If your home was built between 1950 and 1990 and is equipped with a federal pacific electric fpe circuit breaker panel with stab lok circuit breakers you run a significant risk of breaker malfunction and fire.
Federal pacific electrical panel recall.
In 1973 the gte corporation launched an electric panel design and called it challenger.
Federal pacific circuit breakers also have red strips across them.
Federal pacific panel recall.
Zinsco or gte sylvania panels were popular electrical panels installed in homes throughout the 1970s.
Zinsco is now defunct but many homes still have these panels.
These panels may still send power to the circuits even in the off setting causing the potential of electrocution or fires.
The panel was well known in the building community as a cheaper alternative to some of the more recognizable panel companies such as general electric i t e and square d.
Millions of federal pacific electrical panels were manufactured and sold up until the 1980 s.
Federal pacific electric will likely be written on the cover of your breaker box.
Inside look for the name stab loc the brand name of the circuit breakers.
The breakers inside the panel are designed to guard your home against serious electrical problems by preventing circuit overload short circuits and outside power surges coming into.
But experts warn that if a federal pacific electric panel experiences an overcurrent or short circuit it may not keep the electrical circuits from overheating and could possibly pose a fire hazard.
Issues about federal pacific electric s stab lok.
A federal pacific electrical panel as well as other brands and derivatives of fpe breakers are supposed to function as follows.
According to a report some federal pacific electric panels failed to operate properly nearly 60 of the time in the event of a power surge.
A circuit breaker that fails to trip could cause a fire or personal injury.
As one of the most popular electrical panels in the united states millions of homes may be effected.
Federal pacific panels also known as fpe panels were a popular residential electrical panel choice in the mid to late 20th century.
The following has been said about federal pacific electric stab lok panels.
To identify a federal pacific electrical panel search for the fpe or stab lok label around each breaker.
That these panels pose a latent threat and could be a hazard.