I have this defective Federal Pacific Electric breaker panel

Nope. And u have to call the utility to pull your meter in order to change the panel.

You can diy, with assistance from the utility but if you've never done it before and are retarded your just gonna cost yourself alot of money.

Sorry anon. Find an electrician who can pull the meter for you, but most importantly replace the seal on it after your done.

>>1197375
?
whats wrong with the panel?

>>1197378

This is what I figured. I'm buying this house and the sellers are cutting me a check to replace this and pay for a couple other issues, but I thought maybe I could DIY as much of the shit as possible and save some dollerydoos.

>>1197381

Like 10% of the breakers manufactured don't trip until they're way over the current rating, and some of those actually get physically jammed to where they never trip under any conditions. The company cheated in their UL certification to hide this, and sold a fuckton of these panels until someone figured out their ruse.

>>1197390
Are you able to just replace the breakers and leave the rest of the panel in place? It is a much simpler operation.

>>1197390
The issue, OP, is ensuring you can reach the new panel without making a junction to extend it. And making everything neat for the inspector. If this is impossible then there's other strategies... This is why it's not for retards. You can get half way though and fuck up in an expensive way.

>>1197375
if its residential you can call the power company to shut off your meter/disconnect.
test with a meter to ensure its off. Then ground +120, neutral and, -120
>>1197411
This. if you do it, do it right
You'll either die when you flip the main on, or burn down your house in a year.

>>1197411
This.

If you have to end up making a junction so the wires can reach the new panel, it's all new work and must be up to current code. This would mean buying a bunch of arc fault breakers which are expensive.

Another option is a retrofit kit. They're expensive though and should be avoided unless there are other reasons like having to break open a wall for a flush panel.

One thing you can possibly do is buy new stab lok breakers. There is one or two companies that makes replacement breakers that are UL listed. This is also pretty silly because they're expensive so by the time you bought replacements, it would likely be more than a new panel and breakers. On the plus side, you could easily do this yourself and it would make the panel much safer. Still going to raise red flags if you sell in the future.

>>1197390
You should be able to buy new breakers that just slot into everything and you just need to change one screw on each.

You'd have to buy new breakers to populate your new panel anyway

The 'panel' is just a bar of metal with a current rating and a fire rating. It's hard to fuck it up. I could believe they had a bad batch of breakers though. They probably have a warranty of class action claim for this if it is the case and you could get a new set of breakers for free.

>>1197401
>>1197545

Inspector guy said the breakers are a weird size and are expensive because hardly anyone makes them. Supposedly the cost of swapping the individual breakers is almost the same as just swapping the whole panel, as anon said >>1197505

I think the company got bought up by another company in the 80's and the class action lawsuit only applies to New Jersey residents who applied to be part of the lawsuit before 2005 (wtf?) so I have to pay out of pocket.

>>1197545

I'll take "WHAT IS PROPRIETARY" for $800, Alex

>>1197804
>Proprietary breakers
Goddamn, but its good to be Yuropean.
You'd think people would just install the cheapest shit when standard, but, mostly opposite is true - I cant recall ever (like, EVER) seeing a Chink breaker in actual use, mostly German.

>>1197375
I had exactly the same thing OP. The panels are fucking awful. Tiny, weird, they DO trip though, at least most of the time.

Dont try to replace it, just pay someone 2000 bucks to do it, its not too terribly hard but you must know what you are doing.

File: fed9c32c2fd42a7bf124804ffcc6f42d5ce0b979.jpg (41KB, 537x326px) Image search: [Google]

41KB, 537x326px

One more thing:

Switching out some outlets...I know you can swap a 2-prong outlet for a 3-prong outlet without running new wiring IF the outlet box itself is already grounded. I have a multimeter. Is the proper way to test if the box is grounded to put one probe on the hot wire, the other probe on the box, and look for ~120V? And if it shows ~0V then it's not grounded?

>>1197726
Don't just throw the panel and breakers out anon.
Take them to a hardware store (one of the independent ones). Often they will test and buy back good breakers since there is still a demand.
I sold the breakers out of an old panel on my house and it just about paid for the new panel and breakers!

