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
Roof Leak
This house had a 6 year old clay tile roof. It was in good condition except for a couple of crack tiles that could be seen when we got up on the roof. After close examination of the exterior walls, we found these stain marks on the front porch. There are also other stain marks to the right of these that cannot be seen in this picture. This is evidence of a leak at the valley or tranistion in the roof. The repair here is about $1400.00. It is important that your home inspector understand roof systems and know how to inspect them properly. This can save you a lot of money down the road by knowing what condition your roof is in and fixing the problem rather than waiting and letting it get worse.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspecxxtion Team Inc
Seawalls
Some of you will be fortuante enough to by on a canal that will have a seawall. My client on this seawall had no idea that it is part of the property and that it is her responsibility to maintain it. This seawall is undermined and is falling into the canal. It probably will have to be rebuilt, which will cost about $20,000.00. It is important that your home inspector be able to recognize this and properly report it.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Air Conditioners
This is a common problem with air conditioners. People change the filters by they forget to check the coils. Dirty coils like this do not allow for proper air flow across the coils, which will result in a less efficient unit and higher energy costs. On average, the coils should be removed and cleaned about every five years. The cost to do this is about $400.00. We will always, as home inspectors, write this up, because the unit is now not functioning in the manner in which it was inteneded to. They say that we should always report temperature drops on the AC unit. I will not do so under these conditions because the drop reading in now inaccurate due to the dirty coils.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Pool Bonding
This is something that we find missing on a lot of pools. There is supposed to be a bond wire attached to the pump motor. 95% of the time it is visible and attached to the outside of the moter. You can see in the picture that there is no wire at the bottom of the motor where the screw is. Without proper bonding the pool water can become electrified which can result in shock or death. Have you ever heard of someone touching the pool latter or railing on the steps and they get a tingling feeling. This is the result of improper bonding.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Roof damage
This is a common roof problem in the Weston area. There is a small transition area that cannot be seen in this picture on the roof. The result of this leak is easily seen by the damaged fascia and weed growing from the fascia. This repair will cost about $1200.00 to repair. There was the same type of leak on the other side of the home. The total repairs to the roof was estimated at $2400.00.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Shower wall damage
The back wall of this shower is damaged. The tiles are pushing in and the wall board is soft. Because this is a molded pan, the repairs will cost about $600.00. If there had been a vinyl shower pan here the repairs woudl have been over $2000.00.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
Fix it now? Fix it later? A useful guide to prioritizing household problem
Published: 8/11/09, 1:45 PM EDT
By Shaila Wunderlich
For many homeowners, tackling that annoying and ever-present home-repair list is a perennial resolution. But the recession has more homeowners facing a tough question: What do we fix now, and what can we put off until later?
At the top of Joe and Mary Ellen Smith’s list was fixing the built-in electronic air purifiers in their Andersonville, Ill., home. Then came floods that caused $10,000 worth of water and sewer damage. Suddenly, the purifier-replacement job seemed neither urgent nor feasible.
“That would have cost around $1,000 to fix, something that would have been easy enough to do back then,” Joe says. “But now that job is way, way, way down on the list.”
Putting jobs off is becoming a more popular option. In the last year, Ron Cowgill has observed work slowly skidding to a stop at his Glenview, Ill., business, D/R Services Unlimited – that’s both in his remodeling department and what he calls his small-projects division, which covers everything from changing light bulbs to replacing shower doors.
“Windows aren’t being replaced as fast, old doors are getting weather-stripped instead of being replaced, electrical work is getting done one section at a time, rather than whole houses at a time,” Cowgill says. “I had one homeowner whose heating ducts aren’t put on properly, but the heat still comes out, so they’re putting that repair off indefinitely.”
We asked several contractors, remodelers and builders for what should be at the top – and the bottom – of a homeowner’s to-do list. Here’s what they advise:
WHAT CAN’T WAIT
Water, water, anywhere
Nothing does more damage in the least amount of time than water: “Nothing does more damage in the least amount of time than water,” says Dawn Tuskey, owner of IHM Remodeling Repair Contractors in Downers Grove, Ill. Water can show up through any number of routes, from a flooded sump pump to leaky or broken toilets to condensation-riddled windows, doors and roofs. Whatever its route, know this: The cost of repairing water damage will never be less than at the moment it is first spotted.
