Federal Pacific Electric Panel Problems

Inside look for the name stab loc the brand name of the circuit breakers.

Federal pacific electric panel problems.

Federal pacific electric panels are most common in homes built between 1950 and 1980. The breakers inside the panel are designed to guard your home against serious electrical problems by preventing circuit overload short circuits and outside power surges coming into. How to identify a federal pacific electrical service panel. Federal pacific electric panels should be inspected periodically and if the circuit breakers are experiencing a problem then they should be properly replaced.

Federal pacific electric will likely be written on the door of the breaker box. If you have one of these electric panels in your home or you re buying a home with one of these panels you should have. Federal pacific electric stab lok panels have a long history of problems. A federal pacific electric fpe circuit breaker panel can appear to be working properly for years.

The panel was well known in the building community as a cheaper alternative to some of the more recognizable panel companies such as general electric i t e and square d. But experts warn that if a federal pacific electric panel experiences an overcurrent or short circuit it may not keep the electrical circuits from overheating and could possibly pose a fire hazard. It has been estimated that there are approximately 30 million fpe stab lok breakers in use in the u s. The problem is that some 240 volt fpe circuit breakers and possibly also some 120 volt units simply may not work.

Federal pacific electric stab lok service panels and breakers are dangerous and can fail leading to electrical fires. Federal pacific panels also known as fpe panels were a popular residential electrical panel choice in the mid to late 20th century. In the early 1980s it was confirmed that fpe fraudulently applied underwriters laboratories inc. Fpe federal pacific electric stab lok electrical panel circuit breaker hazards home page.

If the fpe panel has suffered damage then it would be best to replace the panel with a new panel that has a good performance history. If your home was built between 1950 and 1990 and is equipped with a federal pacific electric fpe circuit breaker panel with stab lok circuit breakers you run a significant risk of breaker malfunction and fire.