Sylvania Electrical Panel

mtnelect said:
Let's start with "Zinsco" ... I remember seeing "Zinsco" buss-bar replacements being offered at electrical wholesale houses many years ago, but never bought one. I have replaced several panels in the past with the clips burned.
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I had a set of plated copper Zinsco bus bars from a early 1960's panel I saved for a while, they went out as #2 copper scrap, from that time on back they used plated copper bus, have no clue as to when the aluminum bus was introduced, but the Vietnam war, was ramping up in that time period, leading other products to shave costs like 10AWG. & 12AWG NM sheathed aluminum, that later proved not so thrifty.
 
curt swartz said:
That loadcenter is not the original Zinsco design, it uses type C and A breakers. The same basic breakers as the current Eaton BR line.

As long as the bussing is in good condition there is no hazard or reason to change the loadcenter itself.

If there are currently 1/2" thin/twin breakers installed they have been know to have failures where they plug on to the buss. The 1/2" breaker was a cool idea for being able to make what ever combination for breakers needed in the field. The issue was since the side clip was exposed it could easily get bent from handling between when it was manufactured and finally installed.

I would tell the insurance company that the loadcenter is fine and just replace all the breakers with new Eaton breakers.
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Question from a retired sparky: Just wondering if any locations make you go with AFCI circuit breakers when only replacing all of the circuit breakers in a house. When I purchased my house 50 years ago it only had 5 single pole breakers & a two pole for the central AC. I replaced that panel with a 42 circuit panel then a subpanel in the garage.Have natural gas for everything. Often thought that If they wanted AFCI breakers I would be combining several circuits to only have to spend maybe $500 for ten AFCI breakers. To replace the 47 circuit breakers to AFCI probably would cost over $2,000 going by big box store prices.
 
I asked my county that once, they just said, it's probably too hard with MWBC and who knows what, so they don't require it, but I am sure they could change their minds at any moment.

I have a clause in my contract for changes required by inspector and whatnot. There are just way too many gray areas where the way we used to do it suddenly is no longer good enough, even though we lose a lot of jobs by bidding higher to do it in a more modern compliant way, there are still things that could pop us and arc faults are one of them.
 
Birken Vogt said:
I asked my county that once, they just said, it's probably too hard with MWBC and who knows what, so they don't require it, but I am sure they could change their minds at any moment.

I have a clause in my contract for changes required by inspector and whatnot. There are just way too many gray areas where the way we used to do it suddenly is no longer good enough, even though we lose a lot of jobs by bidding higher to do it in a more modern compliant way, there are still things that could pop us and arc faults are one of them.
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Neither the NEC or CEC requires AFCI's for panel replacements unless extending the circuits over 6'. If a local jurisdiction requires AFCI's they would need to prove the State of CA approved their amendment.
 
curt swartz said:
Neither the NEC or CEC requires AFCI's for panel replacements unless extending the circuits over 6'. If a local jurisdiction requires AFCI's they would need to prove the State of CA approved their amendment.
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One such bona fide ammendment is in Oakland which requires AFCIs for 'new and upgraded panels'. And inconsistently enforces it.
 
jaggedben said:
One such bona fide ammendment is in Oakland which requires AFCIs for 'new and upgraded panels'. And inconsistently enforces it.
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I have never understood why the state allows these local amendments like this when they don't meet the requirements as shown below.

Local amendments to building standards, including amendments to adopt model code appendix chapters or make changes to appendix chapters, require express findings for each amendment, addition or deletion based on local climatic, topographical or geological conditions, and environmental conditions in the case of amendments to the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen, Part 11 of Title 24).
 
curt swartz said:
Neither the NEC or CEC requires AFCI's for panel replacements unless extending the circuits over 6'. If a local jurisdiction requires AFCI's they would need to prove the State of CA approved their amendment.
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I was not specifically referring to AFCIs but any number of gray area wobblers that could interpret either way.
 
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