Sewage system or septic tank failure
Woe to those who ignore the gurgling of an angry sewage system: What started as a “glug, glug, glug” emanating from the toilet in Debbi Bobbitt’s Vernon Hills, Ill., condo manifested a year later as a shallow lake of the building’s collective raw sewage spread across her kitchen and dining room not once but twice. Had she not ignored those original symptoms, she may have saved herself the $2,600 she paid to replace the kitchen and dining room floor – twice – not to mention being displaced from her home for more than a month.
Those who’ve never experienced the wrath of an angry sewage system should not feel like they have dodged all problems. “Sump pumps and ejector pits should be checked regularly,” says Lou Manfredini, host of “Mr. Fix-It” on WGN Radio, Chicago, with more tips online at www.home improvement minutes.com.
Extensive mold
All homes have mold, but for some even a little is too much: Mold is a must-go for the health risks it poses. “If you have any sort of allergies or sinus problems at all, living with that stuff is going to hurt,” Tuskey says. But Tuskey qualifies that statement by pointing out that nearly all homes have some degree of mold, and that not all “black stuff” is mold. When in doubt, call in a mold remediator to assess the situation.
Overcrowded outlets or antiqued wiring
Overplugged electrical systems present tremendous fire hazards: One fix is affordable; the other quite costly. Because both problems are fire hazards, they must be attended to. An insufficient number of outlets, tangles of extension cords, and surge protectors plugged into extension cords are all signs of overtaxed electrical. Adding outlets shouldn’t cost more than around $100 per outlet, according to Tuskey. “It’s relatively affordable and it will prevent your house from burning down, so just do it,” she says. Updating wiring to match code, though a much bigger job, is equally crucial to a home’s safety. Depending on the age of the house and the state of its wiring system, an update can easily run into the thousands of dollars.
Faulty or non-existent smoke detectors
Cut your risk from fire in half: There’s a reason daylight-saving time is used as a cue for checking the functionality of smoke detectors. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the death rate in homes with smoke alarms is 40- to 50-percent lower than in homes without alarms. These days, there are more reasons to pay attention to detectors. Some villages are mandating that a home’s smoke detectors be wired together. New radio-frequency models forego the need for professional electrical installation, cutting the cost by as much as several thousand dollars.
“The average life of these units is about seven years,” Manfredini says. “If you’re not sure, replace them.”
WHAT CAN WAIT
Crumbling soil base around a house
Consequences can be merely cosmetic: According to Michael Menn, principal of Design Construction Concepts in Northbrook, Ill., a deteriorating soil base around the perimeter of a house is an increasing phenomenon in Chicago as the region continues to trudge its way through a decade-long drought. Though the eventual consequences can be extreme (sinking, cracking and separating foundations) and the solution extremely expensive (minimum $20,000 for yard regrading), the big-picture problem is sometimes only cosmetic. “It can affect the resale of a house,” Menn says. “It’s happening in my own house; there’s a huge crack in the wall. I plan to tackle it over the next year or two.”
Punctured gutter
A simple test can tell you when a gutter has to go: One or two small holes in a gutter don’t necessarily call for immediate replacement. “It won’t look pretty, but a quick fix of seam sealer or roof tar can get you through a couple months,” Manfredini says. But “if you put your finger over one hole and two or three more leaks spring out, it’s time to replace,” Tuskey says. If you don’t, then you are looking at water problems – and that is a must-fix.
Chipped or peeled paint
A prime, if temporary, solution to protect exposed wood: Most paint needs fall into the cosmetic category. In general, all cosmetic changes can wait to be fixed – at least for a year or two. Just don’t put it off indefinitely. Exterior wood left exposed to the elements will deteriorate over the long run. “If the weather is cooperating, I’d put a coat of primer on the bare spots to protect it for a few months,” Manfredini says.
Some roof damage
Small problems can be patched while you save for the big job that’s coming: Tickets don’t get much bigger than that of a new roof, which can run tens of thousands of dollars. While a leaky or structurally unsound roof is dangerously urgent, smaller-scale problems, such as a few shriveled shingles, can be taken as a sign that the roof is in its twilight years. Address the smaller problem and begin saving up for the big job in a year or two down the road.
Broken or dead appliance
Just how critical is the wheezing washer? These are about as urgent as a homeowner perceives them to be. If other, more urgent to-dos abound, a home can certainly function without a working dishwasher until the more important problem has been addressed, “especially if it hasn’t stopped working completely,” says Lonny Rutherford, 2008 Chairman for the National Association of Home Builders.
