Brand of these breakers?

[Pierre C Belarge]

Learn me sumpin, Pierre. How do you perform maintenance on a conductor?

Is this one 'old dog' teaching another 'old dog'?


What I meant to say, but typed too fast is...the maintenance on the panel, including breaker maintenance...which was most likely never performed.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Thems be Zinsco / in later years they were sold through challenger.
I feel those are the worst of the worst breakers around. The over current is usually well over the stamp on the breaker. The thin version fail all the time and burn up the buss.
The cost for a new Main 100 amp went for about 189.00- 200.00 for a while. There back down now. smaller sizes are about 45.00 -60.00
At that price it's hardly worth keeping them.

 

[dwagener]

Thems be Zinsco / in later years they were sold through challenger.
I feel those are the worst of the worst breakers around. The over current is usually well over the stamp on the breaker. The thin version fail all the time and burn up the buss.
The cost for a new Main 100 amp went for about 189.00- 200.00 for a while. There back down now. smaller sizes are about 45.00 -60.00
At that price it's hardly worth keeping them.

I agree 100%

 

[hurk27]

Those are indeed Zinsco. Here in So Cali we have a ton of those panels.

Breakers are so-so, bus connections are fair to very poor, and replacement breakers are very expensive. Most Zinsco panels have serious wire-bending space issues.


I have seen many bus failures and a few cases of "FPE syndrome" where the breaker would not trip under an overload or fault.

See THIS VIDEO for a graphic demonstration.

Yea I like that video, back fed widow maker generator back feeding a zinco panel:roll:

that is the same panel as in the OP.

They got the name "No Blow Zinsco" for a reason

you have a 2-pole 50 for a range
2-pole 30 for AC
2-pole 20 for oven
1 double 1/2 space 20
1 double 1/2 space 15
1 full space 15
1 full space 20

One remarkable aspect about Zinsco was the ability to change which leg the breaker is on by just relocating the buss clip on the back, you could even do this to have a double pole be on the same phase, why would you, I do not know, but with MWBC's it made it great with the half space ones.
But at the same time was one of the major failure of the installers not looking to see were the clip was when using MWBC's
Oh and don't ever install clips in both slots or it will go boom when pluged in.

The only other one I knew that had this option was the old Square D round buss panels.

 

[zappy]

It doesn't look like there's a disconnect for the main panel. So I guess you would have to pull the meter out.:roll:

 

[tshea]

Thems be Zinsco / in later years they were sold through challenger.
I feel those are the worst of the worst breakers around. The over current is usually well over the stamp on the breaker. The thin version fail all the time and burn up the buss.
The cost for a new Main 100 amp went for about 189.00- 200.00 for a while. There back down now. smaller sizes are about 45.00 -60.00
At that price it's hardly worth keeping them.

Sylvania had a hand in there at one time. But definately Zinsco. I know a guy who used to work there before they were sold....

 

[fisherelectric]

http://www.ismypanelsafe.com/zinsco_damage.aspx Show this site to your customer.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I agree with Pierre about Zinsco's reputation, I don't see any more failures with these panels than any other ones out there and we have a bunch of them in this town. And if you are seeing a large failure rate you have to look at the numbers, a lot of them were installed and a lot of them are probably over 30 years old, so of course it will seem like you see more failures.

 

[Sierrasparky]

I agree with Pierre about Zinsco's reputation, I don't see any more failures with these panels than any other ones out there and we have a bunch of them in this town. And if you are seeing a large failure rate you have to look at the numbers, a lot of them were installed and a lot of them are probably over 30 years old, so of course it will seem like you see more failures.

Yes there maybe lots of them out there but I see many more failures of Zinsco than others. The time to trip seems greater. I see them many times over loaded and holding at 1 and 1/2 times the rating. Boy and the spark they make if you short one out. I used to think they were the kind to have. not anymore.

 

[Sierrasparky]

It doesn't look like there's a disconnect for the main panel. So I guess you would have to pull the meter out.:roll:

THat green one is a 100 amp. It's a early panel.

 

[mivey]

Let me be the first to say:
Zinsco

Well, maybe not the first::grin:

Mother has these plus aluminum wiring (early 70's house). Never had a problem at her house, but have seen many others with a melted bus from a bad connection.

 

[norcal]

Zinsco Electrical Products was bought by GTE in the early 1970's, they later rebranded it as Sylvania, which later became Challenger Electrical Equipment Corp., Westinghouse bought Challenger which they continued as a separate line until Westinghouse bought the CBS television network & decided to become a media company, the Westinghouse product line was sold to Eaton who then folded it into their Cutler-Hammer div. The Challenger line & the Westinghouse safety switch line was sold to T&B, after that things get murky.......

Zinsco/Sylvania gear has been obsolete for a long time, for a brand that was favored by lowballers it's time for a upgrade now, the best place/use for Zinsco is in a scrapyard.