Mystery... - InspectionNews

Ron Bishop · #1 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:01 PM

Anybody have a clue why this breaker feeds back to the busbar kike it does?

Brandon Whitmore · #2 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:07 PM

It is supplying power to the lower branch circuits/ lower bus bar.
The breakers look like Federal Pacific breakers and that is pretty typical for their panels.
I am sure you are aware of concerns with FP breakers/ panels.

Ron Bishop · #3 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:09 PM

aaahhh...that explains it. Yes it is Federal Pacific, and I am aware of the problems. Thank you kindly.

Michael Thomas · #4 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:14 PM

A nice clear picture of that setup:

http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/stlou022.gif

BTW,, the latest version (May 2007) of J. Arnstein's white paper on FPE products is here:

http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/FPECir...ards070525.PDF

Jerry Peck · #5 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:16 PM

That's called a 'split bus panel', typically used as "service equipment" with the 'panel' being the lower section of it.

Michael Thomas · #6 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 06:27 PM

From that last link abov e:

This document has been revised at this time for two major reasons. First, in a class-action lawsuit against FPE/Reliance in New Jersey, the Court found that Federal Pacific Electric Co. (FPE) committed fraud by representing that their FPE Stab-Lok® circuit breakers met the applicable (UL) standard test requirements when in fact they did not. The Court’s finding of fraud, published in 2005, indicates that FPE cheated on the tests that were required to obtain and maintain UL listings. The company improperly applied UL labels to circuit breakers that could not and did not meet the UL requirements. FPE covered up the defective performance of the circuit breakers by a long-standing practice of fraudulent testing. The Court's finding helps resolve the question as to how the defective breakers got into the marketplace and into homes.

Secondly, the recent testing of FPE Stab-Lok® circuit breakers now includes breakers from 28 homes across the Country. The number of breakers tested is about double the number included in the tabulation of the original report. The results firmly support - to an even higher level of statistical certainty - the conclusion that virtually every FPE Stab-Lok® panel installed in homes today contains circuit breakers that are seriously defective, and that they should be replaced in the interest of electrical and fire safety."