2011 CSPS update on Fedral Pacific

[wsiegel]

Am not agreeing or disagreeing with this article. Just posting it for all your information

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/PRHTML83/83008.html

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Thanks for the INFO .
I see you have NACHI listed on your web site but here it says you are not a NACHI member , Hope you can get this fixed .
Here in Canada about 50%~ of new homes have Stablok Panels and I have one in my home .
Does not seem to be a concern here .
Roy

[Robert Meier]

Does this new report change anything regarding the reporting of FPE equipment and insurance companies?

[Robert J. OConnor]

I dont believe the CPSC changed anything in the press release ... I think they just added the advisory "Note" in red at the top.

I think a better reference concerning the known issues with FPE panels is ... http://inspectapedia.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm

[George P. Wells, CMI]

Originally Posted by rcooke

Thanks for the INFO .
I see you have NACHI listed on your web site but here it says you are not a NACHI member , Hope you can get this fixed .
Here in Canada about 50%~ of new homes have Stablok Panels and I have one in my home .
Does not seem to be a concern here .
Roy

Roy,

I am not in Canada and do not work in Canada so I don't know much about the electrical industry there. It seems odd to me that 50% of all home have Federal Pioneer/Federal Pacific in Canada. I never knew they were that big. Do you have any thoughts about why FP would be so popular in Canada; especially, in light of their reputation. Federal Pacific has had a fairly large presence in the United States for a long time but I doubt that they have ever achieved a residential market-share of greater than about 10%.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by gwells

Roy,

I am not in Canada and do not work in Canada so I don't know much about the electrical industry there. It seems odd to me that 50% of all home have Federal Pioneer/Federal Pacific in Canada. I never knew they were that big. Do you have any thoughts about why FP would be so popular in Canada; especially, in light of their reputation.

Federal Pacific has had a fairly large presence in the United States for a long time but I doubt that they have ever achieved a residential market-share of greater than about 10%.

There continues to be a great deal of confusion (at least in the U.S.) about the nature of the problem with FP breakers. As you may know, I teach electrical construction at all levels. There are times when I feel like the boy with his finger in the dike trying to explain the nature of the problem to electricians, building maintenance people and, of course, inspectors.

People often mistakenly assume that because the FP brand name is "Stab-Lok", there must be some problem with the stab mounting portion of the breaker. That is not where the problem is. The nature of the problem has nothing at all to do with the stab mount. The breakers could have been manufactured with bolt mounting and the same problem would exist. The problem is internal to the breaker. There is no way for an electrician or an inspector to determine whether an individual breaker will or will not fail.

That is true with all breakers SQ D or Pushmatics.
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I have inspected lots of them and also have one in my home 25 years old .
I have not seen any more problems with them then any other panels.
I too and a retired Electrician and 50+ years IBEW , You can be sure if I had a concern it would be gone .

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchView?catalogId=10051&storeId=10051&langId=-15&N=0&Ntt=Electric+Panels&Nty=1&D=Electric+Panels &Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial& s=true


Cost is close 200 amp SQ D 60 Cir $308;00
Cost ........ 200 amp FP .....40 Cir $276;00 .
I agree SQ D. is the way I would go if buying .
Same Company manufactures both .

(' especially, in light of their reputation. ")
That is a USA reputation not followed in Canada .

We do many things different here example Neutrals and Grounds are completely isolated .
example all sub panels require 4 wires to out buildings only one ground in the system
Example 440 volts is only used in AUTO plants .
All industry is 600 volts .

[George P. Wells, CMI]

Originally Posted by rcooke

That is a USA reputation not followed in Canada .

We do many things different here example Neutrals and Grounds are completely isolated .
example all sub panels require 4 wires to out buildings only one ground in the system
Example 440 volts is only used in AUTO plants .
All industry is 600 volts .

Roy,

I am only a few miles from Canada but rarely have any reason to cross the border. When I do venture across the border, it is like a whole other country

I know there are some differences in the way things are done but I don't what they are. Even within the US, there are some interesting differences between the East and the West, particularly with older systems.

[Peter W. Bennett]

FPE breakers models "E" and "F" are problematic, but what about an FPE main breaker?

[Robert Meier]

Originally Posted by pbennett1

FPE breakers models "E" and "F" are problematic, but what about an FPE main breaker?

Funny because that looks more like a molded case switch than a circuit breaker.