Old Zinco Meter/main Panels

[hurk27]

This is somthing that I ran into and havent seen in a while and thought I should post it so others will know not to do this.

If you ever run into an old Zinco meter/main panel that is made for trailers and campers the one with the 50 amp 240v 4-wire receptacles on the front, under the slide up cover. "DONT EVER REMOVE THE COVER" without turning off all the breakers as this panel has a stab on the neutral for the branch feeders that when you remove the cover the neutral is lost but the hots are not and you will float the neutral and cause alot of damage to the customers appliances.

I dont know why this type of panel was ever allowed but it was. and is a very dangerous panel.

Maybe I should of posted this in safty but I wanted it to be read thats why I posted it here.

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Old Zinco Meter/main Panels

The person that designed that panel must be that same person that was designing the combination service entrance devices for Square D, Zinsco and FPE we use here on the west cost. Most of these panels that are about 40 years old have a dead front that is held in with screws at the bottom and after the screws are removed you tilt the dead front and pull down. The problem is the 2 busses that run from the meter socket to the main breaker are not insulated and are placed very close to the dead front. When you tilt the dead front it comes in contact with these busses and you get a big surprise. There is no way of knowing this is going to happen since you can't see the busses until the dead front is removed.

 

[cm]

Re: Old Zinco Meter/main Panels

I rember old timers telling me the guy who owned zinsco worked for sq d before going on his own .There feed thru breaker and molded case switches plugged on there busses if you see 4 lugs on a zinsco breaker plugged in a panel 2 probabbly are hot with the breaker off ,also look for amperages on the handles or orange tags so you dont hook up to somepthing with no overcurrent protection

[ May 11, 2003, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: cm ]

 

[bennie]

Re: Old Zinco Meter/main Panels

Zinsco made a commercial line of floor standing panels. The side gutter cover would short out when removing it, as described above.

This is a good example of product testing failure.

I doubt if any of these panels are still in operation. They look like the Iraq tanks after a hellfire missile strike.

[ May 11, 2003, 07:14 AM: Message edited by: bennie ]