Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

The right side appears to be a simple pull-out disconnect, maybe for an AC unit.

I think the main disconnect is the far left pull-out cartridge fuse block, and service size is probably whatever size those fuses are, assuming panel and SEC's are rated for same (hard to tell latter from picts).

(50 days 'till kickoff)

Posted

That's what it looks like to me, i.e., the shutoff on the far right is for an AC or something else.

The left cartridge is the main, the right is usually a "range" circuit, and the 4 oversized fuses are branch.

Posted

The square units above the screw-in fuses are 240 volt fuse pulls or what Kurt called them, cartridges. You would have had to pull that one on the left to actually read the fuse size, thus most likely cutting power to the house. 60 amp is a good guess, but just a guess from what we know.

As Kurt also said, those 30 amp fuses are oversize for the wire size. They should be blue, 15 amp fuses, for #14 gauge wiring.

Posted

Even though the largest size cartridge fuse that will fit in the blocks is 60 amps, these are 100 amp panels. The left fuse block cuts power to the four Edison fuses and the two tap blocks, and the right fuse block is the range circuit. Fairly standard fare for the late 40's - early 50's.

Posted

In my area, I see two different versions, one at 60-amp and one at 100-amp. You can't tell which is which without looking at the panel label, the schematic, or experimenting with pulling fuses.

In the 60-amp version, the upper left fuse block cuts power to the entire panel. In the 100-amp version each of the two fuse blocks are "mains."

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif 60amp_Schematic.jpg

87.46 KB

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif Fusebox 100amp.JPG

72.19 KB

Posted

Curious...Any relation between Federal Electric and Federal Pacific Electric? Jim's 100A is a Federal Electric.

Marc

Same company. In fact the "No Ark" mark was used in later circuit breaker panels.

I've also got some old Federal Pacific electric baseboard heaters if anyone's interested. One of them almost killed me and my wife back in 1990.

Posted

Just ran into some wall mounted electric heaters manufactured by Federal Pacific last week. Didn't even try to test them, just told my client to remove them.

They are a reputable supplier of commercial electrical equipment AFAIK.

I shot these pics a couple of miles west of Sequim, Washington recently.

Click to Enlarge
tn_20127191327_fedpac.jpg

39.45 KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_201271913223_fedpac2.jpg

45 KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_20127191336_bull.jpg

59.81 KB

Posted

Just ran into some wall mounted electric heaters manufactured by Federal Pacific last week. Didn't even try to test them, just told my client to remove them.

They are a reputable supplier of commercial electrical equipment AFAIK.

I shot these pics a couple of miles west of Sequim, Washington recently.

Click to Enlarge
tn_20127191327_fedpac.jpg

39.45?KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_201271913223_fedpac2.jpg

45?KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_20127191336_bull.jpg

59.81?KB

Is that a Federal Pacific Cow in the last picture?

Posted

In my area, I see two different versions, one at 60-amp and one at 100-amp. You can't tell which is which without looking at the panel label, the schematic, or experimenting with pulling fuses.

In the 60-amp version, the upper left fuse block cuts power to the entire panel. In the 100-amp version each of the two fuse blocks are "mains."

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif 60amp_Schematic.jpg

87.46?KB

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif Fusebox 100amp.JPG

72.19?KB

Thanks Jim - I never knew that some of these were truly 60-amp panels.

Isn't that picture of the cow's derriere actually the place where FPE produced their press releases?

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

There is a company called "Federal Pacific Transformer" is a off-shoot of FPE, (They bought the assets of the transformer div.) there is no reason to question the safety of the above company, BTW, the issues were limited to FPE "Stab-Lok" breakers not their fusible or other gear.

Posted

These were commonly referred to as "main, range, and four" panels. As the term implies, they provided for a main disconnect, a range disconnect, and four branch fuses. Seeing four fuses sized at 30 amps would require fusestat adaptors to be installed, sized accoording to the wire sizes for each fuse. This is because we know that the house was not wired with 10 awg wire. The National Electrical Code requires adaptors be installed in a case like this because oversize fuses could no longer be installed.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...