Ok…Did you tell him about the RUST, The missing KO’s, the Double tapped Neutrals ( grounded conductor ) and so on…or did you just say they were Zinsco and FPE…and leave it at that…WHICH would be wrong…
The actual PROBLEMS in the panel should take first notice and then BECAUSE it is FPE and ZINSCO that it be evaluated…BUT you should report on the ISSUES first…and let the remaining be a determination from the electrical contractor…because upon review I ( or another electrician ) may feel the panels are safe or offer other suggestions.
You might also want to determine if any of these is actually “service” equipment - if they are, they’re wrong. If they aren’t, they’re wrong (the Zinscos anyway). . .
Agreed…So many other issues versus just being Zinsco or FPE…if they are the Service Panels…MAINS they have no disconnection means…and if they are SUB ( Remote Distribution Panels) they do not have the proper wire setup…so in all…I would not refer simply because of it being FPE or Zinsco…let the electrician field this mess…
Agreed, there are many problems with the panels as you pointed out.
I merely mentioned the fact that they are Zinsco and FPE to my friend because of their history.
If I found a SquareD panel in this condition- rust, double taps, missing knockouts, sheet metal screws attaching the deadfronts, etc- that would have been a different story; mainly because SquareD doesn’t share the same history as Zinsco and FPE.
Not to mention the fact that out of all the service \ distribution panels on the market- It was like a double whammy for these two to be paired together.
As far as service panels vs distribution \ sub-panels: as far as I can tell (not inspecting- just helping with some remodel) there is no other panels in the house.
Jeff
I inspected a house the other day that had two service panels labeled 1 and 2 seperate grounds from each panel and sec went to a 360 amp meter base. AHJ told me that if panels had been in seperate rooms then both panels would have been subs with an exterior disconnect.
Regards Bill