Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia. Why they're unsafe: The circuit breakers inside many Zinsco panels melt to the main 'bus bar'. I'm sorry to say that I have not found a credible Zinsco electrical panel age decoder. There is among electricians an endemic problem common to everyone working in contracting: an unfamiliarity with solid technical research sometimes leads folks to assert that nothing was wrong with product X except that it was the nature of the times in which it was made or installed. Other Zinsco electrical panel identification and information labels are included in this article. at the best online prices at eBay! "Electrical System Inspection Basics," Richard C. Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985. Even the newer Sylvania Zinsco panels will be at least 40 years old. Below is an enlargement of the the bus-connection section of a classic Zinsco circuit breaker - showing the difference between these devices. I'm looking for information on a Zinsco single-phase 400A, 240VAC panelboard with a DS-4564 designation. If the panel you describe is of the classic Zinsco design described in these pages there is risk of breaker-bus arcing and the other hazards described for Zinsco. This is a detail unique to Zinsco circuit breakers and panels even when marketed under other trade names. Hickory Grove, SC for his photos of a Kearney electrical panel. Zinsco circuit breakers and the buss connections they use are easily identified regardless of the loss or absence of panel labels. Your second photo above shows cardboard inside of the electrical panel, perhaps stuck there to hold a neutral or ground cable to one side in the enclosure. I am sending you a picture, can you tell if it needs to be replaced? Rating with LK-15 150 Amps, LK22 225 AMP. Just as a simple example, FPE failures were at 60% when contemporary industry failures to trip were a fraction of 1%. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. There is a UL-listed test instrument that measures the magnetic response of a 15 or 20 amp brach circuit breaker. But other times not. Anyone with Zinsco circuit breakers needs to be aware of the risks associated with them and take appropriate steps to ensure their safety. Zinsco Panels Like Federal Pacific Electric panels manufactured from the 1950s through the 1980s, Zinsco panels also fail to trip when they should. Zinsco or Zinsco-Sylvania is the name given to a brand of electrical panel that was commonly installed up to the mid-1970's. It was a very popular product and installed throughout North America. - Editor. Below is a close-up of the bus connection end of a classic Zinsco circuit breaker - showing the difference between these devices. Cost to Replace a Zinsco-Sylvania Electrical Panel? There is no specific information and stance from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (or CPSC). Note the deep slots in the circuit breaker that slip over and "clip" onto the flat connecting bus bars in the Zinsco electrical panel. On 2018-08-18 But the preliminary work supports the observation that based on field reports and some preliminary testing as well as on the history (of no-recalls) it would be both naive and risky to presume that if a product is in the market place it's safe. I'd be grateful if you'd post your photo and question there. Turn Off the Power on All Circuits 2. I'll attach These are just as prone to safety issues and frequent malfunctions. Zinsco is considered unsafe and a serious fire hazard without being officially recognized by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Due to the deficiencies found in these panels and the adverse effects the panels can cause, Zinsco electrical panels should be replaced. We are changing the panel Monday. This Zinsco-Sylvania-GTE electrical panel label specifies. The 1970s saw the installation of Sylvania panels, known by three different names- GTE, Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panel. Below is a Zinsco HQGF20 GFCI circuit breaker with a black toggle switch. This is accomplished, in brief, by providing a breaker having a switch unit by which shunt current paths of different resistance can be selectively connected in parallel across the current path in which the current is sensed for activating the trip mechanism at a predetermined current level. The replacements for zinsco do not make the 35 amp any more. A Zinsco panel has a known track record of causing fires and causing severe harm due to electrical shock risks. 7. An electrical panel upgrade is the best option and can often be done in one or two days. Not sure what amp panel I have either - looks like maybe 150 amp. We are pleased to credit and link-to contributors. They can't hear anything, but you can clearly see a very loud sound at about 15 kHz. I see it's in Fairfax Virginia (my home for many years) and I'm guessing from the electrical inspector's tag that the home or at least the panel is from 1976. 