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Why Do My FPE Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping?
FPE circuit breakers and other brands often trip repeatedly when certain conditions are present. Many are quick to blame the circuit breaker or home electrical wiring, but a bit of investigation often shows the real cause to be user-related. If you have installed FPE circuit breakers yourself and notice recurring problems after installation, it's possible you didn't tighten them properly. You may need to shut off the power and have another look at your installation.
A related problem comes when using a new appliance. If you have installed a small refrigerator or air conditioner in a rec room or garage, you may notice tripping when using power tools or other motorized equipment. The FPE circuit breakers trip more often because the combination of the new appliance and the motorized equipment running at the same time is too much for your electrical system. You may need to turn off the air conditioner when running a vacuum cleaner, for example, or run the vacuum on an extension cord from another room. The fault is usually not with the FPE circuit breaker in these cases, even though it appears to be so.
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What are the Numbers On The Mains?
When you open the circuit breaker box to replace your Federal Pacific breakers, you'll see two circuit breakers with numbers printed on them. These are the main circuit breakers, connected to the power cables which supply electricity from the power company to the whole house. The numbers printed on these circuit breakers indicate "amp capacity" or how many amps the circuit is rated to handle. For modern residential services you will see amp capacity of at least 100 amps, but often more. 150 is quite common, but there are also electrical panels and circuit breaker mains rated at between 200 and 400 amps. Older homes may be equipped with 60 amp circuit breakers, but for modern electrical needs this is usually considered insufficient.
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When I Turn the Mains Off, Is There Still A Hazard?
When you purchase and install FPE circuit breakers, the first thing you learn from reading a set of installation instructions is to make sure the power is completely off at the circuit breaker box. Turn the main circuit breaker to the off position and you kill power to the whole house. Are you ready to install your FPE circuit breaker safely at this stage?
Yes and no. Before you do the installation is is very important to use a volt meter to make absolutely certain there is no power coming to the electrical panel. Never assume that turning off the mains has actually stopped the flow of electricity until you can verify it with the volt meter. To properly install your FPE circuit breakers, you need to connect wires to the ground bus bar and the neutral bus bar. If any current is flowing, an electrocution hazard is present. The only way to tell is by using the volt meter.
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Do I Need High Voltage Circuit Breakers?
Some appliances and devices sold for in-home use draw a lot of current. A tanning bed or hot tub may require modifications to your existing home electrical system in order to work properly. If you notice your FPE circuit breakers tripping regularly when using a hot tub or other system, you may need to upgrade.
Some people use the term "high voltage circuit breaker" when trying to explain to an electrician what they want, but you don't need to look for an FPE circuit breaker with a high voltage rating. High voltage circuit breakers are not designed for in-home use. They are made to handle loads of 72,000 volts or more and require special monitoring. A true high voltage circuit breaker is too heavy to be moved without equipment. If you have installed a hot tub, you may require a hard-wired, ground-fault circuit interrupter-protected 220-240 volt/50 amp circuit. Other items such as tanning beds have their own specific requirements.
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What are "Mains"?
If you have never replaced your Federal Pacific breakers before, the thought of opening and working in your circuit breaker box can be quite intimidating. The circuit breaker box, also known as the electrical service panel, is the heart of your home's electrical system. You will need to know how to access this box sooner or later, so it's good to get familiar with it.
When you open the breaker box you will see a set of FPE circuit breakers (or whichever make and model are used in your home) which are assigned to various parts of the home. At the top of the series are two circuit breakers called "mains". The mains are connected to the power cables from the electric company--the main flow of electricity, hence the name. The mains are your first line of protection in case of a power surge caused from outside the home. If there is a lightning strike in your area, the mains will trip to prevent the surge from flowing through the entire electrical system.
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What is a "Vintage" FPE Circuit Breaker?
When you search for Federal Pacific breakers, you may run across descriptions of "vintage" models. A vintage FPE circuit breaker is basically the same thing as an obsolete model--these are circuit breakers which were manufactured in the past, but are no longer made. If you need vintage FPE circuit breakers, don't despair--there is a large market for obsolote and used models. Just because your specific breaker isn't made anymore doesn't necessarily mean those models are in short supply. Many companies, including Relectric.com, are in the habit of buying vintage circuit breakers in bulk to cater to their customers who still need those obsolete Federal Pacific breakers.
If you have a supply of used or unused obsolete circuit breakers, ask your customer service rep if there is a store credit or cash offer for your makes and models. You may be able to turn a supply of used or unwanted circuit breakers into money in the bank or a set of replacement circuit breakers you can actually use.
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What is an FPE Air Circuit Breaker?
An FPE air circuit breaker uses compressed air to kill the electrical arc when the circuit breaker interrupts the flow of electricity. In some cases the contacts that keep the current flowing may be shifted into a sealed chamber to break the circuit. Like other circuit breakers, an FPE air circuit breaker can be reset to restore the flow of electricity. If the breaker was tripped because of a one-time problem such as a power surge, you shouldn't see repeated activation of the air circuit breaker. If there is a problem causing repeated tripping of the FPE circuit breaker, investigate the cause of the problem. Is it caused by too many devices trying to draw power at the same time? Or by a normal load aggravated by the use of an air conditioner or compressor drawing a larger-than-normal load? If you encounter repeated "nuisance trips" of your circuit breaker, these are some of the likely suspects.
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