>>1197375

Technically, yes.
But, and this is a BIG but.
If you ever sell and someone pulls previous electrical permits you could be screwed. Same with your insurance if there is an electrical fire.

The electric co. can pull the meter. Some sparkies just bump it out or cut the tag.
Also, if you have a service disconnect (usually right under the power meter) then just cut the power there. If you don't have one then this isn't a bad time to put one in.

The other problem with replacing a load center (yes, they are called load centers) is the existing wiring might not be long enough or up to code.

If you have never done a panel I recommend you call around and have a few sparkies come out and give you an estimate. Let them know you would like to learn and they may cut you a break.
I'm lucky in that the local bar has a lot of construction folks that go there. They help me with electrical, plumbing, etc. and I fix network/computer issues for them.

>>1197870
outlet checker
And no, that's not to code depending on where you live. However, your idea will work. Black to Ground 120. If it turns out white to ground =120 then you have a wiring problem.

>>1197870
Should the outlet prove to be grounded you should still run a wire from the box to the ground screw on the outlet. It is not hard and it is required by code in many places.

Source: Rewired my 1948 California partially grounded home to be fully grounded and passed inspection the first time.

>>1197888
>Technically, yes.
>But, and this is a BIG but.
>If you ever sell and someone pulls previous electrical permits you could be screwed. Same with your insurance if there is an electrical fire.

Op can and should pull his own permit and have it inspected (Unless a contractor is going to do it, then they have to). As long as the inspector signs off, he's golden when he sells or if his house burns down.

>>1197726
As I said in >>1197505 , it's not ideal, but depending on what you're being quoted, you can look at the cost of exchanging all the breakers. Just open the panel and see which ones you need.

Home Depot sells them as well as other online retailers. http://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Power-Distribution-Circuit-Breakers/Federal-Pacific/N-5yc1vZbm16Z504

Arc fault breakers are all 30+ too which makes the 48+ breakers look a little less terrible.

>>1197893

Really? I could have sworn I read that it was, but then again there's a lot of conflicting advice out there. Are you saying it's not to code if you have a grounded box and run a short wire from the box to the ground screw on the outlet like anon said: >>1197909

>>1197870

If you can't ruin new wire, along with replacing outlet probably a good idea to use gfci breaker, maybe a combo gfci/afci breaker to protect line until you can upgrade.

I can't tell from picture I don't see a main breaker, is there a chance that you have a main before panel feeding it? If not as others have said, you need to pull meter too kill feed coming into main. Most residential electricians don't leave mush slack in the panel do you will have a struggle getting everything in place.

Changing panel not rocket science, but worth the money to pay an electrician to do swap.

I looked and they do mange pe breakers but they look a little expensive. a new panel will also give you better options for future expansion.

Just had this done. My house had a primary box that was a federal pacific and a secondary that was as well.

Feelin pretty lucky that I didnt die when I cut the line with a shovel because my grandpa burried the shed line 6in down.

Cost 2k to have the boxes swapped.

>>1197919
>As long as the inspector signs off
Inspector has every reason not to sign off on joe blow's home firetrap.

>>1197381
>Federal Pacific Electric
>whats wrong with the panel?
your already dead

>>1198044

Omaiwamo shinderu

>>1198023
If everything is done to code, the inspector will sign off. If he doesn't you can appeal it.

>>1197375
Kek I hate these pieces of shit

Panel swaps are pretty simple but make sure you reference local codes

>>1197926
Depends on where you live anon.
Just about every state has variations in the electrical code. Especially the PRC (Peoples Republic of California).

Usually when you do this job, or have it done, the utility will take the opportunity to replace your service feeder, meter, meter socket and so on if they have to. You get the panel and the rest.

You never do this without talking to the utility.

Not a job for amateurs either. If you have it done for you, I'd want it to look pretty.

>>1197804
This retard doesn't watch jeopardy

>>1199331

Huh, interesting. This house was built in 1962 so I imagine it's been a while since anything was done to its electric system. Thanks for the heads up.

>>1199390
Being built in 1962 I'm pretty sure ull be getting a whole new service. I bet u don't even have conduits coming out of the meter so it wouldn't surprise me.

Godspeed on your project, OP.