U.K.-Made Federal Electric Panels & Stab-Lok circuit breakers

This document describes how to identify Federal Electric Panels and circuit breakers produced and installed in the U.K.

WAtch out: An examination of this brand of electrical equipment shows that it is similar to but not identical to a version of what is better known as the FPE Stab-Lok® or Federal Pacific Stab-Lok® electrical panel which is a serious latent electrical safety hazard in buildings.

We have no performance data on this product but based on the similarity of design and informal comments from electricians at various sources our current opinion is that this is likely to be an equally-unsafe product. .

Field reports of readers' experience with Federal Electric panels are invited.

Replacement FE or Federal Electric Stab-Lok® circuit breakers in an existing FE panel are unlikely to reduce the failure risk of this equipment.

We recommend that residential Federal Electric Stab-Lok® electrical panels be replaced entirely or the entire panel bus assembly be replaced, regardless of FE model number or FE year of manufacture. We do not sell circuit breakers nor any other products.

Photographic Guide to UK Federal Electric Electric Stab-Lok Breakers & Panels

Question:

AndyMac

I found this strange breaker that says it was made in England and wanted to know if anyone else has come across these breakers before. Says its 415VAC 3Ø and has stabs that to be honest look like Batman.

Here are said BatStabs. - 2018/10/17

This Q&A were posted originally

at FPE & FP IDENTIFICATION, HOW TO

Reply:

Federal Electric Stab Lok Breakers in England - UK Stab Loks, shown below, courtesy of an InspectApedia.com reader.

We have no independent test nor field performance information about UK Federal Electric stab-lok prformance (though informal comments such as shown below are suggestive) and we are seeking photos, field reports, historical data on FPE / FE Stab Lok breakers in the UK.

ScottyUK (Electrical)(OP)19 Oct 17 14:46: "Federal Electric was a British company which appears to have been established to manufacture a home-market version of the Federal Pacific Stab-Lok miniature circuit breaker design built to the legacy BS3871 standard. Federal Electric are no longer trading. ...

I've already reached the conclusion that the UK-manufactured breed of these boards are absolute crap: the breakers are crap, the busbar structure is crap, the main switch is crap and the enclosure is crap.

I'm just struggling to find out whether I have a problem with inadequate breaking capacity on top of the fire risk and failure-to-trip problem. Unfortunately I'm going to have some of these on our system for a while longer and I'd like to more fully understand what risk I'm faced with."
...

ScottyUK (Electrical)(OP)2 Nov 17 16:07
Well, I have opened up one of the British-made breakers and it is remarkably close to the US design based on the sectional diagram.
...

- retrieved 2018/10/18 original source: Engineering Tips forum at https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=431336 [ photos from this discussion are at the cited source and copies are on file - Ed. ]

Note: in the UK http://srselectrical.co.uk continues to sell Federal Electric circuit breakers in a range of sizes and properties at prices ranging from about £65 to £255. - Ed.

Below: details from the labeling embossed on the Federal Electric Stab-Lok breaker produced in the UK.

We performed a UK patent search for UK Patent Nos. 737603, 737604, 739620, 778952, and 804428. The UK Stab-Lok breaker case notes "others pending".

Using the UK patent search service at https://www.gov.uk/search-for-patent not one of the British patents embossed on the Stab-Lok breaker case produced any findings, nor did we find the patent disclosures for Federal Electric Stab-Lok breakers under those terms.. (2018/10/18 - Ed.)

Our Photo Guides to Identification of Federal Pioneer and Federal Pacific Stab-Lok® Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers Are Presented in the Topics Listed Below

...

Continue reading at FEDERAL PIONEER ELECTRIC PANELS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• FP FPE FEDERAL PIONEER FEDERAL PACIFIC PANEL AGE
• FPE & FP IDENTIFICATION, HOW TO - photo and label guide to Stab-lok equipment under a sea of product names.

Suggested citation for this web page

FEDERAL ELECTRIC PANELS UK Stab-Lok at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to FPE STAB-LOK BREAKERS & PANELS

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Questions & answers or comments about Federal Electric panels and circuit breakers: identification, hazards, remedies.

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