The Electrical Circuit Breaker Panel

The Heart of a Home's Electric System

The home’s electrical system operates like a human being's body. Circuits and wires carry electricity throughout the home like veins and arteries carry blood to organs and limbs. Just as blood keeps the body alive, electricity keeps televisions on, computers powered, and refrigerators running.

Blood cannot travel throughout a body unless its heart is pumping, and electricity cannot travel throughout a home unless the electrical circuit breaker panel is operating properly. The panel is the heart of an entire home’s electrical system. Without a properly functioning panel, nothing electrical in a home will work safely.

Federal Pacific Electric Company (FPE) was one of the most common manufacturers of circuit breaker panels in North America from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. Millions of their panels were installed in homes across the country. Yet, as the years passed, electricians and home inspectors often found Federal Pacific Electric panels failed to provide proper protection to homeowners and their families. Experts now say that FPE panels can appear to work fine for years, but after one overcurrent or short circuit, they can overheat and become fire hazards.

• See damage caused by Federal Pacific Electric panels!
• What should a homeowner do with a Federal Pacific Electric panel?