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 Federal Pacific Electric (FPE Stab-Lok® ) Commercial Panels & Equipment
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Commercial Installations of FPE Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® Electrical Panel & Circuit Breaker - potential fire & other safety hazards: here we explain the possible fire and shock hazards associated with business or commercial installations of Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® circuit breakers and service panels. We include commercial-grade or commercially-installed Federal Pacific Electic & Federal Electric panels & circuit breaker photos. The current status of FPE Stab-Lok®equipment hazards, recalls, product safety research, and consumer warnings can be found in companion articles at this website. Page top photo courtesy of Raleigh home inspector Steve Smallman.
Replacement FPE Stab-Lok® circuit breakers are unlikely to reduce the failure risk of this equipment. We recommend that 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.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® Circuit Breaker Hazard Current Status, Failures, Research, & History
 For information on FPE Stab-Lok® equipment that can be copied to any website, see FPE Stab-Lok® Hazard Summary Page for Public Use
Federal Pacific Electric "Stab-Lok® " service panels and breakers are a latent hazard and FPE circuit breakers can fail to trip in response
Do commercial Federal Pacific Electric Panels have the same hazards as their residential products?
Do you have any opinion on FPE panels in commercial buildings, these are 3-phase, both sub-panels and MDP, circa 1985, and I do not see any labels on the panels indicating Stab-Loc?
- Steve Smallman, Raleigh, N.C., Email: steve@stevesmallman.com, Tel: 919.669.3639 [Mr. Smallman is a professional home inspector working in Raleigh, NC. - Ed.]
11/17/2012
Opinion Reply
We'd love to imagine that the commercial Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® equipment is safer than the residential line, as that would make life easier for quite a few folks. And if we could confirm that these products use a different bus and breaker design from the Stab-Lok series, indeed that would leave the safety question at least more open.
Indeed, Steve, other inspectors in the Raleigh area have also reported FPE panel installations to us - they were common in your state in both residential and commercial installations, as would be obvious from the label on this FPE Panel sent to us by Chris Chamberlin. You'll note that this commecial electrical panel is labelled "Federal Pacific Electric Co., Raleigh N.C." and omits the term Stab-Lok.
A short and acccurate answer is that we do not have adequate field failure report data nor independent study data to confirm the performance of commecial FPE circuit breaker panel installations, but in my OPINION, if the internal bus and breaker design can be confirmed to be of the Stab-Lok series it is very likely that the same safety concerns pertain as well.
Considering the Federal Pacific Electric company history, recent FPE tudies that confirm the extent of the hazard, FPE field failure reports, label switching, test falsification, loss of UL labeling, and reports of actual swapping of breakers into and out of their proper amperage rating range, and adding that there was a very long history of problems extending across the product line and across many years of production, one cannot not provide reassurance about safety the equipment in your photos. |
My suggestion would be to pull the covers on these electrical panels (as required by most home inspection standards even though those standards were not written for commercial building surveys), to permit a closer examination of the bus and breaker design.
One can confirm the Stab-Lok design by looking at the bus or breaker details, labeling or not.
Our photo at left of an FPE Stab Lok E-bus design is the sort of connection you are looking for, and it's quite unmistakable. In an electrical panel that is not fully populated, it is not necessary to remove any circuit breakers to find this detail. Just look.
Photos & details are at FPE & FP IDENTIFICATION, HOW TO. |
In our Federal Electric panel photo below, this commecial (3-phase) Federal Electric® panel uses an open-slot circuit breaker bus, as you can see in our photo. The label omits not only the term "Stab Lok" but also Federal Pacific Electric® is not used, just Federal Electric. Taking a look at the circuit breakers that were installed in Federal Electric panels, their labels as well as their physical design confirmed that this too was a Stab-Lok® design.
 
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 The only FPE products that we are sure don't merit a warning of of the FPE Stab-Lok hazard are, in my OPINION, the fused equipment.
Watch out: among Federal Pacific Electric Fuse panels you will find some "hybrid" models such as this FPE panel photo submitted by Ralph Specht.
This service panel uses an FPE Stab-Lok design main breaker and mains in the panel body that in turn feed individually-fused circuits. The presence of the Stab-Lok breakers in this panel is an argument for its replacement even though it also containse (safer) Edison-base type fuses.
And of course as most FPE and other brand fused electrical panels now found in buildings are more than 50 years old, there are likely to be other reasons (such as obsolesence, deterioration, modifications) to be recommending replacement.
