# Unusual FPE Breaker



## Meteredsilence (3 mo ago)

Somebody, tell me what is going on here. I found this FPE Stablock breaker on a panel change out and I am perplexed to say the least. What would be the purpose for a two pole breaker with a 60 amp rating on one handle and a 40 amp rating on the other? This Federal breaker is not modified in any way.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Whats the big deal? Would never trip anyways even it was 40 on both poles lol
Think you found a one of a kind . Ebay collectables, here you come


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## GraybarEric (3 mo ago)

Never seen that before, cool find.


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

not fpe, but have seen breakers like that


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## CMP (Oct 30, 2019)

Meteredsilence said:


> Somebody, tell me what is going on here. I found this FPE Stablock breaker on a panel change out and I am perplexed to say the least. What would be the purpose for a two pole breaker with a 60 amp rating on one handle and a 40 amp rating on the other? This Federal breaker is not modified in any way.
> View attachment 169886


What is going on here? A poor joke. Brand new poster, saying its not modified in any way. With a user name of Meteredsilence sounds like a jester that got banned. You could of at least put those new stickers on in the same orientation to make it a bit more believable or are we supposed to believe it’s a 40A and a 09A? If the stickers were placed a bit more precision, it would make it more believable and blow some of that accumulated dust over them. But really the 40 sticker is upside down, but better placed than the 09 one.

Nice scam though.


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## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

(60+40)/2=50

Must be a 50....

Math checks out above... 🤣


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I assume it is a factory screw up with the labelling. Unfortunately without loading the breaker you can't know if it is a 40 or a 60. I don't it is both.


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## Meteredsilence (3 mo ago)

CMP said:


> What is going on here? A poor joke. Brand new poster, saying its not modified in any way. With a user name of Meteredsilence sounds like a jester that got banned. You could of at least put those new stickers on in the same orientation to make it a bit more believable or are we supposed to believe it’s a 40A and a 09A? If the stickers were placed a bit more precision, it would make it more believable and blow some of that accumulated dust over them. But really the 40 sticker is upside down, but better placed than the 09 one.
> 
> Nice scam though.


It is no prank though it is funny. Your amusing disbelief is understood because this breaker is truly an oddity. Enjoy!!


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## Meteredsilence (3 mo ago)

Dennis Alwon said:


> I assume it is a factory screw up with the labelling. Unfortunately without loading the breaker you can't know if it is a 40 or a 60. I don't it is both.


That's what has been assumed. Being as these are notorious for not tripping, we could never know. Might trip the transformer cut-out before the breaker.


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## Meteredsilence (3 mo ago)

Kevin said:


> (60+40)/2=50
> 
> Must be a 50....
> 
> Math checks out above... 🤣


LOL it was on an electric range so... Perfect!


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## Meteredsilence (3 mo ago)

readydave8 said:


> not fpe, but have seen breakers like that


Where? What is the purpose? Or was it a factory screwup you've seen?


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

Meteredsilence said:


> Where? What is the purpose? Or was it a factory screwup you've seen?
> View attachment 169959


yes factory screwup, seen at least 2 on counter of SH house at different times, but don't remember if I've seen anywhere else


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

CMP said:


> What is going on here? A poor joke. Brand new poster, saying its not modified in any way. With a user name of Meteredsilence sounds like a jester that got banned. You could of at least put those new stickers on in the same orientation to make it a bit more believable or are we supposed to believe it’s a 40A and a 09A? If the stickers were placed a bit more precision, it would make it more believable and blow some of that accumulated dust over them. But really the 40 sticker is upside down, but better placed than the 09 one.
> 
> Nice scam though.


I looked on line and all these series of that breaker are one up text and one down.

On a theory side could it be made for a MWBC? 2 single phase loads that need to trip at the same time. 
If the neutral was sized for the 60A side would it be wrong?


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

I’ve seen the same issue on 2 pole Eaton breakers and Sq D QOs. It’s exceedingly rare, but not unheard of. If it were any other brand I would say you can’t trust which way the mistake was made and you need to just replace it. On an FPE Stablok I wouldn’t bother, because the entire panel needs to be replaced anyway.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

just the cowboy said:


> I looked on line and all these series of that breaker are one up text and one down.
> 
> On a theory side could it be made for a MWBC? 2 single phase loads that need to trip at the same time.
> If the neutral was sized for the 60A side would it be wrong?


Don't be ridiculous.They were for sideways mounted panels.


