Why Federal Pacific Panels Are a Real Hazard: A Veteran Electrician’s Perspective

As a licensed electrician since 1986 and running my own business since 2000, I’ve seen just about everything when it comes to residential and commercial electrical systems. For years — decades even — I heard about the dangers of Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) panels. Inspectors flagged them. Articles warned homeowners. Yet for much of my career, I hadn’t personally witnessed a catastrophic failure. I knew I didn’t like the way their breakers plugged in, but beyond that, I didn’t feel an urgent need to raise alarms.

That changed recently. I’ve now personally seen two Federal Pacific panels that caught fire — and after witnessing the real-world danger, my view has shifted completely.

A Brief Background on Federal Pacific Panels

Federal Pacific Electric panels were widely installed across the U.S. between the 1950s and 1980s. For a long time, they were one of the most popular electrical panels in homes.

The problem? Many FPE breakers failed to trip during overloads or short circuits — the exact moments when a breaker must shut off power to prevent wires from overheating and catching fire. Later investigations found that the company had cheated on Underwriters Laboratories (UL) tests to obtain safety certifications. Essentially, millions of homes were left with panels that might not protect them when it mattered most.

My Early View: Skeptical but Cautious

Like many in the trades, I respected the warnings but hadn’t seen a clear and obvious failure firsthand. I didn’t like how Federal Pacific breakers plugged in — it always felt like they were sitting loosely or not making strong contact — but if a panel looked clean and there were no major issues, I didn’t push too hard for replacement.

I flagged them during home inspections because it was industry standard, but to many homeowners, it sounded like another “maybe” problem — something to put on the back burner.

What Changed: Two Fires in a Few Short Years

In the past few years, I’ve responded to two separate incidents involving Federal Pacific panels — both of which could have turned into serious house fires.

Take a look at these photos:

Here you can see the damage where the panel actually burned through the metal backplate. That’s not just discoloration — that’s metal melted and punched through by heat. A breaker failed to trip, allowing dangerous amounts of current to continue flowing until parts of the panel literally incinerated themselves.

In this photo, the panel looks fairly typical for its age, although the wiring and overall condition show some signs of wear. Outward appearances can be deceiving — this panel later developed internal faults.

Here you can clearly see how severe the internal damage became. Melted wires, scorched insulation, and destroyed breakers. Once again, the critical failure was that the breakers did not trip when needed.

Had someone not caught the fire early, these could have been total loss house fires.

Why These Panels Are Truly Dangerous

Federal Pacific panels are not just “old” — they’re defective by design.

• Breakers may not trip under overload conditions, leaving wiring dangerously energized.

• Mechanical failures like poor contact at the busbar can cause internal arcing.

• Fire risk is hidden: everything can appear “fine” until a critical moment.

As an electrician with nearly 40 years of experience, I now firmly believe:

If you have a Federal Pacific panel, it needs to be replaced — period.

No inspection, no maintenance, no band-aid fixes will make these panels safe.

Advice for Homeowners

If you live in a home built between the 1950s and 1980s, especially if you’re unsure of the panel brand, it’s critical to have it inspected by a licensed electrician.

If you discover you have a Federal Pacific panel, plan to replace it as soon as possible — don’t wait for warning signs. Often, there won’t be any until it’s too late.

Upgrading your electrical panel is an investment in your home’s safety and insurance companies are increasingly requiring it during property sales and refinancing.

Final Thoughts

For many years, I viewed Federal Pacific panels as an inconvenience — an outdated piece of hardware that might have issues.

After seeing these fires firsthand, I no longer see it that way.

From my experience on the job since 1986 and running my own business since 2000, I can say without hesitation:

Federal Pacific panels are a real, immediate hazard — and the risk isn’t worth taking.