FPE panels



			We know home inspection!

1. FPE panel boxes are alleged to have safety defects.

2. The circuit breakers often do not trip.

3. The Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated the problem but did not issue a recall.

4. The Texas Real Estate Commission has not instructed inspectors how to act regarding this problem.

5. Electrician opinions will vary.

5. If in doubt there is no doubt, replace the panel.

FEDERAL PACIFIC OR
FPE STAB LOK
PANEL BOXES

Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) was a popular manufacturer of panel boards and circuit breakers for many years. They are very common in the North Texas area. For years, stories about the hazards and defects related to this equipment have prevailed. Stories of recalls, poor manufacturing and house fires have been reported.

There is a lot of information on the internet about the hazards of Federal Pacific "Stab-Lok" circuit breaker panels. There are convincing arguments that the panel boxes are a fire hazard. For example:

Doug Hansen’s information article or download the PDF

Dan Friedman’s information internet site

Jeff Aronstein’s information article or download PDF

Unfortunately there does not seem to be supporting evidence from any government agency or regulatory authority stating that these panels are unsafe and should be replaced. There has not been a recall by the consumer product safety commission. For example:

CPSC web site or download the PDF

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) has considered this topic and to date has not issued an opinion. Electricians are in disagreement and you will find varying answers. Home inspectors, home buyer's and home seller's are stuck in the middle.

The following has been said about Federal Pacific Electric ‘Stab-Lok" panels:

That these panels pose a latent threat and could be a hazard. The circuit breakers may fail to trip in the case of an overload or short-circuit. A circuit breaker that fails to trip could cause a fire or personal injury.

The problem with these panels is that some double pole 220volt circuit breakers (and quite possibly some single pole 120volt circuit breakers) may not work/trip.

Published reports of some tests conducted on FPE two pole 220volt circuit breakers indicate that under certain conditions one leg/pole may attempt to trip the breaker. The result is a circuit that stays live, and a circuit breaker that has been compromised and when reset will not trip again under any excessive load.

These panels would appear to work perfectly during normal operation, allowing electricity to flow without any problems or symptoms.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) did conduct product testing of these breakers and found that their failure rates were significant.

The CPSC’s advice concerning these panels is for consumers to avoid overloading circuits as well as to turn off and have examined any devices that are causing the circuit breakers to trip.

As of December 2004 we have not heard of insurance concerns.

If you have one of these FPE panels or intend to purchase a home that has one of these FPE panels, you should:

- Read the links on this page
- Talk to your electrician
- Talk to your local fire marshall

You may find that there is no clear consensus. After considering all the information provided if you have doubts then there is no doubt, replace the panel. This might not be considered a "repair" relative to a real estate contract and it could be argued to be an improvement. That is a topic you and the other party will need to decide upon. The cost of replacing a standard panel box is $1500 to $2000, conditions pending.

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972 491-9919

Click to enlarge photo

A common FPE box. They come in several shapes and sizes. Look for the words FPE as a hint. Note: Not all FPE are bad. See the photo a few frames down.

Another example of an FPE box. Look closely at the label and you can read the name.

FPE breakers are available but they are much more expensive.

This is a burnt out FPE breaker. The home inspector would be lucky to find this as it cannot normally be seen without removing the breakers and that is beyond the scope of the inspection.

The left cover says FPE. When the cover is removed we find fuses and not breakers. This panel does not have a circuit breaker problem and fuses are reliable. However, the panel is old and replacing the panel is an improvement to consider.

(877) 775-9777 (toll free) | PO Box 250282; Plano, TX 75025-0282
John Cahill TREC855 SPCB-CA30270 | Jim Bennett TREC4593 SPCB-CA41447