Experts say Federal Pacific electrical panels in homes may be a fire waiting to happen
This is an article I recently found. Many of these boxes have also been found in South Florida.
Karen and Floyd Clardy remember hearing a giant pop from the garage. The lights in their Lake Highlands home went out, and suddenly there were flames.
Lake Highlands homeowner Todd Holmes says he’s replacing his home’s Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel “to be on the safe side.”
They watched as fire spread from the garage to the attic and two rooms in the house, causing $160,000 worth of structural damage.
“The breaker box was shooting flames, and there were sparks,” Karen Clardy said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue determined that the fire in March started in the electrical panel in the garage. The Clardys’ home was equipped with a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, a type of circuit breaker in thousands of North Texas homes that is now widely thought by engineers, electricians and house inspectors to be defective – and dangerous.
Experts first began saying in 1980 that a high percentage of the circuit breakers failed to trip. After testing the devices for about two years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the government lacked sufficient data to warrant a recall. No warning was ever issued.
But in recent years, engineers studying them independently have found that the circuit breakers can overload and cause fires. Many have been replaced in the decades since they were manufactured, but one expert estimates they are still used in 20 million homes nationwide.
“They’re everywhere,” said Bob Charvoz, chief home inspector for the American Association of Professional Inspectors in Plano.
“If your house was built during the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s, it probably has one of these breakers. About 90 percent of houses we see from that time have them.”
New York engineer Jesse Aronstein said he has been writing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission for six years, urging that a clear warning be issued.
Aronstein met with the commission most recently in February, saying that fires could be prevented if the commission would update its 1983 statement. The commission now says it is working on a way to make its stance clearer, spokesman Scott Wolfson said.
“If homeowners have been experiencing these incidents, we want them to report them to our agency,” Wolfson said. But he added, “We need to recognize that there was no final conclusion.”
Federal Pacific is no longer in business.
Although the suspect breakers were used in homes constructed by many builders, Fox & Jacobs installed them exclusively in the Southwest up until the mid- to late 1960s, according to a spokeswoman from Pulte Homes, which now owns the company. Fox & Jacobs homes accounted for about 80 percent of homes built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during most of the 1970s.
No one can say how many house fires can be traced back to faults the experts see in the boxes, although fire departments and insurance inspectors say they regularly see fires start there, or start elsewhere in a home because a circuit breaker fails to do its job.
Several engineering experts who have tested the boxes under laboratory conditions have found them to be defective. Potential problems with the Federal Pacific circuit breakers are such that many Texas home inspectors regularly advise home buyers to remove them before a purchase.
But not always. The Clardys’ house, built in 1978, had two previous owners. After the fire, they were surprised to learn the history of the type of circuit breaker that was in their house.
“We had no idea we had a problem” Floyd Clardy said. “No one ever said, ‘Replace the breaker box. This is dangerous.’ ”
“If they had, we would have done it in a flash,” his wife said.
The suspect Stab-Lok circuit breakers were manufactured beginning in 1960 and used through the 1980s by Federal Pacific Electric. Most – but not all – were installed in closets.
The standards set for breakers can be compared to those for automobile brakes.
Brakes should be able to stop a car within a set distance; Circuit breakers should interrupt the electrical current when circuits become overloaded and overheated. This can prevent hazards such as overheating and shocks and at worst a fire.
Aronstein said his two decades of testing showed that more than 25 percent of Federal Pacific circuit breakers are defective in lab settings. The rate could be higher in non-lab settings, engineers say.
Denton engineer Mark Goodson’s consulting firm investigates fires for insurance companies, including the company that insured the Clardys.
“I think they’re dangerous,” Goodson said. “They don’t timely trip. I’ve seen fires caused by these breakers. I’ve seen wires overheat where a Federal Pacific breaker did not trip. If left unchecked the wires can combust and spread to cardboard, paper, clothing.”
For more than 100 years, standards for circuit breakers has been unofficially set by Underwriters Laboratories, a nonprofit groups that tests appliances and sets standards used by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission.
UL electrical engineer John Drengenberg said companies can sell products that don’t have the UL mark, but building inspectors will not pass a new home if something like a circuit breaker doesn’t bear the seal.
The Federal Pacific circuit breakers carried the UL seal, but there have long been questions about whether some or all were properly certified.
A Federal Pacific engineer who resigned in 1978 later wrote the company president with his claim that internal testing found certain breakers defective.
“We found that they would only perform for approximately 1,200 operations of 3,000 required by Underwriters,” he wrote, according to documents that were part of several lawsuits related to the faulty breakers. “At this point, the contacts would become badly burned and excessive temperatures would occur.”
The engineer, J.F. Meacham, cited several other cases where circuit breakers were “cheated” through the Underwriters Laboratories approval process, and he alleged that UL inspectors were paid to “turn their heads,” the document says.
The engineer wrote that the cheating would hurt the company, but no mention was made of possible safety consequences.
