Archive for June 2011

we carefully routed 14-2 nmb cable from the electrical panel in the garage to the columns outside were we could install a gfci for dedicated christmas light receptacles. we easily got the wire all the way down to the far column without any damage to the house . We got all this installed in an…

HOMEOWNER ALERT! If you have a Federal Pacific Electric Panel or know someone who does, read this NOW!

Some Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) panels have been linked to fires and other safety hazards. FPE panels were among the most common installed across North America for more than three decades. Where there is one, there could be many. You too may have a Federal Pacific Electric panel – – in your home.

Authorities recommend that Federal Pacific Electric circuit breaker panels be inspected immediately by a professional.

More information on the risks and hazards of Federal Pacific Electric panels can be found at www.ismypanelsafe.com.

Consumer Fraud Committed by Circuit Breaker Company

In a class-action lawsuit, a New Jersey State Court ruled that the Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Company, “violated the Consumer Fraud Act because FPE knowingly and purposefully distributed circuit breakers which were not tested to meet UL standards…”

An expert who investigated the potential hazards of Federal Pacific electric panels stated under UL 489 test conditions that FPE panels fail to tip at a much higher rate than standard panels. In other tests, some Federal Pacific Electric panels failed to operate properly as much as 60% of the time!

If you have a Federal Pacific Electric panel, your home may not be safe if an over-current or short circuit takes place. The panel could refuse to shut power off to your home in a dangerous situation. Instead, your panel could overheat and catch fire.

Many Federal Pacific Electric panels con operate properly for years. But, if and when they do malfunction, a disaster could occur.

Of course, you owe it to yourself and your family to find out if you have a dangerous or defective Federal Pacific Electric panel in your home. Call us today to schedule your in-home safety analysis of your panel.

Useful Links to Browse

http://www.inspectapedia.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm
http://www.inspectapedia.com/electric/Zinsco.htm
www.ismypanelsafe.com

This Homeowner in Bonneylake is considering selling and decided to upgrade the panel as well as add a couple circuits at the same time.

Often we are asked “is my fuse box safe”. For the most part fuse panels are safe, much depends on the age, the environment it is located in such as a basement that is always damp, how it was treated over its life, the biggest hazard in a fuse panel is human error, when the wrong size fuses are put in, when fuses are loose, or turned to tight, to loose can result in arcing, to tight can damage the contact point which will lead to arcing, arcing causes permanent damage and will progressively get worse, and can possibly even eventually lead to a panel fire if not attended to.

In the case of the customer in Bonney lake we found that 60amp fuses had acccidentally been installed on a 40amp circuit which could have lead to overheating electrical wire and connections.

The fuse box in the first picture is a 60 amp service. When we run accross these and a customer asks “should I replace my electrical service” the answer is yes, definitely. If you have a 100 amp service, we can do a load calculation and we will ask you some questions about your usage present and future and make a recommendation whether or not you should consider upgrading to 200 amp, if you are popping your main 100 amp fuse or breaker on occasion then the answer is yes. some older 100 amp services are prime candidates for replacement and deterioration can/ will cause future problems so at the point of upgrading a panel an assessment should be done to see if the exterior service equipment is deteriorated enough to warrant replacement at the same time.

This ladder is a biggie ……14 foot step ladder, and it’s heavy too! Some of the homes we go into  have ceilings that are so high , that we have to bring this monstrous ladder to do our work. If you look closely you can see a round ceiling box above the ladder.  We were…