Mike Holt Enterprises Electrical News Source

Safety Hazard - Federal Pioneer Breakers MAY NOT TRIP

Electrical Safety Authority has revised and re-issued a Safety Flash that was originally published in 1997 - their concern is that potential problems might still exist for Federal Pioneer breakers that may not trip!

Schneider Canada has announced a voluntary Replacement Program on certain NC015 and NC015CP Breakers. The affected circuit breakers are Federal Pioneer NC015 and NC015CP, Single Pole Rated 15A, Stab-Lok Circuit Breakers - Manufactured between August 1, 1996 and June 11, 1997. These circuit breakers can be identified by a Square / rectangular shaped BLUE colored handle

Replacement breakers are identified by a hole drilled in the handle (Blue color)
OR
Replacement breakers manufactured after January 1, 1999 are identified with a rounded and ribbed handle (Blue color)

Check for a square / rectangular handle with a hole, as illustrated or a rounded / ribbed handle – these are OK and not impacted by the recall notice.
Breakers with black handles are also OK to use and not impacted by the recall notice.

Contractors/Electricians: For any suspect blue-handled circuit breaker replace the breaker and return it to Schneider Electric for full credit, or contact Schneider Electric Customer Care Centre at 1-800-565-6699 or the Schneider Electric Recovery Administration team, at 1-866-333-1490 for additional information. Customers should call their contractor or call Schneider.

Download and print the Electrical Safety Authority safety Flash.

Comments
  • Are you sure you didn't mean FEDERAL PACIFAC!

    PAUL S. KRYSIAK  January 25 2018, 5:24 pm EST
    Reply to this comment

  • “Federal Pioneer” ?

    We only have seen “Federal Pacific”- NOT the later-apparently-renamed “Federal Pioneer.” This must be from the many-buyouts-removed sub-division of Schneider Canada who absorbed some Canadian portion of the broken-up vestiges of Federal Pacific.

    Might it be that some are successfully confused by the “Federal Pioneer” moniker, and perhaps believe that they can install AFCI, GFCI, or even simply ‘new breakers’ into an existing FPE panel with Stab-Lok design, safely…not realizing that the panel would still use the poorly designed bus?

    In the judgement of everyone we have been in contact with who has direct experience, there is no such thing as a “safe” FPE panel.

    J. Aronstein's excellent summary: inspectapedia.com/fpe/FPE_Hazards_121220.pdf

    More discussion: diy.stackexchange.com/questions/62320/should-all-federal-pacific-panels-be-replaced

    R.Sanders  January 24 2018, 5:33 am EST
    Reply to this comment

  • Years ago, I was running a service call on a reported panel that was hot to the touch. Found a FPE StabLok 20 amp breaker holding at 52 amps. Never used their products again.

    Brad Darnell  January 24 2018, 2:08 am EST
    Reply to this comment

  • Excellent information. Have had problems with Federal products for decades.

    glene77is  January 24 2018, 1:34 am EST
    Reply to this comment


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