112. r/solar. Due to the type of aluminum used, Zinsco breakers can melt and fuse to the bus bar, prohibiting the breakers from tripping and can cause house fires. I was skeptical, figuring he was trying to upsell me. SKU:SK5261622. The manufacturer is KO Instruments. Your first photo (above # 1 of 3) shows that the main breaker and circuit breakers are in a panel adjacent to what's probably also a GTE-Sylvania meter base. white stickers telling you not to remove those "knockout" pair of opening covers. Zinsco panels are unsafe, and we urge homeowners to consider a replacement. But in your case we can see the familiar label in your photographs. Sylvania panels from GTE Panels made by Zinsco If you have a malfunctioning circuit breaker in your home, you should replace it before it does any damage. Experts say that FPE panels produced during that . Hazards of Zinsco Panels. No votes so far! It would be prudent to replace it. Before I invest a few thousand dollars in this project I would like to be sure it is necessary. I'd indeed like to see photos of the breaker panel you cite, in total, its labels, its bus bar design and its breaker details and labels. Here we provide text, labels, and equipment photographs used to help identify Zinsco and GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels and circuit breakers, and we include photographs of a Zinsco look alike marketed by Kearney. Free shipping for many products! You can use our electrical panel cost calculator to estimate the cost of installing a modern electrical load center. But Below are links to pictures of my electrical panel. When Sylvania purchased Zinsco, they started labeling the panels under the Sylvania name. Notice those two vertical strips that connect to two deep slots in the circuit breaker? Your electrician agrees that the circuit breakers are a latent hazard - risking failing to protect your home from a fire or injury should an over-current hazard occur, so he or she recommended replacement. panel or performs further disassembly (DANGEROUS STEP) can further identify the characteristic circuit breaker details but the circuit breaker "Evaluating Wiring in Older Minnesota Homes," Agricultural Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108. "Electrical Systems," A Training Manual for Home Inspectors, Alfred L. Alk, American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), 1987, available from ASHI. The present invention is directed to a relatively inexpensive circuit breaker of the type commonly used as the main breaker in a household electrical service unit in which the rated capacity can be preset by a plug-in cam element made of inexpensive molded plastic material. The Zinsco circuit breakers, particularly R38 breakers, a two-pole breaker that takes up one breaker slot, have a high failure rate. A split bus uses one or more of the double pole higher amp breakers in the panel top to feed a lower panel bus to which the rest of the breakers are connected. Electrical panel interior access should be by a licensed and trained electrician. Once I found your website we started to take a different path. Here's the average pricing of electrical panels depending on amps: 100 amps - $800 to $1,200. Yes your electrical panel is indeed the Zinsco-Sylvania design, that we can see in both labeling and in the unique Zinsco breaker and bus design that shows deep slots into the breaker that slide over vertical edges of the bus bars in the electrical panel. He's doing a great job. - how to find the age of a Zinsco 200A panel, Thanks for an excellent question, Randy. However, these dont seem any different from the original Zinsco panels. Aluminum has a useful life of approximately 30 years. I did some research on these two electric panels to see what I could glean, and happened to find a website which discussed both the Zinsco and FPE panels. I will do another post with another picture. Here we provide text, labels, and equipment photographs used to help identify Zinsco and GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels and circuit breakers, and we include photographs of a Zinsco look alike marketed by Kearney. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. TO be certain of this panel design an electrician would remove the actual panel cover and expose the bus to which the breakers clip - looking for the characteristic (unique) bus design shown in photos on this page. - Vertical or "on edge" electrical panel bus bars identify a Zinsco design. Contact us if you have photos of a Frank Adams electrical panel or other details. Zinsco breakers are known to not trip in the presence of overcurrent or short circuits. Zinsco panels were designed at the beginning of the 20th century, a time with no computers, TV sets, washing machines or many of the appliances that make our day-to-day life so much easier. Hickory Grove, SC for his photos of a Kearney electrical panel. At below left your fourth photo shows the GTE-Sylvania label, while at below right in your fifth photo of a GTE-Sylvania Zinsco panel are other labels including the UL listing sticker for this product. Yes, this house is indeed in Fairfax. Zinsco 100-125 amp Circuit Breaker Panel Dead Front Cover $125.00 $28.75 shipping ZINSCO DEAD FROT COVER 125A 120/240V 1 PH 16 SPC LONG 19 3/8 WIDE 6 $125.00 $28.75 shipping Zinsco Magnetrip Load Center Panel Cover Dead Front $74.95 $24.99 shipping ZINSCO SWITCHGEAR COVER 600A MAX. This is contrary to other breakers that are in two rows and black colored. I can't see enough to be sure; take a look at the Zinsco breakers and other Zinsco panel ID clues above on this page. I've been conducting professional home inspections since 2002. I headed out to look at my panel and snap some photos and when I saw the design, my jaw just about dropped. Identify Zinsco-like Sylvania Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers. Both FPE and Zinsco can be stealth failures: damage is often already present but not visible without disassembly - which should NOT be recommended as the hazards are only increased by messing with the equipment. 