particular age of their house and presumably of the panel. "Year" criteria is not useful in evaluating risk as there is no data that demonstrates that FPE Stab-Lok equipment is better or worse after specific dates.

Furthermore, the age of a piece of equipment installed in a house can be older or newer than the age of the house itself.

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Questions & answers about the effects of electrical panel age and FPE Stab-lok circuit breaker & panel hazards.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE - See detailed links at page left

  • Timothy Hemm, Yucala, CA, contributed the photographs of FPE equipment installed in California buildings. Mr. Hemm can be contacted at TimHemm@yahoo.com
  • Arlene Puentes, an ASHI home inspector in Kingston, NY, contributed the page top and example photograph of a bank of FPE adjacent electrical panels. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com
  • Jon Bolton, a home inspector, the Inspectigator, FL, contributed the "camouflage" breaker. Mr. Bolton can be contacted at teamattitude@hotmail.com
  • Mary DeMuth, a property owner, contributed the Texas Federal Pacific Electric Load Center photos, May 2006.
  • Thomas M. Pino, a professional home inspector, contributed photos of the 100A Texas FPE panel used in a condo. www.sweetwaterhomeinspection.com. Mr. Pino can be contacted at sweetinspect@houston.rr.com or at sweetwaterhomeinspection@yahoo.com
  • The remaining photographs on this page were made by the web author

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
  • Aluminum Wiring Information Website Aluminum Electrical Wiring Hazards and Repairs: in-depth authoritative info, photos, documents including selection of proper vs. ineffective repair methods. E.g.: Ideal 65 "Twister" purple connector fails in field and lab testing with aluminum wire.
  • Ampacity of an Electrical Service: How to determine the electrical service size or ampacity entering a building
  • Circuit Breaker, a bad one fails to trip failure at aluminum bus-to-circuit breaker connection - field report and photographs
  • Electrical System & Wiring Hazard Inspection, Detection, Cause, Remedy, Prevention - Main Electrical Page
  • Electrical Panels, How to Inspect in buildings, safety for electrical inspectors, electrical panel, fusing, wiring defects, defective products. Inspection Class Presentation
  • The Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panel Hazard Website Safety Information for Consumers.
  • 2007 FPE Stab-Lok TECHNICAL REPORT - an updated test report of independent testing (a large 1.2MB PDF file) using a larger pool of FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers than the older CPSC and Wright Malta tests found significantly higher failure rates of FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers, including a look at critical safety failures (breaker failed to trip at 200% of rated current or jammed) which found up to 80% failure rate for FPE Stab-Lok GFCI circuit breakers (n=4), 12% failure rate for double pole FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers (n=120), and a 1% failure rate for FPE Stab-Lok single pole circuit breakers (n=345).
  • FPE FIRES: Failures continue: FPE breaker fails, results in fires: field reports
  • Federal Pacific Electric Fires Waiting to Happen, Debate Waiting to Be Ended, detailed article
  • Home Inspection Reporting Language and discussion for FPE panels
  • Home Inspection Reporting Language and discussion for FPE panels
  • How to Identify FPE Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panels - is yours one of these? ALSO: A History of the FPE Stab-Lok Issue.
  • Federal Pacific Electric Panels: Fires Waiting to Happen, Debate Waiting to Be Ended
  • How to Identify Federal Pacific Electric Panels Stab Lok Breakers & History of the Federal Pacific Electric Stab Lok Hazard
  • Replacement Circuit Breakers for FPE Stab-Lok Electric Panels? are not recommended
  • Replacement Panels for FPE Stab-Lok load centers - options include conventional complete panel replacement and a less costly replacement of the panel interior load center/bus assembly
  • Schneider Canada Federal Pioneer circuit breaker recall
  • 1983 CPSC Investigation of FPE Circuit Breakers Safety Information for Consumers
  • 1982 Reliance Electric Co. SEC Quarterly Report: Note C. reports litigation between Reliance and UV Liquidating Trust and contends that "... improper and deceptive practices were employed for many years to secure UL listings for Federal Pacific's circuit protective products..."
  • 1980 Reliance Electric Co. Press Release: improper practices used to obtain UL Listing for most of FPE's circuit breakers and notes testing which indicates "possible defects." 1980, Reliance Electric Co.
  • 1980 FPE - Exxon Buys A Scandal Along With A Company improper practices used to obtain UL Listing for most of FPE's circuit breakers and notes testing which indicates "possible defects." 1980, Reliance Electric Co.

  • Safety Hazards and Safe Inspection Procedures for Electrical and Home Inspectors at Residential Electric Panels
  • ...

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