Replacement FPE Stab-Lok Electrical Panels - What if I Can't Afford a New Panel?
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What to do if you cannot afford to replace an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel
No financial aid for FPE panel replacement?
Steps to increase electrical safety in the home
Planning for FPE Federal Pacific Electric electrical panel replacement
Questions & answers about what to do if you think you cannot afford to pay for a replacement electrical panel in your home

FPE Panel replacement options: This document describes steps to take if you are unable to promptly replace an Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panel. Here we address the question raised by some readers about what to do if you can't afford to replace an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel right away.

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.

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What to Do if You Cannot Replace an FPE Stab-Lok Electrical Panel

This is information for home owners, home sellers, building inspectors, home buyers, home owners, and electricians regarding steps to reduce the hazards associated with Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok circuit breakers and service panels. Safety warning: as with any electrical installation or repair, these steps must be performed by a licensed and qualified electrician and must comply with appropriate building codes and regulations. Good workmanship and an accurate assessment of the condition of the electrical panel enclosure which is to be re-used are important for FPE Electric Panel.

What if Up to Now the FPE Panel Has Seemed Just Fine?

Our breakers have already tripped: Some readers report that some of their FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers have tripped correctly in the past. That was good to hear; we don't assert that the failure rate on these circuit breakers is 100% of the time, but in fact the failure-to-trip rate occurs enormously more often than on other non-problem electrical panels and circuit breakers.

A problem is that we can't predict when an overcurrent or unsafe electrical condition is going to occur in a building, and we cannot predict exactly when an individual circuit breaker is going to fail to protect the circuit and thus the building from an overcurrent or electrical short.

But reporting that "up to now the panel has been fine" or "up to now we've never had a problem" or even "up to now the circuit breakers in our FPE panel have tripped off", is not any assurance that such a system is safe. We've seen that if you do trip an FPE Stab-Lok breaker, that event can actually increase the chances that it will jam and not trip next time.

Our inspector said the panel looked ok to him: visual inspections of the electrical panel or even in-place electrical "tests" of the panel are either unreliable or downright dangerous. You cannot rely on such superficial or inexpert tests, and the very fact that they are offered by some is evidence of a lack of expertise on this topic.

Here's what you can do while waiting to replace your FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel:

