Building Inspection, Diagnosis & Repair Info

FPE breaker failed to trip - this is a typical breaker overheat example provided by Mark Cramer, a Tampa Florida home inspectorFederal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® Letter to IAEI

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about about infomercials, conflicts of interest, and claims regarding the presence or absence of hazards associated with Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok® electrical panels and circuit breakers

IAEI International Association of Electrical Inspectors ran an "infomercial" placed by an FPE attorney that claimed there are no FPE hazards.

How did that nonsensical article appear and what did it signify? 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.panel replacement or repair.

The web author has no business, financial, or other connection with FPE products nor with their replacement.

Page top photo: burnt, overheated FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers, courtesy of ASHI President Mark Cramer, a professional home inspector in Florida.

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, products, or services discussed at this website.

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?


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Letter to IAEI International Association of Electrical Inspectors News Magazine

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Citations & Reviewers

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

  • "Federal Pacific Electric Co. Stab-Lok® ® Update [ copy on file as /fpe/IAEI_FPE_ArticleMayJune99.pdf ] - ", [no author name provided], IAEI News, May-June 1999, web search 11/16/2010, source: http://www.teamstrategy.org/teamstrategy/picture/fp_stablok_update.pdf
  • 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)
  • Dr. Jess Aronstein, E.E. Hazardous FPE Circuit Breakers and Panels - (Latest update Mar. 29, 2024) [Website] (2024)
  • 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)
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • William King, US CPSC Director of Electrical Engineering (Ret).
  • The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises consumers to take certain safety precautions with all circuit breakers and fuses. Consumers should:

    -Know your electrical circuit. Know which outlets and products are connected to each circuit.

    -Never overload any electrical circuit by connecting too many products to the circuit. Be particularly careful not to connect several products that demand high current (such as heating appliances) to a low amperage circuit.

    -Comply with local building codes in wiring or adding electrical circuits. Make sure the wiring and devices used in the circuit are connected to a circuit breaker or fuse of the

    -Immediately disconnect any electrical product if problems develop. Have the product examined by a competent repair person.

    -Investigate to determine why a fuse blows or circuit breaker trips. Do not simply replace the fuse or reset the breaker. If a fuse blows or breaker trips, it is often a warning that the circuit is overloaded. Check the circuit for causes of overloading (for example, too many appliances plugged in, a malfunctioning product, a short circuit). When in doubt, consult a licensed electrician.

    Consumers who have questions concerning circuit breakers, or who wish to report information relating to their safety, may call the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's toll-free safety hotline at 800-638-CPSC, teletypewriter for the hearing impaired at 800-638-8270 (Maryland only 800-492-8104).

  • In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested

    CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.

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