 HOW TO IDENTIFY - Federal Pacific Electric FPE Stab Lok Equipment When No Labels are Found
- HOW TO ID FPE IF NO LABELS - CONTENTS
- Photographs of FPE circuit breakers, labels, and bus designs provide means to identify this equipment even if electric panel and door labels are missing or painted-over
- Photograph of Federal Electric Label identifies the Stab-Lok® design even if no view of the panel bus is possible
- Photo guide to FPE Stab-Lok® identification
- Photo guide to Federal NOARC, Federal Electric, Federal Pioneer load center identification without labels
- FPE & FP IDENTIFICATION, HOW TO - home
- Questions & Answers about how to identify FPE Stab-Lok® equipment when there are no labels or written id information
- References
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Identify FPE Stab Lok when there are no labels: this document describes how to identify Federal Pacific Stab-Lok® Electric Panels when there are no markings or labels visible on the panel or its cover, and when you do not see labels on the equipment. .
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IF NO LABELS - What if there are no labels on my FPE Electric panel? How can I tell if it is a "Stab-Lok® " or Federal Pacific Electric or Federal Pioneer model panel?
Pictures of the FPE Stab-Lok® E-Bus Design
If no electrical panel or circuit breaker labels are visible, the circuit breakers themselves are pretty distinctive as you saw in the photos listed above.
The design of the FPE panel bus to which the circuit breakers connect will be unique (of a couple of designs in an "E" or "F" shaped opening - they look similar).
So if more investigation is warranted, a visual inspection of other panel internal details can confirm that it is one of several FPE Stab-Lok® designs, the "F" shaped bus (photo at page top and below) or the "E" shaped buss (photo at left).
This step requires use of a licensed electrician, as it is necessary to remove the panel cover, and possibly to remove one or two circuit breakers to look at the buss connectors on the bottom of the breaker or at the bus itself in the panel. |
Watch out: SAFETY WARNING - FATAL SHOCK HAZARD - If it is necessary to remove an electric panel cover to inspect the panel interior, buses, or other components, you should hire a licensed electrician for that purpose. Unless you are a licensed electrician, DO NOT REMOVE ELECTRIC PANEL COVERS, DO NOT INSERT TOOLS INTO ELECTRIC PANELS, DO NOT TOUCH LIVE ELECTRICAL PARTS such as screws, buses, bare wires, or anything that is inside of the electric panel.
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok® Electrical Panel Breaker Bus Designs Can Identify FPE Equipment
Photographs of the FPE Stab-Lok® "F" Bus Design
The shock hazard warning issued above does not prohibit unlatching and swinging open the normal hinged panel covers provided for use by the homeowner to permit access to circuit breaker switches themselves.
The warning refers to disassembling, unscrewing, or otherwise modifying or operating on an electric panel.
Live wires and contacts inside of an electric panel can, if touched, cause fatal shock - death. If you are uncertain of what is safe to touch, do not touch any part of the equipment.
Our photograph at left (and also the one at page top) illustrate the "F" shaped cutout or opening in FPE Stab-Lok® electrical panels or in other words, the "F-bus" design.
More Details of how to recognize FPE Stab-Lok® panel bus designs are given at FPE PANEL BUS DESIGNS
Canadian FP (Federal Pioneer) electrical panels were made to the same design and specifications and look the same, have an identical bus design (not visible without disassembly), but are labeled "Federal Pioneer" instead of Federal Pacific Electric.
Watch out: Safety warning - while opening the hinged door provided for consumer use to access
and reset the breakers is permitted, because there is risk of dangerous or even fatal electric shock in any electrical panel interior, only an expert should actually remove the front cover.
Our FPE Stab-Lok® breaker photo (left) illustrates the circuit breaker connector that "stabs" into the electrical panel power bus openings illustrated above.
Readers of this article should also see Federal Pacific Electric Panels: Fires Waiting to Happen and The Federal Pacific Electric FPE Panel/Breaker Hazard Summary - the main FPE Hazard Website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to identify FPE Federal Pacific Federal Electric Federal Noark and similar electrical panels
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Timothy Hemm, Yucala, CA, contributed the photographs of FPE equipment installed in California buildings. Mr. Hemm can be contacted at TimHemm@yahoo.com
- Arlene Puentes, an ASHI home inspector in Kingston, NY, contributed the page top and example photograph of a bank of FPE adjacent electrical panels. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com
- Jon Bolton, a home inspector, the Inspectigator, FL, contributed the "camouflage" breaker. Mr. Bolton can be contacted at teamattitude@hotmail.com
- Mary DeMuth, a property owner, contributed the Texas Federal Pacific Electric Load Center photos, May 2006.
- Thomas M. Pino, a professional home inspector, contributed photos of the 100A Texas FPE panel used in a condo. www.sweetwaterhomeinspection.com. Mr. Pino can be contacted at sweetinspect@houston.rr.com or at sweetwaterhomeinspection@yahoo.com
- The remaining photographs on this page were made by the web author
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