A homeowner in Happy Valley came to Heritage Electric with a recalled Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) panel, a known fire hazard tied to breakers that fail to trip during an overload and can arc internally without warning. With arcing already showing up in the panel, replacement wasn’t optional, it was urgent.
The Challenge
Federal Pacific panels were widely installed in homes for decades before testing showed a serious defect: many of their breakers simply don’t trip when they should, leaving circuits energized during a fault. Combined with active arcing inside this panel, the risk of an electrical fire was real and immediate. The homeowner needed a full panel replacement, not a patch or a partial fix.
The Approach
Heritage Electric removed the recalled FPE panel entirely and installed a new 150-amp residential panel built to current code. Every circuit was re-terminated in the new panel, breakers were sized and matched correctly to each circuit, and the full system was tested before power was restored. The larger 150-amp capacity also gives the home more headroom for future additions like EV charging or a heat pump, not just a like-for-like swap.
Why It Matters
A recalled panel with arcing breakers is one of the more serious situations a homeowner can face. Federal Pacific panels remain in thousands of homes, and most owners don’t know their panel is one of them until an electrician flags it. Replacing it removes the fire risk and brings the home’s electrical service up to modern safety standards and capacity.
Project Result
The home now runs on a new 150-amp panel with correctly matched breakers and no lingering fire risk from arcing components. It’s the kind of upgrade that doesn’t show up in day-to-day use, but matters every single day the panel is under load.
