Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) "Stab-Lok" service panels and breakers are a latent hazard and can fail, leading to electrical fires. The problem is that some double-pole (240-Volt) Federal Pacific Electric circuit breakers and possibly also some single-pole units simply may not work. There are also reports that independent of the breaker problems, there have been panel and panel-bus fires and arcing failures in some equipment. The failure rates for these circuit breakers were significant, were documented in the original Consumer Product Safety Commission study, and have been further documented by expert independent research by forensic engineers. If your home has one of these panels, the panel should be replaced by a licensed electrician.

For the latest updated information and for a more in-depth discussion about Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok panels and circuit breakers, please link to www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpepanel the official Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Electrical Hazards Website.

The photos below are examples of FPE service panels and breakers. If you are not sure if your electric panel is one of these, please link to www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpeid for FPE Stab-Lok Circuit Breaker Panel product identification photos and advice.

Damage done to a malfunctioning FPE unit.

Example of the inside of an FPE Stab-Lok Circuit Breaker Panel.

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