FPE panel question

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steveng

Senior Member
Location
Texas
i have a 200 amp main FPE panel , approx 20 yrs old, the fpe breakers are the
cl type, would you replace this panel if it was in your house?

i have read some reports that some not all of these type breakers would not trip under test conditions, does anyone have any firsthand experience with the breakers i am speaking of?
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
I have never had personal experience with problematic FPE panels and breakers, but they do not have a favorable reputation. I have recommended to customers that a panel be changed, but I do not recall ever being taken up on that recommendation. If you do change it out, save the breakers. Replacements for future service calls are costly (providing you have confidence in any part that you replace).
 

Bob Kraemer

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
You can buy replacement breakers for FPE panels but at 30 bucks each for a S/P breaker the costs add up real quick. I would replace the panel.
 

racerdave3

Senior Member
I fully agree with what has been said here in the previous posts, by all means change that panel out. FPE breakers have the reputation that they do because of failure and subsequent fires. IMHO, it is not worth the risk and if it were in my house I would swap it out as soon as possible.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Around here old FPE panels are very common. I'm guessing that since they were produced locally (Newark, NJ) and priced very low that everyone used them at the time. We have replaced at least 100 of these disasters over the years. Not only do the breakers refuse to trip on a dead short, many times we find that the only thing holding the CB in place is the cover. Remove that and the CB's can literally pop out of the bus. IMO these panels should be removed and sent to a landfill.
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
IMO Square D QO is the best panel out there, but the cost is more. Typically I install SqD Homeline, but I also do not have a GE distiributor locally. It's a good panel, also.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
steveng said:
thanks guys, i will replace it soon.

GE or Square D?

moneys about the same, any comments?


Depends on the wiring method. Around here many of the older homes are wired with AC cable. If so, we prefer the GE panels since they're galvanized and not painted. IMO the painted panels provide a very poor grounding path when using cables without a separate EGC such as AC cable. I particularly dislike the idea of the locknut cutting into the paint to provide grounding. Also, GE is quite a bit cheaper.
 

Shockedby277v

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Bob Kraemer said:
You can buy replacement breakers for FPE panels but at 30 bucks each for a S/P breaker the costs add up real quick. I would replace the panel.


Check e-bay. They go cheaper than I thought on there.

I would change the panel out also. Sq D gets my vote.
 

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
I was involved with the FPE replacement breakers, for months and month?s everyday breakers in breakers out. All the circuit breakers we replaced were commercial of a certain type, it has been 25+ years and I do not remember the style. I thought (but could be wrong) that one of the issues was the AIC ratings. My business partner had the replacement data; I'll ask him if he still has the literature.

But I would still replace this panel based on the age (over 25 years) and the FPS stab in style CBs had terrible stabs, they lose spring tension with increase in load and resulting heat.
 

iwirehouses

Senior Member
Though it is still legal to have a FPE panel, I blew a hole through my strippers without the breaker tripping. I also know someone who shorted the feeders with a screw driver. Instead of tripping the main breaker it blew out the transformer on the pole. As far as panels, I've noticed GE has lifetime guarentee's whereas SquareD I believe only has a few years, though SquareD is a higher quality panel in my opinion. Electricians like SquareD because the placement of the grounded bars inside makes it easier and neater to work on. My vote, SquareD Homeline
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Jim W in Tampa said:
We all have likes and dislikes.Never heard anyone slam Square D or cutler hammer.Personally i hate GE most cause of there piggy backs.
Ge doesn't have piggy backs they have the wafer breakers. Here is a piggy back. I use to love these as a kid.

nick_piggy_back.jpg


No that's not really me.
 

stew

Senior Member
I have see n 2 fires started beacuase of fpe panel breakers not tripping. We reccomend replacement in the strongest terms to all our customers. I personally like the cutler hammer ch style or sq d qo.
 

steveng

Senior Member
Location
Texas
thanks for all the comments

thanks for all the comments

from one junior electrcian to the MOB!!!,

btw, i did see one of the dumbest things and electrician can do, my old boss , once cut the wires of the gf,short circuit, and overcurrent ct's to a 1600 amp main ge breaker.


he thought the breaker was bad, because it kept tripping everytime he reset it. :confused:
but, he never thought to read it with a meter, to check for a short, ground, etc...

when it blew the 35 amp line fuses on the 13.8k , all you could see was people running for cover....:grin:
there was a direct short in a pull box over the bldg entrance doorway, the 500kcmil had shorted in to the enclosure, btw we were standing under the box when it blew.... it looked like fire and brimstone... the panel board was parallel fed ,one from a- 500 kw gas turbine generator, lugged into the load side bus bars.

that was one of my fondest memories working for my boss:grin:

now a days when he's in a panel or has some enclosure open, everyone around starts moving back...
 
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