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Commercial Canadian FPE Stab-Lok® panels and Federal Pacific or Federal Pioneer Circuit Breakers
Please see CANADIAN VERSIONS for the full version of this article.
In May 1999 we learned from Schneider Canada that Federal pioneer circuit breakers sold by that company are re-named from Federal Pacific circuit breakers and that
two 15-amp single-pole models NC015 and NC015CP made between August 1, 1996 and June 11, 1997 have been recalled.
The Schneider and Federal Pioneer as well as some Square-D recall notices are available here.
We asked the company engineer with whom we spoke if he could determine if Federal Pioneer and Federal Pacific components sold
in Canada were made in the U.S. or if tooling used to produce them was identical with that used in the U.S. If this is the case (as one might expect based on
economies of production) one should consider the possibility that other defects reported in the U.S. may also appear in Canadian installations.
The Federal Pioneer Warranty Alert was issued by the Ontario New Home
Warranty program in October 1997 and provides for circuit breaker replacement. Schneider Canada is an electrical supplier whose product lines combine those previously marketed under the names
Federal Pacific Electric, Federal Pioneer, Square-D, Tele Mechanique, Modicon, and Merlin Gerin.
Carl Grasso, an attorney who researched FPE failures for the New Jersey class action suit explains that since a portion of the safety defect with FPE breakers may be due
to variations during manufacture, and since Canadian breakers may be manufactured in a different plant from those made in the U.S., it is possible that the field performance of Canadian breakers
may be different than the U.S. design.
Schneider Canada, the Federal Pioneer parent company, has not provided information regarding design or manufacture changes over the U.S. design, nor provided test data regarding the product.
As of May 2008 we have had a few reports of failures in the Canadian Federal Pioneer (Stab-Lok® ) equipment and also reports of failures of "replacement" FPE circuit breakers
installed in U.S. panels. Having inspected some Canadian FPE (Federal Pioneer-brand) electric panels, we observed two ongoing concerns:
1.) the same bus design was used as in the U.S. equipment. I've seen very poor retention of breakers in the bus - in one house the breaker was held in place by duct tape, as the spring design in the contact of the breaker where it plugs into the special opening in the bus
appears not to have held the breaker in place. We have also seen breakers modified with their inserting pins bent and modified to fit a breaker into a slot where it did not belong - a step that is
impossible with other breaker designs.
2.) A similar or identical panel design may expose consumers to panel arcing and fires regardless of changes in the breakers themselves.
For people who are unable to promptly replace an FPE Stab-Lok® electrical panel we recommend that you should be sure you have working smoke detectors properly installed and at least you will be able to sleep at night. Also see CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ELECTRIC PANEL?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Commercial Federal Pacific Electrical Panels & Breakers - FPE Stab-Lok® ® Circuit Breaker Hazards, identification, repair/replacement advice, product history
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Note: as we didn't add this reviewers list until 2007, this list of technical reviewers is incomplete; we have received comments and suggestions
regarding this topic, edits and remarks included, from engineers and management from the US CPSC, electricians (many listed at our
page on field reports of FPE failures), home inspectors, licensed electricians, and electrical engineers, and even a few attorneys and
real estate agents, since 1986. Technical review, critique, content suggestions, questions, or clarifications are invited and
where a contributor wishes, credit and links will be provided to that source. Contact us to provide feedback.
- [1] Dr. Jess Aronstein, electrical engineer, Poughkeepsie, NY, forensic engineering services, independent laboratory testing for various agencies protune@aol.com (independent electrical panel testing, including FPE Stab-Lok® panels, to April 2010)
- [2] David Carrier, electrical engineer, 53 Henmond Blvd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845-430-7527 davidwcarrier@earthlink.net (independent electrical panel testing, including FPE Stab-Lok® panels, beginning 2010)
- [3] Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop Associates, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Carson is a home inspection professional, educator, researcher, writer, and a principal of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection and education firm. Mr. Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors
- [4] Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator.
- [5] Carl Grasso, Esq., Herzfeld & Rubin, New York, NY. Mr. Grasso is an attorney who managed a plaintiff's class action litigation against Federal Pacific Electric in New Jersey.
- [6] William King, US CPSC Director of Electrical Engineering (Retired).
- [7] Licensed Electricians: FPE Fire and Failure Reports includes electricians who have provided cases and photographs of field failures of FPE equipment at this website.
