Zinsco Panel Covers

[jmellc]

Anyone in central NC recently replaced any Zinso meter/panel combos? I need 2 outer covers. Recently did a service call at an apt building with 2 outdoor panels. Both missing outer cover, 1 missing dead front, totally exposed. I found the dead front nearby, got it secured & covered both best I could with plastic sheeting. A metal shop wants $150 to make 2 covers.

These are 14 1/8 wide by 14 5/8 tall, "shoebox rim on sides & bottom.

Thanks for any help. I have calls out to Southland also.

 

[Sierrasparky]

I'd replace the panels

 

[Joethemechanic]

Just replace them. if not, well,,,,


If the customer is too cheap to spend 150 bucks, get away from them. You are never going to make any money anyway. I paid 20 bucks for a pizza last night. that is less than 8 pizzas.

And if you think about their missing cover problem for an hour and a half, you are already in the hole for 150.

 

[jmellc]

You have a point, but it's a rental house; management co. is the customer. I know they won't pay $150 for covers, but tenants need the protection.

As far as my thinking time, I have wasted thinking time on far less worthy endeavors, believe me.

 

[growler]

You have a point, but it's a rental house; management co. is the customer. I know they won't pay $150 for covers, but tenants need the protection.

The property management company will pay whatever it cost because my first call would be the utilities.

If there is no cover on the meter that means there is no seal and the utilities will shut the power off an then it really gets expensive.

This is also a hazard that can be reported to the Fire Marshals Office and the inspection department. :happyno:

Don't just leave that equipment with some plastic covering it because now it's your responsibility. If you can't fix it right it's best not to touch it ( that way you are not involved ).

 

[Joethemechanic]

My mom had a couple of apartment buildings that she put in the hands of a management company. The landscapers they used were top notch.

The electrician showed up in a 15 year old station wagon with aluminum ladders tied to the roof with clothesline.

I see where management companies priorities lie

 

[Fulthrotl]

Anyone in central NC recently replaced any Zinso meter/panel combos? I need 2 outer covers. Recently did a service call at an apt building with 2 outdoor panels. Both missing outer cover, 1 missing dead front, totally exposed. I found the dead front nearby, got it secured & covered both best I could with plastic sheeting. A metal shop wants $150 to make 2 covers.

These are 14 1/8 wide by 14 5/8 tall, "shoebox rim on sides & bottom.

Thanks for any help. I have calls out to Southland also.

150 is what my stainless guy charged me for the last two panel flanges
i had made.... so the price seems reasonable......

and "they won't pay that" isn't really the case.... with stuff like this, sometimes
i've put a copy of the sheetmetal guys invoice with the bill, and put no markup
on it.

they will pay for it. they have no choice, really. if they won't fix it, you have no
choice but to report a public safety hazard to the local building department.

if i were left with that choice, i'd tell the property management company
that i have no choice but to report an unsafe situation, to limit my own
liability.

with a certified letter.

someone gets hurt, and you *will* get sued.

honest.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I used to keep every old panel I took out, just in case I ever needed parts. Seems I never did. That is until I threw away all of the old panels that I had stored for years.:roll:

 

[Cow]

I used to keep every old panel I took out, just in case I ever needed parts. Seems I never did. That is until I threw away all of the old panels that I had stored for years.:roll:

Our shop is the same way. You don't need it for years, and then two weeks later....:roll:

The only exception is we never throw out meter base parts!!! I can't count how many times that pile of parts has saved my butt!

 

[hurk27]

I used to keep every old panel I took out, just in case I ever needed parts. Seems I never did. That is until I threw away all of the old panels that I had stored for years.:roll:

Murphy's law, you never need anything you have until you no longer have it:happysad:

I have a supply house here that not only never throws anything away, but even buys old panels and parts just to keep around, for most things that I can't find they will have it, and sell it very cheap, its in an old 5 story school building and each floor is organized for different items, kind of neat.

PM me and I can send you their contact info, but make sure you have the correct info on what you need, they do have all the old catalogs for most of the older stuff, so they can look it up by part numbers or cat#

 

[ActionDave]

The only exception is we never throw out meter base parts!!! I can't count how many times that pile of parts has saved my butt!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Strathead]

Key word outside

Key word outside

If I were the local inspector, I would not allow a locally manufactured cover unless it was UL listed. The NEC requires UL listing on Watertight enclosures whether metal or nonmetallic. You may want to check.