“I think you know me well enough to know that I could not turn my back or take part in what I have described in this letter, so I left,” he wrote.
Drengenberg said UL couldn’t comment on the 32-year-old allegations because records do not extend that far back.
If an inspector has heard of the potential hazards of a Federal Pacific circuit breaker, it’s through experience, Charvoz said, not through the federal government.
“There’s a good chance that things will fail later,” even if they’ve worked properly for decades, said Charvoz. “There are electricians out there who say, ‘Don’t change them, it’s OK.’ That’s something that needs to be changed.”
Dallas electricians and home inspectors almost always flag Federal Pacific breakers during inspections because they might be dangerous, home inspector Rudy Ringel said.
Whether people decide to replace the breakers is an issue for the home buyer and seller to determine; it’s not mandatory.
Todd Holmes, a father of two, was remodeling his bathroom when the contractor redoing his electrical system suggested he replace his Federal Pacific electrical box, including the breaker.
“It’s going to be $2,000 or so, but we’re getting it changed to be on the safe side,” Holmes said. “It’s the smartest thing to do.”
How can you tell if your home has a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok circuit breaker?
The faulty breakers would be inside a box in a wall of your home, probably in a closet or in the garage. Inside the panel door would be a label that says “Federal Pacific” or the letters “FPE.” The flaws in the breaker are not visually apparent.
What should you do about it?
Experts say any Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breaker should be replaced. Breakers that have a white dot on the handle were manufactured after a redesign by Federal Pacific. Testing shows they are statistically less likely to fail, but experts still recommend replacement.
How much will this cost?
About $2,000. Replacement should be made only by a qualified electrician.
SOURCE: Dallas Morning News research
Truths and myths of dryer fires
Here’s a frightening claim: Fabric-softener sheets can burn out the heating unit of your clothes dryer and possibly cause a fire. That’s the warning in an e-mail message sent to one of our readers, who asked us whether it’s true.
The short answer is no, though dryer fires are a real hazard and there are ways to protect yourself.
In the e-mail, an unknown author warns of a clothes dryer’s burned-out heating unit. According to a “repair man,” the author writes, the burnout was caused by fabric-sheet film buildup on the lint filter. “You can’t SEE the film, but it’s there,” the author writes. “This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire and potentially burn the house down.” The best way to avoid these problems, according to the “repairman,” is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
But according to Consumer Reports testers, this e-mail mixes a lot of hyperbole with only a few helpful dryer-maintenance tips. At Consumer Reports we’ve tested hundreds of clothes dryers for our ongoing dryer Ratings and recommendations (available to subscribers). CR’s appliance director, Mark Connelly, says it’s possible that over a long period, fabric sheets, fabric softeners, and laundry detergent ingredients contribute to an unseen film or waxy buildup on the dryer lint screen. But “it’s highly doubtful,” he said, “that any such invisible buildup alone leads to heating-unit burnout or a fire.”
Improper dryer vents are a much bigger and more common safety problem. Here are a few tips to keep your clothes dryer running safely and efficiently.
To find the clothes dryer and a washing machine that best meet your needs, see our dryer Ratings and recommendations, and our washing machine Ratings and recommendations. For advice on whether repairing your broken dryer or washer is worthwhile, see our repair or replace report (all available to subscribers).
This is a little bit off the home inspection theme but there is some important information here
Summer safety: 8 myths that put kids at risk
Because that’s when hospitals see a spike in drownings and heat-related accidents.
Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about popular summertime activities:
MYTH: Pool parties are safe as long as adults are around.
FACT: Many drownings happen when adults are close by. The problem is too much commotion. The key is to have a designated adult watching the water because that is where the danger is. The pool should be free of excess toys that can block the view of the water.
MYTH: You don’t have to worry about sunburn on cloudy days.
FACT: You can get a severe sunburn on a cloudy day. Overcast weather, no matter how cloudy, doesn’t affect how much harmful UV exposure someone receives. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises using clothing and hats to avoid sun exposure, particularly for babies younger than 6 months, and applying sunscreen of at least 15 SPF that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before going outside and reapplied every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
MYTH: Heat isn’t a problem until July or August, when temperatures peak.
FACT: Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are more prevalent early in the season, because our bodies haven’t had a chance to acclimatize.
MYTH: Floaties keep little ones safe in the water.
FACT: Floaties are designed for fun, not safety. They give a false sense of security, can deflate and can slip off.
MYTH: The kids will be fine in the pool for the short time it takes to answer the phone or get a cold drink.
FACT: In a minute, a child can go under water. In two or three minutes, the child can lose consciousness. In four or five, the child could suffer irreversible brain damage or die. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for children age 1 to 14, second only to car and transportation-related accidents.
MYTH: Children need to drink only when they are thirsty.
FACT: By the time a child is thirsty, he or she may already be dehydrated. If a child weighs 100 pounds or less, he or she should be drinking five or six ounces of water or sports drink about every 15 minutes.
