different stab lok

[John Dirks Jr]

I saw a different kind of Stab Loc breakers than I'm used to seeing. In addition, the cover on this sub did not seem to fit right over the breakers. To tighten the screws all the way would smash the breakers back into the panel. The second picture shows overspray paint lines where the panel cover once rested. In that picture, the panel face is flush tight against the breakers but not fully seated against the enclosure.

Do these type of Stab Loks have the same concerns as the red ones?

Why would this cover not fit right? Are the breakers wrong for the enclosure?

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[John Kogel]

You say it is a subpanel, so that bare grounding wire to the neutral bus is wrong. It should just go to the panel housing.

I can't speak for the breakers, as they don't look familiar to me.

They appear to be antiques from the 50's, so just as unreliable as any breaker past its prime.

[AHI in AR]

John--

I can't tell for sure by looking at your photos, but your breakers may be in an earlier style panel known as a Noark. If so -- or even if not -- the breakers are the same defective junk. Stab-lok is still crap, no matter the panel nomenclature.

P.S.

NOTE TO ALL INSPECTORS: Most cameras have an easily accessible setting for macro focus. In other words, close-up shots. We can tell a WHOLE lot more if this setting is selected where it's appropriate--as in John's last shot.

[John Dirks Jr]

John--

I can't tell for sure by looking at your photos, but your breakers may be in an earlier style panel known as a Noark. If so -- or even if not -- the breakers are the same defective junk. Stab-lok is still crap, no matter the panel nomenclature.

P.S.

NOTE TO ALL INSPECTORS: Most cameras have an easily accessible setting for macro focus. In other words, close-up shots. We can tell a WHOLE lot more if this setting is selected where it's appropriate--as in John's last shot.

Yup, the panels had No Ark labeled on them.

My shots are taken with Panasonic IA (intelligent auto). Most of the time it gets it right all by itself. All I have to do is take one with the flash and one without then decide which one looks better. Sometimes I aid my no flash shots with a bit of light from my flashlight. Angling the light to make it ambient seems to work best.

[Tommyjay]

Hard to tell from the pics, but I think your second question about wrong for the enclosure is right. How did the breaker labels match up to the panel label?

Tom

[John Dirks Jr]

Hard to tell from the pics, but I think your second question about wrong for the enclosure is right. How did the breaker labels match up to the panel label?

Tom

I didn't get that far into it. The main panel was a Stab Lok with mix matched parts too. Sparky will be on his way to fix the whole mess soon.

[Jim Katen]

On a lot of those older FPE load centers, the panel was mounted on spring-loaded screws within the enclosure. By turning these screws you could move the entire panel assembly in and out to fine tune the way that the breakers would meed the deadfront.