Zinsco

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I forgot to mention I never saw or heard of a Zinsco 3 phase panel or breaker. Got any pics?
I replaced one many years ago that was three phase. It was a 600 amp bus panel and had some 150 amp breakers supplying separate buildings on the same campus or complex but also had all the branch breakers for the central building it was located in. It ended up getting replaced with an I line panel for the larger feeders and one fed a new QO load center for the branches in the same building. Both fit in same space the original Zinsco took up.
 

Birken Vogt

Senior Member
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I forgot to mention I never saw or heard of a Zinsco 3 phase panel or breaker. Got any pics?

I have one in my shop and one at the church, both rented. Notice the blades sticking out of the red black and blue plastic directly below the breakers at the top of the picture. A Zinsco 3 phase breaker will have 2 jaws at one "elevation" and one jaw at the other "elevation". Some call it the "braided bus", more visible if less breakers are installed. I'm not going to take the cover off either panel I have access to just to get a picture, I don't want to open a can of worms. The breakers you can see on ebay.

Zinsco-3Phase.jpg
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I have one in my shop and one at the church, both rented. Notice the blades sticking out of the red black and blue plastic directly below the breakers at the top of the picture. A Zinsco 3 phase breaker will have 2 jaws at one "elevation" and one jaw at the other "elevation". Some call it the "braided bus", more visible if less breakers are installed. I'm not going to take the cover off either panel I have access to just to get a picture, I don't want to open a can of worms. The breakers you can see on ebay.

Zinsco-3Phase.jpg
Wow! Imagine an air compressor on that. How long would it keep going?
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
They weren't any better or worse than other bolt on breakers from that aspect.
Pushmatic breaker ON/OFF indicators are relatively worse for reliability, while better for 1-Phase meters-center combos, since no other bolt-on brand makes those.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Pushmatic breaker ON/OFF indicators are relatively worse for reliability, while better for 1-Phase meters-center combos, since no other bolt-on brand makes those.
I seen many the on/off indicators that did not work so well. Breaker usually worked, or didn't work at all. Not too many were random at operating correctly like you can find with the typical flip handle we commonly see.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I assume you mean it does not look like the stabs would take it?

I don't know. They were never real popular around here but they still exist.
Just thinking about how poorly their breakers & panels held up in residential use & can't imagine them for commercial or industrial applications. 🤣
 
Top