Federal Pacific Panel Replacement — Long Beach Home

A homeowner in Long Beach reached out after noticing her breakers were tripping every few weeks under normal use. The house was built in 1971. We knew before we arrived what we'd likely find.

What We Found

Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel — 100 amp service, original to the house. These panels are known for breakers that stick in the on position instead of tripping during an overload. The overcurrent protection that's supposed to protect your home simply doesn't work. This one had visible signs of heat damage on two breakers.

The Work

• Pulled permit with the city of Long Beach
• Removed the Federal Pacific panel and meter base
• Installed a new 200-amp Square D panel with arc-fault and GFCI breakers
• Brought the grounding system up to current code
• Passed inspection first visit

The Result

The homeowner went from a panel that was a documented fire risk to a 200-amp service with room to add an EV charger or ADU circuit down the road. Total job: one day. No breakers have tripped since.

If your home was built before 1990 and you haven't looked at your panel recently, it's worth a free inspection. We serve Long Beach and Orange County.