Federal Pacific Electric
"Stab-Lok" service panels and
breakers are a hazard and can
fail to trip, leading to electrical
fires. The breakers may also fail
to shut off internally even if the
toggle is switched to "off."
Some double-pole (240-Volt) FPE circuit
breakers and single-pole FPE Stab-Lok circuit
breakers simply do not work safely.

There are other FPE panel-defects
independent of the breaker problems, panel
and panel-bus fires and arcing failures in some
equipment. When test were completed- 60 out
of every 100 breakers failed to trip.


The Consumer Product Safety Commission
found the circuit breakers defective and
failed to pass their tests and have a high
failure rate. FPE passed UL certification
originally but later was found guilty of fraud
in Superior Court in New Jersey in a class
action lawsuit for rigging the certification
tests. The parent company Reliance Electric
stopped manufacturing the product after they
purchased Federal Pacific. Reliance stated
"FPE's success was due entirely from
substandard materials and improper practices
in the manufacturing testing and sale" of its
circuit breakers.

It is possible your house insurance may not
want to pay for a fire or death related to this
known electrical problem