Federal Pacific Service Panel

[tdutt]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

Did you also recommend replacement? Did you say anything like, "The FPE Stab-Lok service equipment panel is considered a safety hazard. The hazards associated with this manufacturer have been documented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and by industry experts. A high percentage of FPE Stab-Lok breakers have failed to open under over-current conditions. Replacement is advised for safety reasons."

Simply telling the client to have an electrician open the panel and examine it is not the best recommendation in my opinion.

I finally found the report. This is what I wrote:

The electrical panel in the house was manufactured by Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) and is known to be problematic. I was unable to remove the dead front cover as the circuit breakers were starting to move. Among the many serious problems associated with this panel are the following items: the FPE breakers often fail to turn off when the handle is moved to the "off" position, and the breakers often fail to trip when overloaded. Additionally, some of these panels have a design flaw in the way the circuit breaker is attached to the panel that can lead to arcing that can cause electrical fires. Recommendation: Have a licensed electrical contractor evaluate this panel and make recommendations as to replacement/repairs to this equipment.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbowman

Joe,

Where do we find this documentation? My post above is the only thing I could find from the CPSC on this panel.

I found it on this website. http://www.nachi.org/forum/showthrea...sumer+products among other posts. I failed to thoroughly investigate that phrase. I did not create the language, but got it off this board. Is that language incorrect? I've read the document you posted and if that is the last word, then we might need to rethink it.

[rnewman1]

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml83/83008.html

That's a lot to ask from a homeowner

[jhugenroth]

I don't rely on the CPSC as the last word, especially when it comes to these panels. This link has been posted many times before, but I send my clients to this one, as well as the CPSC site.

http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm