Federal Pacific Electrical Panel Fire Hazard

Fpe federal pacific electric stab lok electrical panel circuit breaker hazards home page.

Federal pacific electrical panel fire hazard.

Federal pacific electric stab lok service panels and breakers are dangerous and can fail leading to electrical fires. This document explains the latent electric shock and fire hazards associated with federal pacific electric stab lok electric panels and circuit breakers and in challenger electrical panels and circuit breakers. Millions of federal pacific electric zinsco and other outdated panels are still being used today and they could prove to be a safety hazard for many families across north america. Federal pacific electric panels were produced from the mid 1950s well into the 1980s.

Safety standards that were. And canadian homes were built with circuit breaker panels that one expert has questioned as a potential fire hazard. If you could help a friend family member or neighbor avoid the possible pain and frustration of dealing with a potential problem of course you would do it. 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.

Over 100 million of them were installed in the usa and canada. A federal pacific electric fpe circuit breaker panel can appear to be working properly for years. Federal pacific panels also known as fpe panels were a popular residential electrical panel choice in the mid to late 20th century. 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.

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 started off making electrical switchgear but in the 1950s some folks at a company called federal electric products came up with a circuit breaker and panel design to jump in on the building boom and newfangled invention of residential circuit breakers that was going on at the time. Fpe panels may not meet today s updated safety codes. Experts say that fpe panels produced during that time frame would not conform to today s updated safety codes and would no longer be allowed to be sold to the general public.

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.