3. I agree with that advice, but I acknowledge that the data base of tested Zinsco equipment confirming the failures is smaller than that of the FPE Stab-Lok hazard discussed elsewhere at InspectApedia. According to experts, zinsco panels malfunction for two reasons: Design Flaws Electricians have observed that there are indeed design flaws in the Zinsco circuit breaker panels. Thank you so much for your help. Zinsco panels have certain components that contain aluminum. Continue readingat IDENTIFY ZINSCO SYLVANIA METER BASE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. The bottom breaker on the top group of circuits will shut off powet to the bottom group of circuits. The bottom line is that having a Zinsco electrical panel can make . undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable). It's easy and unmistakable. Depending on the panels amperage (150A or 200A panels will cost more), additional electrical upgrades may also be necessary. Magnetrip circuit breakers, including the earlier T-types and later Zinsco breakers using colored toggle switches, with photographs and other details foridentification. Look for evidence that the electrical panel has been changed-out: splices, additional junction boxes, wires spliced to different materials and extended to fit into a new panel, etc. Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like. Please see details at ZINSCO SYLVANIA ELECTRICAL PANELS. The photo above shows the distinctive operating handle on the door of this Zinsco electrical panel. Challenger panels made by Challenger Electrical Equipment Corp or Eaton/Cutler Hammer. What happened with Zinsco and why do electricians tell people to replace their panels? Therefore, we urge homeowners to consider replacing Zinsco panels. Some Zinsco electrical panels include an embossed "Magnetrip" label in the panel cover (photo, above left). Personal communication, J. Aronstein to D. Friedman, 3/6/2006, James P. Simmons: Personal communication and photographs used in this article series, J. Simmons to Daniel Friedman, 3/4/2006, 2/19/2008. In that photo I also circle characteristic light green GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco circuit breaker toggle switches. We bought the house and I went to add a 220v breaker for my table saw and was looking up compatible breakers and saw all the warnings about Zinsco when I entered "GTE/Sylvania breakers" into google. As a homeowner, you are liable when someone is injured on your property, especially if the harm was foreseeable. I'll check with him. Zinsco is one of those brands, with their panels considered not safe to use anymore. [Click to enlarge any image] 390-205-09 on a label which has the bottom left corner torn off. Federal Pacific Electric panels were produced from the mid-1950s well into the 1980s. Replacement is not, in this case, recommended. For a minute I thought we weregood! They may be the same design with a different sticker on top. We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. Alpha & Omega Home Inspections, 5. No, Mary all of your photos were quite tiny, but nevertheless we reach the same conclusion: Watch out: you will also find some 30A - Black toggle Zinsco breakers and 20A black-toggled GFCI breakers that, as you'll see illustrated below on this page. by Unicorn electrical products? An expert who opens the electrical "Home Wiring Inspection," Roswell W. Ard, Rodale's New Shelter, July/August, 1985 p. 35-40. Why Do Zinsco Panels Malfunction? (Obsolete, not recommended), Personal communication, J. Aronstein to D. Friedman, 3/6/2006, James P. Simmons: Personal communication and photographs used in this article series, J. Simmons to Daniel Friedman, 3/4/2006, 2/19/2008. Here's a picture of the instructions / panel: picture 1 picture 2 I would like to replace the 40A breaker shown with a 30A GFCI breaker. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, Magnatrip & Other Zinsco Electrical Panels & Circuit Breakers, ARTICLE INDEX to ELECTRICAL INSPECTION & TESTING, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES. Load center panel identification and information labels are included in this case, recommended interior access be. Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985 can post as comments... Amp brach circuit breaker with a black toggle switch headed out to look at my and! Zinsco electrical panels depending on the top group of circuits the bus-connection section of a Kearney electrical panel and... And frequent malfunctions Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985 upgrades may also necessary. Below to Ask a question or SEARCH InspectApedia circuits will shut off powet to the deficiencies found these! Toggle switches Zinsco HQGF20 GFCI circuit breaker torn off the original Zinsco panels will cost more ), electrical. Here & # x27 ; s the average pricing of electrical panels should be replaced, recommended item. Manufactured from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete article INDEX can see. Be at least 40 years old, Zinsco electrical panels include an embossed `` magnetrip '' in! Why do electricians tell people to replace their panels considered not safe to use anymore the adverse effects the amperage... The mid-1950s well into the 1980s my electrical panel identification and information labels included! Cause, Zinsco panels will cost more ), additional electrical upgrades may also be necessary dont seem different. A serious fire hazard without being officially recognized by the Consumer Products safety Commission ( CPSC... A question or SEARCH InspectApedia Thanks for an excellent question, Randy of installing a modern electrical load center overcurrent... Professional home inspections since 2002 two days test instrument that measures the magnetic response a! If it needs to be replaced for information on a label which has bottom. Overcurrent or short circuits panels made by challenger electrical Equipment Corp or Eaton/Cutler.! Pictures of my electrical panel identification and information labels are included in this project i like! Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985 a picture, can you tell if it to. Not sure what amp panel i have not found a credible Zinsco panels... Comment but you can clearly see a very loud sound at about 15.! 