Last year many people were caught off guard when the the worst snow storm in sixty years hit. You don't have to be unprepared this year.

Casey's Plumbing will do a complete "winter preparedness" evaluation FOR FREE, with any work done through February 15th, 2010.

This evaluation will include a complete inspection of the foundation vents and outside faucets. These are the top two areas that go unprotected and cause ruptured pipes during a hard freeze.

It doesn't matter that the pipes in your crawl space are insulated if the foundation vents aren't blocked. With the freezing wind whipping under the house, the insulated pipes will still freeze; it will just take a little longer.

The other most common problem that leads to freeze disasters are outside faucets that haven't been properly winterized. Many people develop a false sense of security because they have "turned off the outside faucet". For a modern outside faucet, turning off it's service valve is only the first step. There are as many as 3 more important steps you need to take to properly winterize these outside faucets.  See October's Newsletter for detailed instructions.

So don't put it off another minute! If you're not absolutely sure that your home is properly "winterized", get it checked out today! It could save you thousands in repair bills.

FPE Stab-Lok(R) Circuit Breakers Fail to Trip
High failure rate: The central safety defect in FPE Stab-Lok(R) electrical equipment is that FPE Stab-Lok(R) circuit breakers fail to trip under overload or short-circuit conditions, at a failure rate much higher than comparable equipment made by other producers. This failure to trip occurs up to 80% of the time when the breakers are called-on to trip, depending on the individual breaker type and load. The usual industry rate of failure of a circuit breaker to trip in response to an over current or short circuit is much less than 1%.

Risk of fire or injury: When an overload or short circuit occurs in an electrical device, say an electric clothes dryer, the circuit supplying electricity to the device is supposed to be interrupted, electrical power cut off, by either a fuse or a circuit breaker. This interruption of electrical power is intended to minimize the resulting fire hazard of electrical overloads or short circuits.

A circuit breaker that fails to trip, is unsafe. It fails to protect the electrical circuit, the building and building occupants where that circuit breaker is installed. This can lead to fire, property loss, and injury or worse.

FPE Stab-Lok(R) Circuit Breakers Are a Latent Safety Hazard.
A "latent safety hazard" means that the product itself does not initiate the unsafe condition. Rather, when the unsafe condition occurs (as just described above), the product, in this case an FPE Stab-Lok(R) circuit breaker, which is intended to interrupt electrical power, fails to do its job.

An impartial review of documentation regarding this issue, and discussions of the issue with forensic experts in the field, make clear that a latent hazard exists where FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers continue in use. The hazard is worst for double-pole breakers. Published reports of actual tests that were performed indicate that under certain conditions it is possible for one leg of these circuits to attempt to trip the breaker, resulting in a jammed breaker which will afterward not trip under any load condition.

An FPE Stab-Lok Electrical Panel Should Be Replaced, not "Inspected by an Electrician" and not "Tested".

Having the FPE Stab-Lok panel evaluated by an electrician is unfortunately of absolutely no value. A visual inspection can not predict whether a circuit breaker is going to jam on the next occurrence of an overcurrent or short circuit. While a visual might pick up evidence of a previously burned circuit breaker or panel bus connection, the absence of such evidence is not any assurance whatsoever that the panel is safe.

Having the FPE Stab-Lok panel "tested" by an electrician is dangerous. For example, placing an over current load on an electrical circuit in the building could cause a fire to occur. Further, placing an over current load on a circuit "protected" by an FPE Stab-Lok circuit breaker may actually increase the chances that the circuit breaker will fail to trip in the future, even if it appears to work when tested. Aronstein's research showed a dramatic increase in the jam-up and failure rate in these circuit breakers after they had been exposed to a first "event" such as an over-current.

"But Up to Now the Electrical Panel has Never Shown a Problem!"

A statement by a building owner or occupant that no problem has been observed in a particular FPE Stab-Lok panel is absolutely no assurance that the panel is safe. It may simply be the case that the building has not experienced an over-current or short circuit on an electrical circuit. Or an over current may have occurred, tripped a breaker, but in doing so, increased the chance that next time the same breaker will fail to trip.
It would be dangerous for a building seller, for example, to warrant the future safety of an electrical panel in the building s/he is selling.

It would be dangerous for a building buyer to rely on the claim by a seller, real estate agent, or electrician that an FPE Stab-Lok electrical panel is "safe" since all independent research indicates otherwise.

If it's an FPE Stab-lok electrical panel, it should be replaced, period.


It's the exceptions that cause fires. An FPE circuit breaker will appear to "work just fine" in passing along current to the circuit it feeds, until there is an over current, short circuit, or similar condition. When those exceptional conditions occur, this equipment fails to protect the circuit and the building from overheating and fires, in some cases at a failure rate around 60% of the time. I estimate that the normal industry failure rate on circuit breakers is less than .01%.

Consumers should read and follow the Commission's advice regarding circuit breakers. But this advice is insufficient. The Commission's admonition to avoid overloading circuits and to turn off and have examined devices which seem to be creating a problem is a poor substitute for reliable, automatic, overcurrent protection. It is precisely because dangerous conditions can and do occur without adequate recognition and action by a consumer that circuit breakers and fuses are installed to provide overcurrent protection in the first place.
Therefore it is hardly an adequate "fix" for FPE breakers to just tell consumers to handle these cases manually.