- [8] Homeowners, Home Inspectors, Electricians: Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panel Fires and other Failures includes anecdotal field reports provided by a range of contributors including electricians (and some home owners or home inspectors) who have provided cases and photographs of field failures of FPE equipment at this website.
- [9] "Experts say electrical panels in Dallas-area homes may be a fire waiting to happen", Christina Rosales, The Dallas Morning News, August 21, 2010,
crosales@dallasnews.com continues to attend to the unresolved issues around FPE Stab-Lok® equipment and the lack of a clear US CPSC Warning.
- [10] FPE Stab-Lok® Panel Failure Research, Public documents on FPE obtained under FOIA: The following reports on defects (non trip and burning) of FPE Stab-Lock Circuit Breakers 8 were obtained from Consumer Product Safety Commission by request, under the Freedom of Information Act:
- "Status Report - Evaluation of Residential Molded Case Circuit Breakers", Wright-Malta Corp., (For U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission, Project# CPSC-C-81-1455), August 10, 1982 (Contains analysis of mechanism of failure of FPE two-pole Stab-Lock breakers.)
- "Failure Analysis of Residential Circuit Breaker Panel", Wright-Malta Corp., (For U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission, Project #CPSC-C-81-1455), May 20, 1982 (Contains failure analysis of FPE Stab-Lock panel that ignited due to failure of buss-bar interconnections in the backside of the panel.)
- "Phase II Report, Evaluation of Residential Molded Case Circuit Breakers", Wright-Malta Corp., (For U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission, Project# CPSC-C-81-1455), March 10, 1984 (Contains experimental analysis of materials, construction, and performance of molded case circuit breakers, including FPE. Lack of corrosion resistance of certain internal parts is considered to be a factor in the failure of the circuit breakers.) More about the galvanic scale and corrosion between dissimilar metals is at GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION.
- "Final Report: Calibration and Condition Tests of Molded Case Circuit Breakers," Wright-Malta Corp., (For U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission, Project #CPSC-C-81-1429), December 30, 1982 (Extensive calibration and functional testing of FPE breakers. Substantial percent failures to trip on overload.
- [11] Federal Pacific Electric FPE Stab-Lok® Information for your website: for information on FPE Stab-Lok® equipment that can be copied to your website, see FPE Stab-Lok® Hazard Summary Page for Public Use
- [12] 2011 FPE Stab-Lok® ® Hazard Study published in 2012
Jesse Aronstein, Ph.D., P.E., and Richard Lowry, Ph.D., "Estimating Fire Losses Associated with FPE Stab-Lok® ® Circuit Breaker Malfunction", IEEE ESW-2011-29, Industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on, Jan.-Feb. 2012, reviewed and accepted for publication and presentation at the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop, Toronto, January 28, 2011. Retrieved 10/2/2012, original source - IEEE link: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6074935 &url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2 Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D6074935
Abstract - A method is presented for connecting small branch
circuit breaker functional test data to statistical fire loss data.
Test results are presented for field samples of a particular line
of circuit breakers that have an abnormally high defect level.
The test results are then utilized in combination with available
electrical fire statistics to estimate the annual number of fires
and consequent injuries, deaths, and monetary loss associated
with the defective breakers. An estimate is then made of the
reduction of injury and loss that can be achieved by
encouraging replacement of the defective breakers. The role of
the electrical safety community in promoting
replacement of the
defective breakers is discussed.
- [13] 2011 Commission Closes Investigation Of FPE Circuit Breakers And Provides Safety Information For Consumers, Revised 18 Feb 2011.
- 2008 - 2007 FPE Stab-Lok® TECHNICAL REPORT (revised) - 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).
- 2008 FPE Class Action Lawsuit Results: In May 2008 the FPE Class Action Lawsuit in New Jersey was finally settled. New Jersey homeowners who were the original owners of an FPE Stab-Lok® electrical panel received $500. in settlement as part of the action. Institutional class members also got varying amounts, depending on their installations.
No one received the full cost of panel replacement. New Jersey Judge's Summary Judgment for the Plaintiffs against FPE 8-15-2002 & 29 October 2002 - "FPE violated the Consumer Fraud Act because FPE knowingly and purposefully distributed
circuit breakers which were not tested to meet UL Standards as indicated on their label and there is an ascertainable loss for which treble damages
are recoverable;" as reported by the Superior Court of New Jersey.
- 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).
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