If your home in Aiken, SC was built between the 1950s and the late 1980s, there is a real chance your electrical panel could be a Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok model. These panels were once one of the most widely installed brands in America. Millions of them went into homes across the country, including right here in the CSRA.
The problem is that decades of independent testing, government investigation, and court rulings have shown these panels have a serious defect: the circuit breakers frequently fail to trip when they should. That single failure can turn an electrical overload into a house fire.
Here is what every Aiken homeowner should know about Federal Pacific panels, how to tell if you have one, and what your options are.
What Makes Federal Pacific Panels Dangerous?
Circuit breakers exist to do one job: cut the power when a circuit is overloaded or a short circuit occurs. When a breaker trips properly, it stops the flow of electricity before wires overheat and ignite surrounding materials. It is the last line of defense between a minor electrical issue and a fire inside your walls.
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers fail at that one job at an alarming rate. Independent testing of over 3,000 FPE breakers found failure rates between 51% and 80%, depending on the breaker type and test conditions. For comparison, the typical failure rate for breakers from other manufacturers is less than one hundredth of one percent.
To put that in perspective: when you flip a light switch, plug in a space heater, or run your dryer, you are trusting your breaker to protect your home if something goes wrong. With a Federal Pacific panel, there is roughly a coin-flip chance that protection will not be there when you need it.
Research published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2012, along with extensive independent testing by electrical engineer Jesse Aronstein, estimates that FPE Stab-Lok panels contribute to approximately 2,800 residential electrical fires, 13 deaths, and $40 million in property damage every year in the United States.
How Did This Happen?
Federal Pacific Electric sold Stab-Lok breakers from the 1950s through the early 1980s. When Reliance Electric purchased FPE in the late 1970s, they discovered that FPE had been using deceptive practices to obtain Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety certification for the Stab-Lok design. The breakers were not actually meeting the safety standards they were certified for.
Reliance fired senior FPE executives, sued the previous owners, and UL withdrew certification from the Stab-Lok breaker. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) opened an investigation in the early 1980s and confirmed that FPE breakers failed key safety tests. However, the CPSC closed the investigation in 1983 due to Reagan-era budget cuts, without ever issuing a recall.
In 2002, a New Jersey Superior Court ruled that Federal Pacific Electric had "knowingly and purposefully distributed circuit breakers which were not tested to meet UL standards." Despite that ruling, and despite the CPSC confirming the test failures, no official recall has ever been issued. That means there was never a mandatory notification to homeowners. Estimates suggest over 25 million FPE panels are still installed in homes across the country today.
How to Identify a Federal Pacific Panel in Your Home
Your electrical panel is typically located in a garage, basement, utility room, or on an exterior wall. Here is how to check if yours is a Federal Pacific model:
Look for the name on the panel door or cover. The most common identifiers are the words "Federal Pacific Electric," "FPE," "Federal Pacific," or "Stab-Lok" printed on the panel label, the door, or the interior sticker. Some panels also carry the names "Federal Pioneer," "Federal Electric," or "Challenger," which used the same Stab-Lok design.
Look at the breaker toggle switches. FPE Stab-Lok breakers are distinctive. They are typically thin, with narrow toggle handles, and the breaker bodies are usually black or occasionally brown or gray. The toggles are noticeably smaller and thinner than modern breaker switches.
Check for a red stripe. Some FPE panel doors have a distinctive horizontal red or orange stripe across the face of the panel cover.
Do not open the panel yourself. If you cannot identify the panel from the exterior labels, do not remove the panel cover. The interior of an electrical panel carries live voltage that can cause serious injury or death. A licensed electrician can safely open the panel and identify the manufacturer, breaker type, and bus bar design.
If you are unsure whether your Aiken home has a Federal Pacific panel, a professional inspection takes about 30 minutes and gives you a clear answer.
What About Replacement Breakers?
Some homeowners ask whether they can simply replace the old FPE breakers with new aftermarket Stab-Lok replacement breakers instead of replacing the entire panel. This is not a reliable solution.
Aftermarket replacement breakers designed to fit the FPE Stab-Lok bus bar have also shown elevated failure rates in independent testing. The problem is not limited to the individual breakers. The panel's bus bar design, the connection mechanism, and the overall architecture all contribute to the hazard. Industry experts, including Aronstein, consistently recommend full panel replacement rather than breaker swaps.
Additionally, because FPE Stab-Lok panels no longer meet National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements, installing new breakers into an FPE panel does not bring the system into compliance with current safety standards.
What Should You Do If You Have One?
If you confirm or suspect your home has a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel, here is the straightforward path forward:
Get a professional inspection. A licensed electrician will confirm the panel type, assess the overall condition of your electrical system, and document any visible signs of overheating, arcing, or deterioration. This inspection also identifies whether your panel has adequate capacity for your current electrical demands.
Plan for a full panel replacement. The recommended solution is a complete panel upgrade to a modern, code-compliant electrical panel. This replaces the FPE panel, the bus bar, and all breakers with new equipment from a reputable manufacturer. A standard 200-amp panel upgrade for a home in Aiken, SC typically takes one day to complete and includes coordination with the local utility for the temporary disconnect and reconnect.
Consider the insurance and resale impact. Many homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina are aware of the FPE hazard. Some charge higher premiums for homes with Federal Pacific panels, and some will not write new policies for homes with known defective panels. If you plan to sell your home, a Federal Pacific panel will almost certainly be flagged during the buyer's home inspection. Replacing it proactively removes a negotiation point and demonstrates that your home's electrical system is safe and up to date.
Why This Matters for Homes in Aiken
Aiken has a large inventory of homes built during the exact decades when Federal Pacific panels were most widely installed. Neighborhoods throughout Aiken, Graniteville, and North Augusta include homes from the 1960s through the 1980s that have never had their original electrical panels replaced. Many of these homes have also added electrical loads over the years, including HVAC systems, modern kitchens, home offices, and entertainment systems, that push older panels harder than they were originally designed to handle.
The combination of a defective panel and increased electrical demand is exactly the scenario where breaker failure becomes most dangerous. If you live in an older home in the Aiken area and have never had your electrical panel inspected, it is worth checking.
Next Steps
Unity Power & Light provides comprehensive electrical panel inspections for homeowners in Aiken, SC and the surrounding CSRA area. If you want to know whether your home has a Federal Pacific panel, or if your current panel is safe and adequate for your needs, we can give you a clear, written assessment.
If a panel replacement is needed, we handle the entire process: permitting, installation, utility coordination, and final inspection. Every job is done to current NEC code and backed by our commitment to doing the work right the first time.