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THE FPE Stab-Lok WEBSITE SUMMARY OF the FPE Stab-Lok PROBLEM FPE HAZARD ARTICLES, STUDIES FPE Stab-Lok TECHNICAL REPORT HOW TO IDENTIFY FPE & FP REPORTS OF FPE FAILURES HOW TO REPORT FPE INCIDENTS FPE REPAIR ELECTRICIANS FPE REPLACEMENT BREAKERS REPLACEMENT PANELS OPTION #1 RETROFIT KIT OPTION #2 REPLACEMENT OPTION #1 vs OPTION #2 FPE REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ELECTRIC PANEL? CANADIAN VERSIONS of FPE Stab-Lok FPE Stab-lok: FIRES WAITING TO HAPPEN FPE HISTORY ADVICE TO HOME BUYERS w/ FPE PANELS HOME INSPECTION LANGUAGE for FPE Stab-Lok More Information InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
We recommend that residential FPE Stab-Lok electrical panels be replaced entirely or the entire panel bus assembly be replaced entirely, regardless of model number or year of manufacture. We recommend against replacing individual FPE Stab-lok circuit breakers. We do not sell circuit breakers nor any other products. Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.This document describes steps to take if you are unable to promptly replace an Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panel. Here we address the question raised by some readers about what to do if you can't afford to replace an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel right away. Readers should see THE FPE Stab-Lok WEBSITE and also see ADVICE TO HOME BUYERS w/ FPE PANELS . This is information for home owners, home sellers, building inspectors, home buyers, home owners, and electricians regarding steps to reduce the hazards associated with Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok circuit breakers and service panels. Safety warning: as with any electrical installation or repair, these steps must be performed by a licensed and qualified electrician and must comply with appropriate building codes and regulations. Good workmanship and an accurate assessment of the condition of the electrical panel enclosure which is to be re-used are important for FPE Electric Panel . Also see FPE Stab-Lok HAZARDS & REPAIRS WEBSITE- the main FPE Hazard Website. © Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. What to Do if You Cannot Replace an FPE Stab-Lok Electrical PanelWhat if Up to Now the FPE Panel Has Seemed Just Fine?Our breakers have already tripped: One reader reported that some of her FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers have tripped correctly in the past. That was good to hear; we don't assert that the failure rate on these circuit breakers is 100% of the time, but in fact the failure-to-trip rate occurs enormously more often than on other non-problem electrical panels and circuit breakers. A problem is that we can't predict when an overcurrent or unsafe electrical condition is going to occur in a building, and we cannot predict exactly when an individual circuit breaker is going to fail to protect the circuit and thus the building from an overcurrent or electrical short. But reporting that "up to now the panel has been fine" or "up to now we've never had a problem" or even "up to now the circuit breakers in our FPE panel have tripped off", is not any assurance that such a system is safe. We've seen that if you do trip an FPE Stab-Lok breaker, that event can actually increase the chances that it will jam and not trip next time. Our inspector said the panel looked ok to him: visual inspections of the electrical panel or even in-place electrical "tests" of the panel are either unreliable or downright dangerous. You cannot rely on such superficial or inexpert tests, and the very fact that they are offered by some is evidence of a lack of expertise on this topic. Here's what you can do while waiting to replace your FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel:
If I can think of more suggestions, or if you find any others, let us know. Luckily it's not the case that every single failure of a circuit breaker to trip off when it should burns down the house. But the $1000 or so to replace an electrical panel is probably much cheaper than the cost of a fire should one occur. ... Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. THE FPE Stab-Lok WEBSITE | ||||||
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04/15/2009 - 06/03/06InspectAPedia.com/fpe/FPE_Replacement_Plan.htm - © 2010 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark