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Federal Pacific 'Stablok' Breakers

By now, most real estate people have heard at least one rumor about the notorious "Federal Pacific Breakers" (sometimes called 'FPE', or 'Stab-Lok') that you sometimes find in homes built between 1950 and 1980. What is the matter with these cute breakers with the colorful handles, other than they switch in the opposite direction of every other breaker in existence, making them look like they are off when they are actually on? Plenty, according to the experts.

Over the years these circuit breakers, which are designed to be the weakest link in the supply of electrical current to your various toys and appliances, have been blamed for numerous fires, injuries, and other equipment failures. The Internet is full of horror stories, simply Google 'Stab-Lok' or 'Federal Pacific' and you will find plenty of anecdotes and test results. One website, sponsored by a New York home inspection organization, has dedicated a substantial number of pages to this issue, with the end recommendation being all FPE panels should be replaced with a modern panel and breakers.

So that you don't have to do all that research, I have assembled some salient talking points:

1. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission tested FPE breakers after the parent company of FPE revealed the UL Listing of the breakers was achieved fraudulently. 51% of the two-pole breakers tested by the US CPSC failed to trip under UL test conditions. However, the United States ran out of money before they could reach a final determination on whether or not a 51% failure rate was unnacceptable.
2. While the breakers themselves are not fire hazards, their inherent failure to trip when overloaded make them a 'latent' hazard. Most homes however, operating normally, will not experience a trip condition on a two-pole breaker. Two-pole breakers typically serve a dedicated load, such as a baseboard heater, dryer, or water heater, and are not subject to varying currents like 120v breakers that feed lighting and receptacles. A heating element failure in a stove, dryer, water heater, or baseboard heater would be the likely cause of a short-circuit or an overcurrent condition on a two-pole breaker.
3. Strangely enough, FPE breakers and panels are still manufactured today for the Canadian market. Replacement breakers can be purchased in the US at most home improvement stores, but it is widely believed they perform no better than their older predecessors. Best not to waste money on new breakers with a suspect design.
4. The cost of a panel change is very cheap when compared to the value of the contents of a home. Based on the evidence that exists against the FPE Stab-Lok breakers, it makes good financial sense to order a panel change when one of these systems is discovered. Mastercraft Electric has years of experience in performing this task, and can usually keep the bill for a panel change to less than $1,500.

If all homes operated normally at all times, there would be no need for circuit breakers at all. But since equipment does fail, and accidents do happen, you need an electrical system you can rely on that will safely shut itself down with no intervention on your part. This is not an area to cut costs.

The author, Gary Darling is a licensed Journeyman Electrician, Electrical Administrator, and Contractor in Washington State.