MYTH: It’s safe to keep kids in car seats when the driver gets out for a quick errand.
FACT: The temperature inside a car can rise quickly in the summer, leading to brain damage, kidney failure and death in minutes. When outside temperatures are between 80 F to 100 F, the temperature inside a car can quickly rise to more than 170 F. With an outdoor temperature of 83 F, internal car temperatures can reach 109 F within 15 minutes, even with windows rolled down two inches. Children are less able to handle extreme heat than adults.
MYTH: Loving parents or caregivers would never forget a child in a car.
FACT: It happens in the United States as many as 15 to 25 times a year from spring through early fall when children fall asleep in the back seat and stressed and preoccupied parents forget them, according to The Washington Post. Products such as the Cars-N-Kids Car Seat Monitor can remind a parent; the $40 device plays a lullaby on sensing a child’s weight after the car has stopped. Experts at KidsAndCars.org also recommend visual cues, including putting a stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied and moving the toy up front in the passenger seat when the child is in the car. The stuffed animal in the passenger seat is a reminder that the child is in the back.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc
Cold weather plant saving tips
If you think you’re cold, consider your plants. Try saving them from this arctic air by acting now.
Here’s advice from John Pipoly, an urban horticulture agent withBroward County Cooperative Extension Service.
- Water: While the sun is still shining, hand water the roots of plants, shrubs and trees, saturating the ground. “When leaves have plenty of water, it helps fight the cold and wind,” he says. “They won’t shrivel and drop as much.”
- Cover: Once you’ve watered the plants, cover them with bed sheets and/or pillowcases. Don’t use plastic bags, ever. “When the sun comes back out, you’ll cook them,” he says.
- Remember that ground temperature is colder than waist-high temperature. So moving plants to the ground is worse than leaving them on a rack or table.
- Natives vs. exotics: Native plants such as sea grape and pigeon plum handle the cold better. Exotics, including hibiscus, plumbago and bridal bouquet, need more protection. Tender plants, such as orchids, belong inside when temperatures dip.
- Fruit trees: If you have semi-ripe fruit on your trees, pick it and place it in paper bags to complete the ripening process. Don’t use plastic; the fruit will rot. The fruit won’t be as good, Pipoly cautions. But it’s better than losing it altogether.
- If tropical fruit already is in flower, such as mangos, mist the flowers or carefully cover them with a pillow case. Otherwise, you’re likely to lose the flowers — and the future fruit.
- If your mango trees or other tropical fruit usually flower in late summer, water them heavily at the roots and protect them with a sheet. Even though you can’t see them, buds probably already have formed. Lose the buds, lose the fruit.
The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances. Estimates are that only 35% of homeowners have a carbon monoxide detector in their home – leaving more than half of all families exposed to this silent killer. For simple steps to avoid CO dangers, see the US Environmental Protection Agency’s article. The Home Safety Council recommends at least one smoke alarm and CO alarm on every level of your home and near sleeping areas. For some reviews of carbon monoxide detectors see this site.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc
Holiday Decoration Safety Hints
The Consumer Products Safety Commission suggests following these tips to make your holiday a safe one.
Trees:
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
Lights:
- Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.
- Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for the intended use.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
- Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
- Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).
- Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
- For added electric shock protection, plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.
Decorations:
- Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
- Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.” Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
Fireplaces:
- Use care with “fire salts,” which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.
- Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Security bars pose a safety hazard in Miami Florida
These bars are on the bedroom window. There is no way to open them. The current code is Dade County states that at least one window in each bedroom should be able to be opened without any special knowledge or special tools. If there were a fire in this home, the people inside would not be able to get out and the fire department would not be able to get in. This is a death trap. For about $150.00 this can be changed so the bars will open and lives can be saved.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc
Drywood termites in Miami Florida
This is a picture of a dry wood termite. Our termite company (we use a third party licensed termite company for our termite inspections) is finding and extraordinary amount of live termites in recent weeks. During a home inspection, we can only report on visible damage. It is important to remember that many times this damage will be hidden and cannot be found without conducting a destructive style inspection, which we are not allowed to do during a normal home inspection. The important thing to remember with dry wood termites is to treat them as soon as you find the problem. Here in South Florida it is not uncommon to see a house get treated every seven to ten years. Every home in South Florida will eventually get termites. Treating will limit your exposure to structural damage.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Garage door electrionic eyes
It always amazes me when I see something like this. Notice the electronic eyes installed on the door opener instead of on the door tracks where they are supposed to be. This is an accident waiting to happen.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc
Washing machine connection
Found this leak on an inspection yesterday. It is the hot water connection to the washing machine. These connections should always be inspected during a home inspection.
It is also a good idea to change the hoses. The manufacturer recommends that these hoses be replaced every five years. Reinforced hoses are better than the rubber hoses shown and will last longer.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.