It is possible that some breakers may perform with adequate reliability, possibly those manufactured after the companies discovered safety defects and improper practices in listing the product, and possibly those manufactured in Canada. However, in absence of an explicit statement from the manufacturer and/or the US CPSC indicating that newer stock equipment is defect free, and considering that defects occur in both breakers and the panels themselves, and finally, that testing showed failures in both in-use equipment and new off-the-shelf devices, my advice to consumers and electricians is that these panels be replaced with newer equipment, particularly those which use 240-volt double-pole breakers described in the literature. In my opinion, if a fire or other hazard occurs with this device, neither the manufacturer nor the Commission, who have suggested in the press release that data was inconclusive or inadequate to establish a hazard, will accept responsibility for losses that may ensue.

However a building inspector, home inspector, or contractor who makes any warranty of safety, by virtue of his/her position close to the consumer, is certain bear this very liability.
So Is There an FPE Stab-Lok(R) Safety Problem or Not?
Current research now confirms the safety hazards of FPE Stab-Lok(R) equipment and documents its failure rates.

Using a larger pool of FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers than the older CPSC and Wright Malta tests found significantly higher failure rates of FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers, including a look at critical safety failures (breaker failed to trip at 200% of rated current or jammed) which found:

• 80% failure rate for FPE Stab-Lok GFCI circuit breakers (n=4)
• 12% failure rate for double pole FPE Stab-Lok circuit breakers (n=120)
• 1% failure rate for FPE Stab-Lok single pole circuit breakers (n=345)

[The significance of these numbers can be understood more clearly if you consider that the typical failure-to-trip rate for circuit breakers in residential electrical panels is a small fraction of one percent.

How Did These Unsafe FPE Stab-Lok(R) Circuit Breakers Get Into Homes?

"In a class-action lawsuit against FPE/Reliance in New Jersey, the Court found that Federal Pacific Electric Co. (FPE) committed fraud by representing that their FPE Stab-Lok(R) circuit breakers met the applicable (UL) standard test requirements when in fact they did not. The Court's finding of fraud, published in 2005, indicates that FPE cheated on the tests that were required to obtain UL listings. The company improperly applied UL labels to circuit breakers that could not and did not meet the UL requirements. FPE covered up the defective performance of the circuit breakers by a long standing practice of fraudulent testing.

The Court's finding helps resolve the question as to how the defective breakers got into the marketplace and into homes."

-- 2007 FPE Stab-Lok TECHNICAL REPORT, p.1, Dr. Jess Aronstein [available at this website].Companies, Attorneys, Realtors, Home Sellers, Home Buyers with Conflicting Interests.

A home owner who intends to continue living in a home, or someone buying a new home, has a great interest in assuring that the home's electrical system is properly protected and safe, as does their insurance company. However in some circumstances such as wanting to push through the sale of a home without incident, or wishing to avoid admitting potential liability, or perhaps out of lack of accurate information, some people may still assert that this well-documented safety concern does not exist.

Some insurance companies now require that their policy holders replace FPE Stab-Lok(R) equipment in the home before they will issue homeowners insurance for the property.

Not sure if your panel is safe?

Another resource to check is, ismypanelsafe.com

FOR QUESTIONS, CALL THE BEST

 
During the first quarter of this year, many companies like ours, fell victim to the slowing economy and needed to take drastic actions to avoid laying off some really great employees.

Indeed, our technicians really are some of the best of the best and they would be very hard to replace once the work picks up. More importantly, these fine employees who have relied on us for so long to support their families would suffer greatly from the loss of income. But thanks to our wonderful and loyal clients, we are almost back on our feet again.

We therefore are going to discontinue our "Recession Discounts", February 28th 2010.

 
Customers routinely ask me about the benefits of a Diamond Club Plus membership and whether they should bother purchasing one, especially after we just installed a new system or performed a major repair in their home. My answer, of course, is a resounding "yes."

People are busier than ever these days, myself included. Procrastination is human nature. We all know we should get the car in for a tune-up or visit the doctor for an annual check- up. But how many of us wait until the last minute to make the call, or worse yet, until something goes wrong?

Most plumbing and electrical systems are not as complex as an automobile or the human body - though to some, they may seem that way - but the benefits of preventive maintenance are just as valuable. Just like auto tune-ups and medical check-ups, our service agreements were created with prevention in mind. Most plumbing and electrical problems don't develop overnight. They can almost always be detected months or years in advance. A Diamond Club Plus membership gives our plumbers the opportunity to inspect your system, detect problems and provide solutions long before disaster strikes. We'll even contact you when it's time for your check-up.

"... how many of us wait until the last minute to make the call, or worse yet, until something goes wrong?"

A Diamond Club Plus membership is a small investment that can yield tremendous savings. Note: monthly dues accumulate and can be used for future work; thus the plan is FREE! As a preferred customer, you're entitled to priority scheduling, discounted service calls-20%, extended warranties, and peace of mind knowing the plumbing and electrical system in your home has been frequently and properly maintained. We get to know you and your systems, meaning we'll always be prepared to handle your maintenance needs.

So why not try a Diamond Club Plus membership?
We think you'll agree that it's a comfortable fit.

• $269 in Free service! Every year we inspect your home's plumbing and electrical system to ensure that there are no catastrophes on the immediate horizon.
  
• You go to The Front Of The Line! When a Diamond Club customer calls in, they move to the head of the line regardless of what is on the board.
  
• You get 20% off any work done! *This one is huge! This even applies to water heaters, faucets and other repairs that you may need. *Excludes larger bid type work.
  
• Your membership is FREE!Every dollar you pay will accumulate in your private account that can be used for any future work done. For example; If you have paid in $14.95 a month for 10 months, you will have accumulated just under $150 that can be used for ANY plumbing or electrical expense.
  

Call 503-253-0030
to become a member today!