 

[hurk27]

If I were the local inspector, I would not allow a locally manufactured cover unless it was UL listed. The NEC requires UL listing on Watertight enclosures whether metal or nonmetallic. You may want to check.

Can you tell me where you find that, I read 408.16 or 408.37 and it refers me to 312.2 to which neither states anything about needing a UL listed cover in a damp or wet location?

 

[Joethemechanic]

To tell you the truth, I think to fabricate a couple of covers, 150 bucks is cheap. And if they fit properly, I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep over them.

 

[jmellc]

To tell you the truth, I think to fabricate a couple of covers, 150 bucks is cheap. And if they fit properly, I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep over them.

I got a slightly better price at another shop, $60 each. I told him to make them. But not that long ago, I was getting them made for about $50 or less. Same place made small metal shelves for credit card scanners, cooking eqpmt monitors, etc. All that was fairly reasonable. The motto now is "turn around & bend over".

 

[cowboyjwc]

I got a slightly better price at another shop, $60 each. I told him to make them. But not that long ago, I was getting them made for about $50 or less. Same place made small metal shelves for credit card scanners, cooking eqpmt monitors, etc. All that was fairly reasonable. The motto now is "turn around & bend over".

Maybe he's just upselling.

 

[jmellc]

I picked up the covers the other day. They didn't even make them right. I had sent a drawing with notes. They put a rim on all 4 sides instead of 3 & cut the hasp slot on the edge of the bottom rim (?!). I showed him what I needed. He took back to shop & had them cut the top rim, all good. But said they didn't have a way to cut the slot properly. I told him I'd do it myself & that I couldn't believe a sheet metal shop couldn't cut a slot. Last time I'll use them. At least they did get the measurements right.

 

[Strathead]

Can you tell me where you find that, I read 408.16 or 408.37 and it refers me to 312.2 to which neither states anything about needing a UL listed cover in a damp or wet location?

I reviewed and I am sorry, I misspoke. Here is why. Artcle 376 requires metal wireways in wet locations to be listed. This was the section I was thinking of. I then expected to find it in 110 dealing with enclosures. I didn't Can anyone here explain why wireways must be listed, but electrical boxes and enclosures for electrical equipment do not?

Again, sorry for the confusion and thank you for challenging it.

 

[GUNNING]

Im confused, the management company will pay for a new custom mfg cover and dead front for obsolete equipment that will cost more than new equipment?

Don't walk but RUN to the door. When the breakers stop working sounds like they will blame you and get you to fix it for free also.

Have they considered duct tape and plastic? How cheap can they get you to fix it for? Make it a game. Give them a list of as many fixes as you can think of listed in decreasing order of cost.

When they pick one that will be your value to them.

Be a professional, give them the replacement value upfront. New equipment, labor costs reasonable, inspected, and time frame. Put it number one on the list and make them give you a work order specifying their choice. Leave all labor units the same on all the listed items.

 

[jmellc]

Im confused, the management company will pay for a new custom mfg cover and dead front for obsolete equipment that will cost more than new equipment?

Don't walk but RUN to the door. When the breakers stop working sounds like they will blame you and get you to fix it for free also.

Have they considered duct tape and plastic? How cheap can they get you to fix it for? Make it a game. Give them a list of as many fixes as you can think of listed in decreasing order of cost.

When they pick one that will be your value to them.

Be a professional, give them the replacement value upfront. New equipment, labor costs reasonable, inspected, and time frame. Put it number one on the list and make them give you a work order specifying their choice. Leave all labor units the same on all the listed items.

We're talking 2 covers vs a service change, how do you see the covers as more than service changes? The dead fronts are already there. One was missing & I found it in the grass nearby. I retapped the screw bracket to 1/4 20 and reinstalled it with a new bolt.

I already knew their thinking on costs from pricing jobs for them before. They may fuss about it but they will pay for the covers. I told them when I billed the 1st job there that I had covers on order.