Federal Pacific Electric Code Check（联邦太平洋电气代码检查）.pdf

Federal Pacific Electric Douglas Hansen Redwood Kardon (last updated 12/22/2012) home inspector and mutual friend invited us to see a The last of these 3 issues is the gravest concern, since the Acurious thing he had found during his inspection. A small record shows that the manufacturer knew their product did fused switch in the basement was controlled by a 30-amp not meet UL standards and intentionally deceived the regu- breaker in the basement subpanel, made by Federal Pacific lators to obtain their listing. Electric (FPE). When the inspector turned on the 30-amp FPE Older isn’t Better breaker, the fused switch started smoking. He then turned it back off. Ahead of this 30-amp Federal Pacific breaker was Several of FPE’s problems are typical of other old panels. another Federal Pacific panel with a 100-amp main breaker There is less wiring space, especially opposite main lugs and a 60-amp breaker feeding the basement subpanel. and breakers, and the result is a crowded panel (figure 1). Over the years, the minimum wiring space required in The house was vacant and the breakers were all off. We codes and standards has increased. Significant changes weren’t very well equipped. A small multimeter was our only occurred in the 1981 NEC, near the end of FPE’s existence tool for investigating possible shorts in the fused switch, as a panel manufacturer,