Robert Jones Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Sorry, Don't run into fuse boxes much. Is this a main throw on the right and a 60amp service? Click to Enlarge 40.19?KB Click to Enlarge 58.56 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 The right side appears to be a simple pull-out disconnect, maybe for an AC unit. I think the main disconnect is the far left pull-out cartridge fuse block, and service size is probably whatever size those fuses are, assuming panel and SEC's are rated for same (hard to tell latter from picts). (50 days 'till kickoff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted July 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Thanks Jerry. All 4 fuses were 30 amp. IO added another pic. Bear Down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 That's what it looks like to me, i.e., the shutoff on the far right is for an AC or something else. The left cartridge is the main, the right is usually a "range" circuit, and the 4 oversized fuses are branch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 The square units above the screw-in fuses are 240 volt fuse pulls or what Kurt called them, cartridges. You would have had to pull that one on the left to actually read the fuse size, thus most likely cutting power to the house. 60 amp is a good guess, but just a guess from what we know. As Kurt also said, those 30 amp fuses are oversize for the wire size. They should be blue, 15 amp fuses, for #14 gauge wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Hansen Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Even though the largest size cartridge fuse that will fit in the blocks is 60 amps, these are 100 amp panels. The left fuse block cuts power to the four Edison fuses and the two tap blocks, and the right fuse block is the range circuit. Fairly standard fare for the late 40's - early 50's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 In my area, I see two different versions, one at 60-amp and one at 100-amp. You can't tell which is which without looking at the panel label, the schematic, or experimenting with pulling fuses. In the 60-amp version, the upper left fuse block cuts power to the entire panel. In the 100-amp version each of the two fuse blocks are "mains." Download Attachment: 60amp_Schematic.jpg 87.46 KB Download Attachment: Fusebox 100amp.JPG 72.19 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Curious...Any relation between Federal Electric and Federal Pacific Electric? Jim's 100A is a Federal Electric. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 19, 2012 Report Share Posted July 19, 2012 Curious...Any relation between Federal Electric and Federal Pacific Electric? Jim's 100A is a Federal Electric. Marc Same company. In fact the "No Ark" mark was used in later circuit breaker panels. I've also got some old Federal Pacific electric baseboard heaters if anyone's interested. One of them almost killed me and my wife back in 1990. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmeriSpecguy Posted July 19, 2012 Report Share Posted July 19, 2012 Just ran into some wall mounted electric heaters manufactured by Federal Pacific last week. Didn't even try to test them, just told my client to remove them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted July 19, 2012 Report Share Posted July 19, 2012 Just ran into some wall mounted electric heaters manufactured by Federal Pacific last week. Didn't even try to test them, just told my client to remove them. They are a reputable supplier of commercial electrical equipment AFAIK. I shot these pics a couple of miles west of Sequim, Washington recently. Click to Enlarge 39.45 KB Click to Enlarge 45 KB Click to Enlarge 59.81 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Just ran into some wall mounted electric heaters manufactured by Federal Pacific last week. Didn't even try to test them, just told my client to remove them. They are a reputable supplier of commercial electrical equipment AFAIK. I shot these pics a couple of miles west of Sequim, Washington recently. Click to Enlarge 39.45?KB Click to Enlarge 45?KB Click to Enlarge 59.81?KB Is that a Federal Pacific Cow in the last picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 He's a lonely bull. I don't know if he does circuit testing for FPE, but they had 600 volts on the wire fence. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Hansen Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 In my area, I see two different versions, one at 60-amp and one at 100-amp. You can't tell which is which without looking at the panel label, the schematic, or experimenting with pulling fuses. In the 60-amp version, the upper left fuse block cuts power to the entire panel. In the 100-amp version each of the two fuse blocks are "mains." Download Attachment: 60amp_Schematic.jpg 87.46?KB Download Attachment: Fusebox 100amp.JPG 72.19?KB Thanks Jim - I never knew that some of these were truly 60-amp panels. Isn't that picture of the cow's derriere actually the place where FPE produced their press releases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norcal Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 There is a company called "Federal Pacific Transformer" is a off-shoot of FPE, (They bought the assets of the transformer div.) there is no reason to question the safety of the above company, BTW, the issues were limited to FPE "Stab-Lok" breakers not their fusible or other gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Holt Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 These were commonly referred to as "main, range, and four" panels. As the term implies, they provided for a main disconnect, a range disconnect, and four branch fuses. Seeing four fuses sized at 30 amps would require fusestat adaptors to be installed, sized accoording to the wire sizes for each fuse. This is because we know that the house was not wired with 10 awg wire. The National Electrical Code requires adaptors be installed in a case like this because oversize fuses could no longer be installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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