ABR Electric, a licensed electrical services company serving Plano and the surrounding Collin County communities, is drawing attention to the continued presence of older Federal Pacific electrical panels in thousands of North Texas homes built between the 1960s and the 1980s.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, more than 45,000 homes in Plano were constructed during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. That figure includes roughly 25,450 homes built in the 1980s, about 16,250 in the 1970s, and around 3,700 in the 1960s. These decades align with the years when Federal Pacific panels were commonly installed in new construction.
The panels drew federal scrutiny in 1983, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated reports that certain breakers did not always pass safety tests. The agency closed the case without ordering a recall and did not declare the panels fully safe. Decades later, home inspectors and electricians across Texas continue to encounter the equipment. One Plano inspector reported in 2010 that roughly 90 percent of the 1960s-to-1980s homes he examined still contained these panels, while another Texas inspector found them in about 11 percent of all homes checked.
Against that backdrop, ABR Electric is emphasizing the availability of Federal Pacific Panel Replacement services for homeowners who want to update older equipment. The company notes that the City of Plano requires a permit to replace an electrical panel and that many replacements happen when properties change hands or when insurance carriers request an upgrade. Exact replacement totals are not published by the city.
"Homeowners in older neighborhoods often do not realize what is sitting behind their panel cover," said Nathan Tiner, COO of ABR Electric. "The government never issued a recall, but many insurance companies and local experts still take these panels seriously. The reasonable step is simply to have a licensed electrician look at the label and confirm what is installed."
ABR Electric encourages residents to check their panel labels for the words Federal Pacific, FPE, or Stab-Lok, particularly in homes built between 1960 and 1989. The company recommends that homeowners consult a licensed electrician, speak with their insurance provider, and ask about the panel during any home inspection when buying a property.
"A panel change is a planned, straightforward project when it is handled correctly," Tiner said. "Grounding, whole-home surge protection, and a proper safety disconnect are part of doing the job to code. The team walks each client through the options so they can make an informed decision about their own home."
As one of the licensed Plano TX Electricians working across Collin County, ABR Electric serves communities including Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Prosper, and Celina. The company is a partner of Schneider Electric, a Tesla Certified Installer, and an Authorized Generac Dealer. Its services include panel upgrades, EV charger installation, generator installation, dedicated circuits for high-power appliances, smoke detector installation, and whole-home surge protection. ABR Electric handles the associated city permits and inspections for its projects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxzVF6ukmTA
ABR Electric is based in McKinney, Texas, and provides electrical services to homes and businesses throughout the region.
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For more information about ABR Electric, contact the company here:
ABR Electric
James Adams
214-690-1941
support@abrelectric.com
1912 University Business Dr #406, McKinney, TX 75071, USA