When in doubt, remember this: Anything that threatens the life or health of a home’s inhabitants is an immediate priority. Anything cosmetic can wait.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida home Inspection Team Inc.
Independent home inspections are crucial for would-be buyers
Would-be home buyers who come across unoccupied houses in their search for for their dream home should be extra careful.
Homes aren’t cared for all that well even when they are lived in, according to independent home inspectors. When it comes to regular maintenance, owners tend to be lax about changing the filters in their furnaces and air conditioners, fixing leaky faucets and repairing balky doors and windows.
But when a house is empty, all kinds of problems can occur. And when a house is in the throes of foreclosure, those issues are magnified.
Bargain-priced properties in foreclosure represent an opportunity but also a danger for unassuming buyers.
Even if the last owner left the property with its walls and plumbing intact, it still pays to be extra careful. An example: When a house is closed up for too long, mold can grow. And not just behind the walls, but out in the open as well.
In a humid climate, or in a house where the water hasn’t been turned off and there are leaky faucets, mold can be extensive. And when a house is boarded up, the situation is exacerbated. Inspectors say they have seen homes covered in black mold after just a few weeks of being unoccupied.
Of course, the mold can be eliminated with proper ventilation and can be cleaned up. But the chore could be expensive and time-consuming.
Whether or not the last owner moved out willingly, when a house has been empty for an extended period, it is common for inspectors to find leaking valves, gaskets and appliances.
No matter how large or small or expensive the house, every plumbing fixture and appliance has at least one valve, gasket or hose that can dry out if the item in question is not in use. That causes gaps that can result in leaks or even floods when a new owner moves in.
Moreover, if the sewer trap is allowed to dry out it could allow methane gas to back up into the house.
Then there’s the problem of unwelcome guests — human and otherwise. Empty houses are often the targets of vandals or thieves looking to steal anything that has an ounce of resale value, and squatters have been known to occupy such homes until they get the boot.
The handiwork of vandals is readily evident — graffiti spray-painted on the walls, for example — but thieves rip out everything from the kitchen cabinets to plumbing fixtures, from wiring and sometimes even structural elements without any regard to the ancillary damage they might cause.
If such damage goes undetected by a would-be buyer, the new owner could be in for some major headaches.
Insects, rodents and small animals such as raccoons can cause as much or even more damage. Even when vermin make themselves at home for a relatively short period, they can leave fleas behind and their droppings can cause unsanitary conditions.
Problems with blocked or damaged waste and sewer lines are common in houses that remain empty for too long. The longer the vacancy, the worse the damage can be.
Obviously, it pays to hire an independent home inspector to examine an empty house, or at least base your offer on a satisfactory inspection. It also pays to hire an examiner to review an occupied house. At the same time, here are some red flags that you can spot on your own before you get to that point:
* Extension cords. A snake pit of wires running hither and yon from wall outlets to lamps, radios, TV sets and desktop computers could be a sign of an outdated electrical system. If that’s the case, the house could require an entire electrical upgrade to meet your needs. A home inspector should be able to tell you whether a new panel and wiring is needed or that additional receptacles will suffice.
* Water pressure. If you turn on the faucet and the water seems to just drip, or you hear a gurgling sound, it could be evidence of a problem with older galvanized piping or inadequate piping. In many cases, sections of piping can be replaced to correct the problem, but sometimes a completely new plumbing system is called for.
* Foundation cracks. For the most part, vertical cracks are within normal settlement tolerances, but horizontal cracks are not. A horizontal crack generally results from hydrostatic pressure against the home’s foundation, and correction will often involve excavation and drainage provisions as well as repairs to the wall itself.
If horizontal cracking is evident, several structural engineers should be consulted to ascertain the extent of movement as well as corrective measures. Opinions often vary when it comes to structural elements, so it is best practice to get several opinions.
* Wall or ceiling stains. Any stain should be further evaluated to determine the cause and extent of any possible hidden damage. A good home inspector will search for the cause as well as test the stain using a moisture meter to determine whether or not it is active.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc.
REQUIRED BUILDING PERMITS IN MIAMI GARDENS
This is taken from the Miami Gardens web site:
- fence construction
- shed installation
- screen enclosures
- installation of a patio slab
- gazebos
- roofs
- room additions
- docks and seawalls.
Many interior alterations also require a permit such as;
- electrical wiring
- drywall
- plumbing changes
- water heater installations
- doors and windows to name a few.