Federal Pacific Panels

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Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Federal Pacific bolt-in circuit breakers are just as bad.

One experience that I have had with Stab-Locks is that turning off the circuit breaker and turning it back on when changing a broken receptacle will restore normal overload protection. Then, the customer finds out that they have 30 amps of load on a 20 amp circuit. Go back and pull a second circuit through the conduit.

Evidentally, many FP circuit breakers worked when new but developed arthritis after a few years and this was one of the things that contributed to "aluminum" wiring failures. Actually, before the invention of silicon lubricants ALL circuit breakers tended to develop arthritis unless exercised at least once per year.

Believe it or not even SquareD recommends to this day that their circuit breakers be cycled off and back on once or twice a year to prevent arthritis.

One reason for the popularity ( at one time ) of oil circuit breakers on utility transmission and distribution systems was that they had less tendency to jam. However, improvements in sulfur hexafluoride and vacuum circuit breakers had reduced that advantage to almost nothing.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Challenger made replacements for FPE stab locks for awhile.They went by the way side,Zinsco were no better to me you can arch wrld with eiher.
Two years ago a friend asked me to wire a kitcen extension/remodel.Went to the big O to price zinsco 2 poles for cook top and wall oven and d/w and disp. single poles.It was ridiculous.
For less money I got a homeline panel mbr as a kit added a few breakers and it cost less that if I bought the needed zinsco breakers :D
Best part is that I put the old znsco on e bsy and sold it for $300.00 buyer paod shipping :D
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Being my ancient age has some minor rewards. We were told in Electricans School in the 50s (Air Force School) that FPE Stab-Locs were really designed as slow blow cbs for use on motor control circuits on motor circuits only. But due to the Korean War (Police Action that another dem lost) copper was non-existant along came aluminium wire from commie satellite countries that was very cheap compared to usa bx so we the folks who make the world operate went to aluminium wire and Federal Pacific (Orange Trippers) and Zinsco and aluminium wire. This I was taught by our instructor who was a ex-state inspector for New York State. It sounded logical at that time and we were told if we ever find a zinsco or fpe panel we are to immediately shut it down go to standby power and replace with GE or Challenger only.
All I know is every time I got wacked it was always by a fpe panel cause we were taught if the panel is more than 20 feet away ground the hot leg and let it blow period.

Have a nice day.
Been primarily a service tech since then to date. :) :) :)
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Challenger is no longer made,BTW GTE bought Zinsco and slapped the Sylvaina name on it in the mid 1970's, and Sylvaina became Challenger in the early 1980's.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

I have one in my apartment and have seen pleanty in the field. They are terrible, while I have never had any experience with the tripping problems, I do know that when you take the cover off, the breakers have a tendancy to fall out. Their connection to the bus is usually held on by the internal spring pushing the breaker out against the panel cover.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Originally posted by bonding jumper:
...while I have never had any experience with the tripping problems...
Click to expand...
...that's because they don't trip !

:D :D :D :D
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Originally posted by norcal:
Challenger is no longer made,BTW GTE bought Zinsco and slapped the Sylvaina name on it in the mid 1970's, and Sylvaina became Challenger in the early 1980's.
Click to expand...
And Challenger was purchased by Cutler Hammer somewhere in the 90's. Thus the BR panel as we know it today was born.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Originally posted by straps:
Being my ancient age has some minor rewards. We were told in Electricans School in the 50s (Air Force School) that FPE Stab-Locs were really designed as slow blow cbs for use on motor control circuits on motor circuits only. But due to the Korean War (Police Action that another dem lost) copper was non-existant along came aluminium wire from commie satellite countries that was very cheap compared to usa bx so we the folks who make the world operate went to aluminium wire and Federal Pacific (Orange Trippers) and Zinsco and aluminium wire. This I was taught by our instructor who was a ex-state inspector for New York State. It sounded logical at that time and we were told if we ever find a zinsco or fpe panel we are to immediately shut it down go to standby power and replace with GE or Challenger only.
All I know is every time I got wacked it was always by a fpe panel cause we were taught if the panel is more than 20 feet away ground the hot leg and let it blow period.

Have a nice day.
Been primarily a service tech since then to date. :) :) :)
Click to expand...
So, you were clearly instructed to replace junk with newer junk (IMHO of course). Challenger was always shoddily built garbage. GE made better product, except for the 15 and 20 amp single poles, which were very slow to trip. Not nearly as bad as an FPE, but still disturbingly slow.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

thought br stood for bryant?
fpe is a pain ran into one yesterday had to mini some up too make room for 60 amp circuit for hvac.
glad they downsized the heat strips
the 90 amp breaker I would have needed would have cost 200+ aaahhhggg
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Originally posted by vasparky27:
thought br stood for bryant?
fpe is a pain ran into one yesterday had to mini some up too make room for 60 amp circuit for hvac.
glad they downsized the heat strips
the 90 amp breaker I would have needed would have cost 200+ aaahhhggg
Click to expand...
I believe that it did originally signify Bryant. If memory serves correctly, it existed before the purchase of Challenger. But, with Challenger coming on board, some changes were made in construction (not design.) As design goes, the BR (as a Bryant or Cutler) the Challengers, Siemens, GE A series, and who knows how many others are all based on the same basic design. If I'm not mistaken, that design was originally an ITE product, but that's several years before I entered the trade, so my history may be a bit fuzzy.

(Please note: I'm not saying all are identical and therefore interchangable. The breakers will all fit across the entire group of panels, but unless UL listed for such purposes, they should not be cross swapped... end of disclaimer)
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Westinghouse bought Challenger at one point,as they had the Bryant resi. line they dropped the Challenger breakers and used relabeled Bryant/Westinghouse breakers in Challenger equipment,when Eaton bought the Westinghouse line to merge it into their Cutler-Hammer subsidiary, Challenger and the Westinghouse safety switch line was sold to Thomas & Betts.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Originally posted by norcal:
Challenger is no longer made,BTW GTE bought Zinsco and slapped the Sylvaina name on it in the mid 1970's, and Sylvaina became Challenger in the early 1980's.
Click to expand...
Here are the three culprits on one label

zinsco_sylvania_gte_2.jpg
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

It looks like I have been misspelling "Sylvania" for a while,and on another note, that picture might be from 1975 or earlier.
 
Re: Federal Pacific Panels

Anyone that thinks federal pacific panels are safe need to come to my renters house. I have had to outlets melt in the wall. She had them over loaded but the switches are shot. The panel is a 200 amp max, 120/240 vac, 1 phase 3 wire, Cat No. L120-40. I am replacing it but what should I replace it with? The box is 12"x24" and the panel is 8"x12".
 
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