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## Luckyed (3 mo ago)

CMP said:


> What is going on here? A poor joke. Brand new poster, saying its not modified in any way. With a user name of Meteredsilence sounds like a jester that got banned. You could of at least put those new stickers on in the same orientation to make it a bit more believable or are we supposed to believe it’s a 40A and a 09A? If the stickers were placed a bit more precision, it would make it more believable and blow some of that accumulated dust over them. But really the 40 sticker is upside down, but better placed than the 09 one.
> 
> Nice scam though.


Hey. You seem to be able to spot some crap. Is this an old door bell in a basement? I have no idea.







Sorry for adding to another post. But figured fastest answer was finding a person that knows something instead of them finding my post.


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## CMP (Oct 30, 2019)

Luckyed said:


> Hey. You seem to be able to spot some crap. Is this an old door bell in a basement? I have no idea.
> View attachment 170113
> Sorry for adding to another post. But figured fastest answer was finding a person that knows something instead of them finding my post.


Thats an old MaBell telephone service entrance block. Surge suppressor.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

I've been waiting for at least one of you clowns to get the right answer but so far............lol. 

That breaker is designed for a combination range/receptacle multi-wire branch circuit. 

The range is 40 amps so one leg is 40. The receptacle is 20 amps so the 60 leg is for both......40 + 20 = 60..........

Simple logic......lol.


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

micromind said:


> I've been waiting for at least one of you clowns to get the right answer but so far............lol.
> 
> That breaker is designed for a combination range/receptacle multi-wire branch circuit.
> 
> ...


so why is one of them upside down?


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## CMP (Oct 30, 2019)

micromind said:


> I've been waiting for at least one of you clowns to get the right answer but so far............lol.
> 
> That breaker is designed for a combination range/receptacle multi-wire branch circuit.
> 
> ...


I want you to show us a stove that has a 20A outlet on the range top clown master ….

or a breaker handle nomenclature that is upside down, of any vintage, including bolt on variety?


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

CMP said:


> I want you to show us a stove that has a 20A outlet on the range top clown master ….
> 
> or a breaker handle nomenclature that is upside down, of any vintage, including bolt on variety?
> 
> View attachment 170144


Wow!! That's a lot of fire starters in one place! Careful showing off that pic though, you may get put on a terror watch list...


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Almost Retired said:


> so why is one of them upside down?


As far as I know, every FPE 2 pole has one number opposite the other. One is upside down, the other is right side up.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

CMP said:


> I want you to show us a stove that has a 20A outlet on the range top clown master ….
> 
> or a breaker handle nomenclature that is upside down, of any vintage, including bolt on variety?
> 
> View attachment 170144


I didn't state that the outlet had to be part of the range........lol.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

CMP said:


> or a breaker handle nomenclature that is upside down, of any vintage, including bolt on variety?


Well, you've got boxes of upside down breakers. Why do you need to see more?


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## CMP (Oct 30, 2019)

micromind said:


> As far as I know, every FPE 2 pole has one number opposite the other. One is upside down, the other is right side up.


Thats why I went and pulled out some of my junk collection, but nobody seemed to notice. Every two pole breaker in that collection has the nomenclature reversed, including the bolt on and the legacy models that have white molded in nomenclature. But none of the clowns noticed. I went and pulled them out to look for myself, because I never payed much attention to it before.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Me too.


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## frankendodge (Oct 25, 2019)

Could it have been used as the main on a small utility provided water heater and furnace service?
I've seen fused setups long ago where the poco had provided a second service t different rate for rented water tanks and heating equipment.
Generally they were sized just large enough so you can't add anything else to it without tripping.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

micromind said:


> I've been waiting for at least one of you clowns to get the right answer but so far............lol.
> 
> That breaker is designed for a combination range/receptacle multi-wire branch circuit.
> 
> ...


See post 13


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

CMP said:


> I want you to show us a stove that has a 20A outlet on the range top clown master ….
> 
> or a breaker handle nomenclature that is upside down, of any vintage, including bolt on variety?
> 
> View attachment 170144


How many do you want to see with upside down printing?


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

Oh look... Brand spanking new and still one side is upside down! Breaker cases are back to black again.


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## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

Meteredsilence said:


> Somebody, tell me what is going on here. I found this FPE Stablock breaker on a panel change out and I am perplexed to say the least. What would be the purpose for a two pole breaker with a 60 amp rating on one handle and a 40 amp rating on the other? This Federal breaker is not modified in any way.
> View attachment 169886


it's a 50 ?


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## CMP (Oct 30, 2019)

just the cowboy said:


> How many do you want to see with upside down printing?
> 
> View attachment 170211


I showed a box of them in post #20, both bolt-on and push in type.


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## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

wcord said:


> Whats the big deal? *Would never trip anyways *even it was 40 on both poles lol
> Think you found a one of a kind . Ebay collectables, here you come


Great point... my old Jman always said that you can weld with them!


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