Don't panic - panic leads to getting over charged by the electrician. But get bids from at least two electricians experienced in electrical panel replacement. Plan to replace the panel; do not rely on visual inspections or "tests" that might claim that the electrical panel is safe.
Make certain you have working smoke detectors in the home and that they are installed in the locations and in the manner recommended by their manufacturers or in local fire safety codes.
Take steps to reduce the risk of an electrical fire or overcurrent in your home: while we cannot possibly provide a complete list, and while specific electrical hazards vary widely by building, age, usage, and other factors, here are some examples:
1. Identify heavily loaded electrical circuits: Hire an electrician or ask a qualified expert friend to help you identify just what circuits in the home are fed by which circuit breakers; normally we'd say "turn off the breaker and see what goes off - lights, receptacles, and appliances, etc. but watch out: since sometimes a "switched off" FPE breaker remains "on" internally, this test is not completely reliable.
2. Reduce the circuit load especially on heavily loaded circuits: for example by unplugging some of the things on that circuit. A typical example would be circuits supplying kitchen electrical receptacles where people plug in toasters, microwaves, electric teapots, etc. Especially in an older home, there may be only one circuit supplying the kitchen receptacles. Move some of those portable appliances to other circuits or be sure that they are not used at the same time.
3. Do your best to avoid overloading electrical circuits - overloading a circuit means plugging in too many high-energy devices like heaters. That will reduce the chances of a circuit overload and breaker failure. It won't prevent a dangerous circuit breaker failure should there be an "event" like a short circuit in an electrical appliance however.
4. Turn off or replace unsafe electrical circuits or equipment: If there are any circuits that are behaving funny - flickering lights, turn off that circuit. But beware: one of the FPE Stab-Lok defects is that while you might turn off the breaker by flipping the toggle switch, the breaker may not really be "off" - its internal parts may be stuck in the on position. An electrician trained in how to use a multimeter or a simple neon tester can check to be sure that the questionable circuit is really "off" by testing for power at an outlet or light fixture on the circuit that is supposedly turned "off".
5. Check for and repair or replace any unsafe electrical devices such as lights or appliances that themselves are in poor condition and are at extra risk of causing a short circuit.
6. Do not use electrical appliances that are old, worn, in poor condition, behaving oddly. Doing so increases the risk of a short circuit or overload that could cause a fire
7. Unplug and store electrical appliances or components not being used.
8. Stop using extension cords
9. Stop using electrical receptacle "multi-way" plugs that allow additional appliances to be plugged into the same receptacle.
10. Assess the general level of safety & fire-risk in the building: first there may be other more immediate fire or safety hazards in a home, such as unsafe heating equipment or chimneys, gas leaks, or even tripping and falling hazards that produce injuries at a high rate of occurrence. The condition of the home and its electrical wiring, the existence of other risk factors such as elderly or otherwise immobile occupants who might have trouble escaping a fire, are examples of factors that increase the level of risk in a home. Where the risk of an electrical problem is greater (old wiring in poor condition for example), or where the risk to occupants is greater (elderly or immobile occupants), the urgency of correcting these unsafe conditions should also be considered greater.
11. Watch out: these are examples that can help reduce the risk of an electrical fire but they are incomplete, and by no means do these steps guarantee that you won't have an electrical problem, hazard, or fire. You can reduce the risk of electrical fire or overload in your home, but until the FPE panel is replaced, significant risks remain.
Read up and become accurately informed about FPE Stab-Lok equipment: see FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE. Don't be fooled by some of the nonsense articles posted online in which a few folks claim FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers & panels are not a problem - there is ample court record as well as soundly researched evidence about this equipment and its failure rates.
Obtain electrical panel replacement bids from at least two electricians in your area. Once you have an accurate idea of what panel replacement is likely to cost you will know how much you'll need to save or borrow. See FPE REPAIR ELECTRICIANS
Start saving up to replace your FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel as soon as you can. There is no meaningful financial relief available from FPE, nor from anyone else for FPE Stab-Lok equipment. However there might be general home repair or home safety repair financial aid available in some communities who provide assistance to the elderly, disabled, or people of limited means. Check with your local community support agencies, office for the aging, or churches.
Save on electrical panel replacement cost: See http://InspectAPedia.com/fpe/fpereplace.htm which for some installations can cut the electric panel installation cost in half. Depending on your financial situation, the condition of the home and its electrical wiring, and the existence of other risk factors such as elderly or otherwise immobile occupants who might have trouble escaping a fire, it may be appropriate to borrow the cost to replace an unsafe electrical panel, or local community welfare agencies may be able to help offset that cost, or an electrician may agree to perform the work at a reduced rate.
Check to assure that your building is properly insured and that your insurance company will not exclude a loss related to the presence of an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel in building. Some insurance companies or their individual branch offices may exclude coverage for buildings with this equipment installed. Don't play "dumb" and fail to tell your insurance company - doing so could void your insurance coverage.

If you find any other electrical safety suggestions useful for homes with an FPE Stab-lok panel, CONTACT us.

The $1000 or so to replace an electrical panel is probably much cheaper than the cost of a fire should one occur.

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

Thanks to Dr. Jess Aronstein for FPE risk reduction hazard suggestions - October 2010
Dr. Jess Aronstein, electrical engineer, Poughkeepsie, NY, forensic engineering services, independent laboratory testing for various agencies protune@aol.com - electrical topics, aluminum wiring, FPE Stab-Lok, etc.

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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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What to Do if You Cannot Replace an FPE Stab-Lok Electrical Panel

What if Up to Now the FPE Panel Has Seemed Just Fine?

Here's what you can do while waiting to replace your FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel:

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

Technical Reviewers & References

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