How to identify problems with a fpe panel or circuit breaker electrical question.
Federal pacific stab lok panel box.
Here we explain the fire and shock hazards associated with federal pacific electric stab lok circuit breakers and service panels provides a complete history of the fpe hazard and we provide and cite independent unbiased research on fpe failures and recommends replacement of the panels.
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 stopped manufacturing fpe stab lok products under its own name and eventually sold the name rights.
Fpe federal pacific electric stab lok electrical panel circuit breaker hazards home page.
Before you can decide whether there is cause for concern about your own circuit breaker you need to know what a stab lok breaker is.
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.
The main panel federal pacific sold was the stab lok named after its breaker functionality.
They are typically clearly labeled with the words federal pacific electric or fpe also when you open the door you will often see the words stab lok in the center or on the side of the breaker panel.
The breakers would stab into slots in the bus bar and lock into place.
However although the panel had benefits issues began to emerge as some officials suspected that the panel was causing house fires.
Federal pacific stab lok breaker panels are normally easy to recognize.
By this time fpe stab lok breaker panels were installed in millions of homes.
My neighbor said in selling their house which had one the buyer s inspector said it was a hazard and must be replaced.
Federal pacific electric stab lok panels have a long history of problems.
The house i bought for my in laws has a federal pacific stab lok service panel.
The most popular breaker panel installed was the federal pacific stab lok breaker panel also known as the fpe stab lok breaker panel.
A federal pacific electrical panel as well as other brands and derivatives of fpe breakers are supposed to function as follows.