How do I get information on discontinued Federal Pacific Electric Product?

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Tainted

Tainted

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Engineer (PE)
Hello,

Federal Pacific Electric is dead, and I'm trying to find datasheets on their econolim fuses. Surely it has to be somewhere, it has to be! How else would there be a fuse without data on it? It's probably in a hard drive somewhere, or in a book shelve. I don't know, but it has to exist. Are there any essence of FPE left? I want to contact someone but I don't know who to contact. Unfortunately although FPE is obsolete, they are still used in old NYC buildings. As an engineer who's been in practice for only 3 years I feel that I'm put in a bad position and I'm starting to realize I'm born in a generation where I'm basically cleaning up the mess installed from the older generation (no offense).
 
What mess are you trying to clean up? FPE is dead, but so are a lot of other electrical manufactures' gear that's still being used.

Don't be too hard on that old electrical gear. It's kinda like an old truck that starts every morning, you gotta figure if it was lemon it would have quit running a long time ago.
 
What software package are you using? I believe that Etap lists FPE fuses under the name Brush.
 
Tainted said:
I'm trying to find datasheets on their econolim fuses.It's probably in a hard drive somewhere, or in a book shelve. I want to contact someone but I don't know who to contact. As an engineer who's been in practice for only 3 years I feel that I'm put in a bad position and I'm starting to realize I'm born in a generation where I'm basically cleaning up the mess installed from the older generation (no offense).
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it’s out there. You’re looking in the wrong place with the wrong attitude. That last sentence proves that. You’re born in a generation cleaning up a mess from previous generations??
Your three years in. look to the older generation with a better attitude. An attitude of humility looking to the older generat for the wealth of knowledge and work they put in to make your life easier…

Who the hell you think invented the computer with the hard drive you’re hoping is out there with the data on it??
The older generation.. certainly not yours.
Its not on a computer hard drive. It’s on a bookshelf somewhere..

Call the oldest engineers you know in your line, ask with humility if they still have some of their old manufacturers catalogs or onion paper TCC data that was given out in the 50’s-80’s.
I hate to see an engineer retire only to have the young person taking over empty his bookshelf’s out into a trashcan..
 
ActionDave said:
What mess are you trying to clean up? FPE is dead, but so are a lot of other electrical manufactures' gear that's still being used.

Don't be too hard on that old electrical gear. It's kinda like an old truck that starts every morning, you gotta figure if it was lemon it would have quit running a long time ago.
Click to expand...
I wasn't really pertaining to anything specific but just to vent because I am always doing projects on ancient equipment and it's extremely difficult to work on them due to no information. It's also really up to my generation to start renovating the entire electrical infrastructure of NYC as soon as possible. NYC really needs to wake up because time is gonna come where NYC will have no choice but to invest on new electrical distribution equipment. It's inevitable because the "green energy" people will come knocking on landlords doors mandating them to upgrade electrical infrastructure because their puny electrical service wouldn't be able to handle building electrification requirements.

Anyway, I think someone answered my question on PM regarding this thread. Apparently edison/eaton might have acquired some of the federal pacific fuses, so I'll confirm with them.
 
jim dungar said:
What software package are you using? I believe that Etap lists FPE fuses under the name Brush.
Click to expand...
I tried to explain that in the thread below:

Need information about an old federal pacific discontinued fuse

I'm performing a short circuit study and coordination and I'm trying to find information about an old fuse: It is an Econolim class L current limiting fuse, 1600A, 600V, catalog#LCL 1600 I'm trying to find 2 graphs that show the let thru current curve and also time current curve for this...
forums.mikeholt.com
 
Tainted said:
I wasn't really pertaining to anything specific but just to vent because I am always doing projects on ancient equipment and it's extremely difficult to work on them due to no information. It's also really up to my generation to start renovating the entire electrical infrastructure of NYC as soon as possible. NYC really needs to wake up because time is gonna come where NYC will have no choice but to invest on new electrical distribution equipment. It's inevitable because the "green energy" people will come knocking on landlords doors mandating them to upgrade electrical infrastructure because their puny electrical service wouldn't be able to handle building electrification requirements.

Anyway, I think someone answered my question on PM regarding this thread. Apparently edison/eaton might have acquired some of the federal pacific fuses, so I'll confirm with them.
Click to expand...
The same link I gave you in the earlier thread? It was Edison Eaton
 
Hv&Lv said:
it’s out there. You’re looking in the wrong place with the wrong attitude. That last sentence proves that. You’re born in a generation cleaning up a mess from previous generations??
Your three years in. look to the older generation with a better attitude. An attitude of humility looking to the older generat for the wealth of knowledge and work they put in to make your life easier…

Who the hell you think invented the computer with the hard drive you’re hoping is out there with the data on it??
The older generation.. certainly not yours.
Its not on a computer hard drive. It’s on a bookshelf somewhere..

Call the oldest engineers you know in your line, ask with humility if they still have some of their old manufacturers catalogs or onion paper TCC data that was given out in the 50’s-80’s.
I hate to see an engineer retire only to have the young person taking over empty his bookshelf’s out into a trashcan..
Click to expand...
I didn't mean for it to be viewed that way dude. I kinda feel bad I said that, but I was just in the moment due to frustration lol
 
Tainted said:
I wasn't really pertaining to anything specific but just to vent because I am always doing projects on ancient equipment and it's extremely difficult to work on them due to no information. It's also really up to my generation to start renovating the entire electrical infrastructure of NYC as soon as possible. NYC really needs to wake up because time is gonna come where NYC will have no choice but to invest on new electrical distribution equipment. It's inevitable because the "green energy" people will come knocking on landlords doors mandating them to upgrade electrical infrastructure because their puny electrical service wouldn't be able to handle building electrification requirements.
Click to expand...
Don't apologize for doing the best job you can. If there ever was a place in the world that is living in the "Was" it is NYC. I'm all about living in the "Now" it's just that I and a lot of other regulars on this forum have as many years behind us as we do in front of us so we have some perspective to offer you as you push forward.
 
Hv&Lv said:
I tried to explain that in the thread below:

Need information about an old federal pacific discontinued fuse

I'm performing a short circuit study and coordination and I'm trying to find information about an old fuse: It is an Econolim class L current limiting fuse, 1600A, 600V, catalog#LCL 1600 I'm trying to find 2 graphs that show the let thru current curve and also time current curve for this...
forums.mikeholt.com
Click to expand...
But not, every software vendor has updated their databases to represent current ownership of older components. They typically use the manufacturer whose name was on the TCC used as a reference. for example, I have seen this problem with Ferraz, whose current products can be found under the old names of both Gould and Shawmut.
 
jim dungar said:
But not, every software vendor has updated their databases to represent current ownership of older components. They typically use the manufacturer whose name was on the TCC used as a reference. for example, I have seen this problem with Ferraz, whose current products can be found under the old names of both Gould and Shawmut.
Click to expand...
I was talking about the etap calling it brush in the earlier thread.
 
The only product that gave FPE a bad reputation was Stab Lok breakers, but if anyone knows who took over FPE's Economy Fuse Div. , that would be a place to start.

Edit: ITE/Shamut/Gould/Ferraz I think are Merson now.
 
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