Zinnsco Panel

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1

Originally Posted By: jhagarty
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Looking for a general comment with regard to Zinnsco Panel.


Thanks for the help.

--
Joseph Hagarty

HouseMaster / Main Line, PA
joseph.hagarty@housemaster.com
www.householdinspector.com

Phone: 610-399-9864
Fax : 610-399-9865

HouseMaster. Home inspections. Done right.

2

Originally Posted By: gmagee
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Here’s some:


from J. Katen - The Zinsco brand panel box hasn’t been manufactured for many years. There are documented problems with these panels that can, in some cases, be serious. Some Zinsco panels have aluminum bus bars (the bars that run down the middle of the panel to which the breakers connect). Over a period of years, oxide forms on the aluminum causing a poor connection with the breakers and leading to arcing, overheating, and eventually breaker failure. Other problems with Zinsco panels include circuit breakers (depending on the vintage) with a dismal performance record and the possibility of unbalanced multi-wire circuits. Zinsco was bought by GTE - Bryant - Sylvania and for a time true Zinsco breakers were unavailable. Though UL listed replacements are now on the market, they can be very expensive. Replacing the aluminum bus bars with copper ones may not be a cost-effective remedy, either: by the time the bus bars and breakers are replaced, it may be less expensive to replace the entire panel. These breakers should be removed for a thorough evaluation of the bus bars and breaker contacts by a qualified, licensed electrician knowledgeable with Zinsco panels and their issues to determine what action, if any, needs to be taken.


from J. Peck - The problem with Zinsco panels is the breakers don't always trip, the bus bars are anodized aluminum which are easily scraped with the breaker contacts, the breaker contacts and bus bars both arc up and burn up, the bus bars burn through (they are only aluminum - or some alloy like it - which has a low melting temperature), etc.

The breaker contacts are long slots with spring contacts, the bus bars are angle metal, the breakers are designed to be inserted straight onto the large flat surface of the bus bar. However, the breakers must first be hooked on the end (like all other breakers), then rotated onto the bus bars. This springs the breaker contact apart, as well as scratches the bus bar anodized plating.

There is no cure for this (squeezing the breaker contacts with needle nose pliers only verifies one thing, that if you were successful, the spring contacts have lost their spring tension - you should not be able to bend them).

from D. Hansen - Zinsco is no longer making panels. Replacement breakers are available, though they are quite expensive. Usually electricians will use breakers from a salvage supply when working on a Zinsco panel. They were once very common throughout the Northwest. The basic problem is corrosion at the bus bars, and some of the later breakers weren't very reliable. There have been no product recalls. It is not nearly the horror of something like a Federal Pacific panel.

Is that enough? I see Zinsco all the time - it seems that nobody makes an issue of them except me - I'm not winning a lot of popularity contests with RE agents.

3

Originally Posted By: jhagarty
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Thanks Greg.

–
Joseph Hagarty


HouseMaster / Main Line, PA
joseph.hagarty@housemaster.com
www.householdinspector.com

Phone: 610-399-9864
Fax : 610-399-9865

HouseMaster. Home inspections. Done right.
4

Originally Posted By: ekartal
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Greg described it very well. Biggest overall concern IMHO is the failure of a breaker to trip.


Erol Kartal

5

Originally Posted By: jhagarty
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Erol:


The issue surrounding Federal Pacific Stab-Lok is well documented.

Are there links identifying Zinnsco problematic as well?

--
Joseph Hagarty

HouseMaster / Main Line, PA
joseph.hagarty@housemaster.com
www.householdinspector.com

Phone: 610-399-9864
Fax : 610-399-9865

HouseMaster. Home inspections. Done right.

6

Originally Posted By: jpope
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Quote:
The home is equipped with a Zinsco brand service panel. Zinsco components are considered problematic by industry professionals due to their high failure rate. Failure of any component within the electrical system can result in fire and/or electrocution. Replacement of the service equipment is advised for safety.


Expert documentation is difficult to find but professional message boards have tons of "experienced" comments and discussion.

--
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738
7

Originally Posted By: gbeaumont
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Hi to all,


Joe, the best source I know of on Zinsco is our own Jeff Pope, he recons that 70% of all the ones he's seen have problems, particularly with arcing between the spring clips on the breaker and the bus-bars, here's a couple of his images:

![](upload://uQUWMothmb1TIfp462YdsCUFk7s.jpeg)



Try a search on zinsco By Jpope here on the BB I know we have a load of information here in the forum.

Regards

Gerry

--
Gerry Beaumont
NACHI Education Committee
e-mail : education@nachi.org
NACHI phone 484-429-5466

Inspection Depot Education
gbeaumont@inspectiondepot.com

"Education is a journey, not a destination"

8

Originally Posted By: jtedesco
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http://images.google.com/images?q=zinsco&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

–
Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant


www.nachi.org/tedescobook.htm
9

Originally Posted By: ekartal
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Actually what I know abot Zinsco is from an old thread J. Pope had with Bob Vila somewhere. icon_wink.gif


Erol kartal

10

Originally Posted By: gmagee
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Hey Jeff P, my apologies for not including you in the first post of mine, but I figured you would have something to add. icon_smile.gif

11

Originally Posted By: jpope
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I don’t consider myself an expert by any means although I have had a considerable amount of “experience” with Zinsco.


The original post was asking for a "general comment" with regards to these systems and that's what I offered in my previous post.

As for their problems, there are many variables from what I've gathered through my "field research." In short, it is my conclusion that Zinsco, Zinsco/Sylvania and the Zinsco/GTE panel board design is inherently flawed. It's only a matter of time before a dangerous condition presents itself.

--
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738