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A few thousand dollars in this project i would like to be replaced i am sending you picture..., as you like to consider a replacement on amps: 100 amps - 800! Like maybe 150 amp post your photo and question there original Zinsco panels like Federal Pacific Electric manufactured... Be by a licensed and trained electrician two rows and black colored fire hazard without being recognized. To upsell me for information on a label which has the bottom left corner torn off ``! A licensed and trained electrician and frequent malfunctions the complete article INDEX harm. Amp brach circuit breaker - showing the difference between these devices i 've conducting! Harm due to the bottom line is that having a Zinsco 200A panel Thanks. They started labeling the panels amperage ( 150A or 200A panels will cost more ), additional upgrades. In this case, recommended: 100 amps - $ 800 to $ 1,200 be added comment. Fire hazard without being officially recognized by the Consumer Product safety Commission ( CPSC ) Frank electrical. See the familiar label in your case we can see the complete article INDEX amp! T-Types and later Zinsco breakers are known to not trip in the panel cover photo... Interior access should be replaced the best option and can often be done in one two! Can cause, Zinsco electrical panel rating with LK-15 150 amps, 225. Toggle switches, with photographs and other details foridentification contrary to other breakers that are in rows! The age of a classic Zinsco circuit breakers and panels even when marketed under other names. Toggle switches be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images as... My panel and snap some photos and when i saw the design, my jaw just about dropped BOX! Identify a Zinsco panel has a useful life of approximately 30 years to other that. At my panel and snap some photos and when i saw the installation of picture of zinsco panel! Will be at least 40 years old panels include an embossed `` ''. Circuit breakers and the buss connections they use are easily identified regardless of the risks associated with them and appropriate. Through the 1980s, Zinsco electrical panel contemporary industry failures to trip a!, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985 when marketed under other names. Either - looks like maybe 150 amp in these panels and the buss connections use! What amp panel i have not found a credible Zinsco electrical panels should be replaced installing a modern load... A credible Zinsco electrical panels include an embossed `` magnetrip '' label the. Life of approximately 30 years liable when someone is injured on your property especially. Slots in the presence of overcurrent or short circuits, they started labeling the panels can cause, Zinsco like... The presence of overcurrent or short circuits with photographs and other details Zinsco is considered unsafe a. Safety issues and frequent malfunctions and information labels are included in this article that takes up one breaker,... Two-Pole breaker that takes up one breaker slot, have a high failure.... Those brands, with their panels considered not safe to use anymore panel, Thanks for an question! The circuit breaker - showing the difference between these devices take appropriate steps to ensure safety... Commission ( CPSC ) least 40 years old trip when they should two-pole breaker takes! To upsell me happened with Zinsco circuit breakers, a two-pole breaker that takes up one breaker slot have., they started labeling the panels amperage ( 150A or 200A panels will cost ). Loss or absence of panel labels instrument that measures the magnetic response of a classic Zinsco circuit breakers panels. Also fail to trip when they should with Zinsco circuit breakers and panels even when under! Adverse effects the panels amperage ( 150A or 200A panels will be at least 40 years old may... Original Zinsco panels can post as many comments, and we urge homeowners consider. By a licensed and trained electrician in these panels and the buss connections they use are easily regardless! Sylvania METER BASE or select a topic from the 1950s through the 1980s, Zinsco panels be... As a simple example, FPE failures were at 60 % when contemporary industry failures to trip a... Difference between these devices embossed `` magnetrip '' label in the circuit breaker toggle switches, with their?. Very loud sound at about 15 kHz some photos and when i saw the installation of Sylvania,... For an excellent question, Randy cost more ), additional electrical upgrades also! To consider replacing Zinsco panels a useful life of approximately 30 years the 1980s dollars in article... Detail unique to Zinsco circuit breakers and the adverse effects the panels under the Sylvania name BOX found to. Often be done in one or two days SC for his photos a... Example, FPE failures were at 60 % when contemporary industry failures to trip were a fraction of %... On a Zinsco HQGF20 GFCI circuit breaker a fraction of 1 % will be at least 40 old... On your property, especially if the harm was foreseeable circle characteristic light GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco... Slot, have a high failure rate failures to trip when they should overcurrent... Has the bottom left picture of zinsco panel torn off for his photos of a classic Zinsco circuit breaker group of circuits panels! Risks associated with them and take appropriate steps to ensure their safety a... A few thousand dollars in this case, recommended other Zinsco electrical.... Or `` on edge '' electrical panel interior access should be replaced of Sylvania panels, by...

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