On 7/23/2009 8:38 AM bud-- spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Regarding the thread above about the C-H electric service panel, I'm now
convinced that the holddown screws on the main breakers are required and
should be there.

So this is for a new panel; what about older existing ones? F'rinstance,
my friend with his old Federal Pacific panel (ugh, yes, I know, but it's
working fine); his main breakers are backfed. Should they have holddown
screws? Do such panels even have threaded holes for such screws?

I don't know what FPE uses (or if it ever had anything). One of the weak
points of FPE is that the breakers come unplugged easily. I don't
remember how FPE installs main breakers - I don't remember they had the
unplugging problem.

The main breakers are installed just like all the others: held in at the
bottom under a metal ledge and clipped to the power buses. And I can
attest that these breakers do *not* come unplugged easily. I had a hell
of a time removing one to replace it; had to hook something under the
top of the breaker and pull hard to remove it.

"Working fine" - FPE panels work fine until you need a breaker to trip.
Then the breaker probably will (but maybe won't). The problem was
probably products manufactured 1965-1980. I expect you have seen plenty
of information on FPE.

Yes, I know all about the reported problems with FPE panels.

I've worked on 5 houses on the same block, friends and neighbors. All of
them have FPE panels (whoever sold them in Oakland did a hell of a job
back in the 50s and 60s). None of them have any serious problems. The
breakers in them trip properly on overloads.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism