Federal Pacific Electric Panels A Summary Of The Issues

A circuit breaker that fails to trip could cause a fire or personal injury.

Federal pacific electric panels a summary of the issues.

An estimated 2 800 fires. 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. Federal pacific electric panels. This article summarizes the safety issues concerning federal pacific electric fpe stab lok electrical panels and circuit breakers.

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. Federal pacific electric fpe stab lok panels shouldn t be inspected but replaced. Fires waiting to happen debate waiting to be ended. And canadian homes were built with circuit breaker panels that one expert has questioned as a potential fire hazard.

Ul standards require that breakers trip or shut off the current when overloaded to prevent electrical. According to the united states consumer product safety commission fpe stab lok residential circuit breakers may fail to trip properly with overload and short circuiting underwriters laboratories inc. Issues about federal pacific electric s stab lok. The circuit breakers may fail to trip in the case of an overload or short circuit.

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. The following has been said about federal pacific electric stab lok panels. That these panels pose a latent threat and could be a hazard. In 1983 the consumer product safety commission closed its two year investigation and felt it impossible to create a product recall at the time because of budget issues even as federal pacific panels and breakers continued to be installed in millions of homes that to this day still run the risk of an electrical fire.

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. Federal pacific stab lok breaker panels are normally easy to recognize.