Zinsco Panel

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

monitaverma

Member
hi

Is Zinzco panel is unsafe to work?
Is new circuit breakers is available to replace the existing in Zinsco Panel ?


Thanks
 
zinsco

zinsco

I have found the bus bars to burn up when they get old and save parts to fix others at an apartment complex I service. When I cant get them to change the service. You can still get replacement breakers.
 
monitaverma said:
hi

Is Zinzco panel is unsafe to work?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Strictly my approach:
1. The only way of determining if the Zinsco panels is safe (in lieu of a recall or other action by a governing body) would be by testing, which can be costly.
2. These panels were utilized in the 70's and maybe into the 80's (just a SWAG). Which puts their life a 25-38 years old.

IMO based upon age, cost of used circuit breakers, issues that have been reported with the residental panels. Replacement should be strongly considered.
 
I see darned few Zinsco's, but the occasional later Sylvania/GTE variant. I see a good bit of Frank Adams stuff in commercial installs, which was a spinoff of Zinsco, if I remember right.
 
In the 70's in the Washingotn DC area there was one large contractor doing garden apartments and high rise apartments, all aluminum and Zinsco.

They're still standing, not sure if they had wiring upgrades or not.
 
Zinsco is very common in California residential work. I can vouch for a few hundred in the early 70's and have changed out a few also. Depends on the excessive loading using the fragile R38 twins up to 90 amp circuits that heat up and fry under full load. That has happened on a 100 degree day when the A/C or heat pump is running non-stop. Back then, breaker temperature and continous duty were not paid attention to most of the time for residential installations. This would be the key consideration for upgrade remod changeouts now. JMO rbj
 
tonyi said:
Some Home Depots in FL are selling new Zinsco (and FPE) replacement breakers.
Click to expand...
Somethings should be allowed to die, FPE and Zinsco for one replacements from China scare me, remember the Chinese wheat gluten thats been causing all the problems in pet foods, I have little faith in the QC there UL listing or not.
 
mdshunk said:
I see darned few Zinsco's, but the occasional later Sylvania/GTE variant. I see a good bit of Frank Adams stuff in commercial installs, which was a spinoff of Zinsco, if I remember right.
Click to expand...
I've seen only 2 Frank Adams panels. I'm pretty sure I cried both times.
 
monitaverma said:
hi

Is Zinzco panel is unsafe to work?
Is new circuit breakers is available to replace the existing in Zinsco Panel ?


Thanks
Click to expand...

I don't think Zinsco panels are much worse than your use of grammar. There are a few manufactures that are reproduce breakers for these panels. I have a Zinsco service on my house now and it works fine. It's just like anything else. If it is abused or misused then it will fail, but if it is correctly installed it should last a very long time.
 
Last edited:
I see few zinsco or fpe, never heard of a Frank Adams. Old panels around here seem to be pushmatic. I don't enjoy panel replacement but it really isn't very difficult. Maybe with the price of heat imaging cameras coming down in price we can carry one in our truck for analyzing these old panels.
 
jack horner Quote:

I don't think Zinsco panels are much worse than your use of grammar. There are a few manufactures that are reproduce breakers for these panels. I have a Zinsco service on my house now and it works fine. It's just like anything else. If it is abused or misused then it will fail, but if it is correctly installed it should last a very long time.


Hi Jack

Thanks for replying.
First of all , its none of your business.
Second, nobody ask your suggestion.
If you know the answer, then post it, otherwise no need to tell your home stories.

Have a great day.

Thanks
 
monitaverma said:
Hi Jack

Thanks for replying.
First of all , its none of your business.
Second, nobody ask your suggestion.
If you know the answer, then post it, otherwise no need to tell your home stories.

Have a great day.

Thanks
Click to expand...

You are welcome.
What is none of my business?????
Second, you asked for my "suggestion" when you posted on this forum. BTW (BTW=By The Way) since I have a Zinsco service this would make me more qualified to answer your question... I will try not to bore you with my "home stories".....it's more more fun to read your first grade post.

Have a great day and a better tomorrow.
 
There are a few manufactures that are reproduce breakers for these panels
Click to expand...

I am no English major, and struggle to get my post in a format that I HOPE is readable by all. There are issues with the English utilized by many posters (Myself included), but for the most part I can discern what the poster is asking.

We are all operate in some aspect of the same profession, why hassle or throw stones? Heck for that matter we are all human, you get more with sugar ,as Mom use to say.
 
You know, there used to be a bumper sticker that I saw frequently around my way. It said, "Mean People Suck!" I gotta say there's a lot of truth to those words of wisdom.:wink:

Now, get this thread back on track!
 
Two schools of thought on Zinco's and this is what I go by:

Thought 1: If the breaker failed for any reason other then time in service; meaning arcing, major fault etc., then replacement of the breaker is fine. I always look at the buss bars to make sure there is no discoloration or pitting in them and they look servicable.

Thought 2: If the breaker failed due to arcing, over heating, other other calamity, then I would consider replacing the panel. IMO and experiance (IMO&E?) Zinco buss bars can be delicate creatures and it is possible that there might be a problem with them.

On the whole, Zinsco panels are ok. I personally do not like them because of my own reasons, but as long as they were installed by a competant electrician, they should be okay to work in and replace breakers in until you decide you need a bigger service.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top