At my recent inspection that reconnected me -- courtesy of ActiveRain -- with a Realtor that I hadn't worked with for six years, there were two electric panels in the home.
Although the home was built in 1946, the electric system had been upgraded, probably in the mid-1970s judging from all the clues on the property.
Many older homes here in San Diego originally had the electric meter outside and the electric panel inside somewhere, quite often in the master bedroom closet. When properties they were upgraded decades later, the main electric panel was usually moved to an exterior location near the electric meter.
In this 1946 home, a 1970s electric panel had been installed outside at the electric meter, and the panel in the closet was being used as a subpanel. Unfortunately, the closet subpanel was manufactured by Federal Pacific Electric (FPE). FPE panels are known to be problematic, and whenever I find one, I automatically recommend replacing it with a modern panel, and if the panel was in the closet, the electrician can upgrade the location at the same time.
If you are a Realtor taking a listing, or a Seller, or a Buyer, or an Investor, I think the electric panel is something that you should look at before taking the listing, or selling, or buying, or investing. You don't even need to do anything other than look at the panel cover and possibly open it.
For example, here's the exterior of an FPE electric panel:
Here is the inside of the panel when you open the cover:
FPE circuit breakers may fail to trip in response to an overcurrent or a short circuit. A circuit breaker that may not trip does not afford the protection that is intended and required, creating a fire hazard. Simply replacing the circuit breakers might not be a reliable repair.
A common "defense" of the electric panel is that "it's always been there and hasn't caused any problems." Electric panels in and of themselves typically do not "cause any problems." It is the electric components or appliances that typically cause problems, e.g., a short in an appliance, an electric outlet, or a light switch.
Electric panels and circuit breakers are designed to prevent personal injury and property damage in the event of a short (or other problem) by shutting down the electric current to the faulty appliances or electrical components. The fact that there "have not been any problems" simply means that the electric wiring, switches, and outlets; and the appliances using the wiring, switches, and outlets, have not had any problems.
There is no official recall on these panels because the company that made them has been out of business for almost 20 years.
If you see "Federal Pacific Electric," "FPE," and/or "Stab-lok," you know that you have a problematic electric panel. Can you imagine taking a listing and telling the Sellers to replace all their burned out light bulbs and spruce up the place, perhaps having the carpets steam-cleaned or deep vacuumed, only to read the next day about a fire that destroyed the home you were just about to list?
Readers wishing to know more about the specific problems associated with this electric panel can visit the following four web pages:
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Great post with valid info thanks for sharing and enlightening everyone.