Orlando Florida Home Inspection

 FPE STAB-LOK

BOX & BREAKER

INFORMATION Part 1  

 

FPE Stab-Lok boxes/breakers have been around for about 30 years (mid 1950's to early 1980's) and so it affects quite a few people, including my own house.  The product is the Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok electrical panels and breakers.  The very bottom line, FPE breakers have a long historical record of failure to trip or open a circuit when something bad happens like a short or overload condition.  Actual test results and field reports of failures from independent labs to the manufacturer themselves as well as improper UL listing practices grace the rap sheet of this product.  I have read stories of electricians who, upon removing the dead panels, have had breakers fall out of the box or fail to open a circuit when the handle was placed in the off position.  I have personally talked to electricians who have arc welded metal and wires trying to identify circuits because the FPE breakers would not trip.   Just weeks ago, I had my very own brush with a real big hurt.  After I had removed a dead panel (the interior panel that prevents kids and stupid people from putting their hands on live electrical stuff), I saw burn marks on the backside of the panel.  When I looked up at the breakers, I saw the two main lugs (where the power comes into the panel) sticking down just a fraction of an inch from touching this metal dead panel I was holding!  See photos.  Someone else had been bit before me!  I think that God just feels sorry for me and let me go this time.  Anyway, much publicly available information is compelling enough to warrant this warning to all real estate entrepreneurs. 

                                                                                                          

 

 

FPE is usually very easy to identify.

 

 

See the service lug sticking down at the upper left corner of the picture.

     

       Someone else got zapped!

Remember, I am not intending to scare or offend anyone.  I am simply relaying information I feel is vitally important to the real estate industry based on the research I 

have done and how it may affect us as landlords, real estate agents, investors and home owners.   Think positive though…you can use this information to re-negotiate a deal you’re buying OR turn a down the toilet deal you’re trying to sell into a positive experience just because you had some knowledge!

 

Usually the first seller’s or seller’s agent defense of FPE equipment I hear is that the panel has been there for the last 30 years and it’s just fine, they have never had a problem with it, it was code back then, yada yada yada. So was asbestos.  It’s age is the first problem Einstein.  Over time, internal mechanical components can become corroded or distorted and may not be reliable.   Electrical equipment doesn’t get better or become more reliable with age on any brand, quite the opposite.   The fact remains that standards in manufacturing and “codes back then” were not as stringent 50, 40, 30 or even 15 years ago.  Besides the rule of six issue, there are at least four other design issues that are no longer allowed.  The gutter space, wire bending space, spring mounted bus bars and breakers that are on when in the down position.  Things change for a reason.  

 

Consider this… as long as a circuit breaker sits uncalled for (an overload or short circuit does not occur) maybe 30, 40, 50 years, it may seem to “work” just fine.  But if it cannot be relied upon to absolutely protect you, your family or your tenants, it is a latent fire hazard.  Period.  

 

Engineer J. Aronstein parallels FPE panels to pennies under screw in fuses.  Test after test I read about produces similar results of breakers that fail to trip or jam internally in the closed (current flowing) position.  These are the basic, 

but not the only, safety defects with this product.  We all rely on a breaker to break or open the flow of electricity in an overload or short circuit situation.  If you have an FPE panel/breakers, they may not trip.  Testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and even FPE themselves (and others) have documented that the product may not be dependable.  Testing confirmed failures in 2 pole breakers (breakers for dryers, furnaces, etc), single pole breakers (small general lighting circuits) and GFCI breakers.  J. Aronstein, an engineer whose report I accumulated lots-o-information from, points out that most breakers will never be called upon to trip (interrupt the flow of current) and the home owner’s perception is that the electrical system is fine.  This same observation could also be made if there were no breakers at all, just a hardwired system.  In the event of a malfunction, our safety depends on the reliable operation of that breaker device.  It is even reported that UL “delisted” virtually the entire line of FPE breakers. He says that unless we are willing to live with the risk, the FPE panels should be replaced entirely.

 

 

 

Hole burnt through dead panel, new after market breaker, hmmmm.

 

 

 

CPSC tests - In the 1980's era, the CPSC investigated the performance of FPE Stab-Lok 2 pole, full width breakers. 122 units were tested at standard testing intervals of 135% and 200% of rated current.  At these currents the breakers should trip within a specified time with current applied to either one or both poles.  The two pole breakers are essentially 2 single pole breakers tied together and may or may not have an internal common trip mechanism which assures that tripping one pole will cause both poles to open.  Older FPE 2 pole breakers do not have this feature.    In the 135% test, 51% of the breakers failed when the individual pole tested, and 25% failed with both poles tested simultaneously.  After repeated use, the failure rate increased.  In the 200% test, 1% failure rate on individual pole testing and 0% with both poles tested.  Again after repeated use, the failure rate increased.  Once a breaker jams it is in the open (current flowing) position permanently.  

 

FPE tests - FPE performed inside tests and reported to CPSC problems associated with their breakers, however will not make public their test results.  Wonder why?  They did say that the breakers will trip during most overload levels... NEWS FLASH...It’s the exceptions that cause fires genius.  I guess they are not really a neutral party are they?

 

Southwest Research Inc. tests - Southwest performed tests under FPE contract, however will not make public their test results.  Wonder why?

 

UL tests - Has never made public any test data.  Wonder why?  What I found with regards to this testing was that the rate of failure to trip greatly exceeded the tolerances allowed by CPSC standards.

 

Alonstein tests - Full width, half width, single pole, double pole were tested and failure rates ranged from 14% to 48% in tests as recent as January 22, 2004!  Pretty significant if it’s your family in a home with this system!  

 

Douglas Hansen and Dan Friedman  (highly regarded professionals) personal witness of failed breakers.  In Dan’s own words, “I personally was not a believer until I witnessed a multiple failure...”  Even lowly me, have personal contact with electricians who confirm field failures.

 

In 1981, FPE sent a letter to Towson University regarding a volunteer recall.  They replaced over 200 breakers on campus.  Wonder why?  On June 13, 1998 they had a major failure that caused several thousand dollars worth of damage.  “Upon testing prior to restart of the system we found that over half of the 18 breakers and switches in the panel would not pass.  We are in the process of removing all of the FPE breakers in our buildings as quickly as we can.”  Wow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are compatible type (after market) breakers now made under the names “American” (no longer UL listed, wonder why?), “Federal Pioneer” (No recalls listed but in the manufacturer’s own words “In some circumstances these breakers may not trip.”)  “Challenger”, “Federal Pacific Reliance Electric” and “Federal Pioneer Limited”.   I did not find any data that documented the performance of these brands, however in some cases these products have been made outside the US border and thus may not comply with some of our tougher standards.  Are you still pondering this issue?  Next month we’ll check out “Rule of Six” panels.

 

Email me with your questions, comments and good ideas for other articles!  jon@inspectagator.com   If we all stick together, nobody gets burned!