# Zinsco Panels



## aftershockews (Dec 22, 2012)

chris.b said:


> Do you guys run across these panels much? I see the Zinsco meter/outdoor panel quite often but saw my first main breaker panel today with a burnt main breaker. Are you replacing breakers or panels?


Panels. Sylvania/Zinsco is junk. Replace meter and main.


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## l0sts0ul (May 7, 2011)

agreed, but keep the breakers, they sell for a mint.


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## Linhawk (Apr 13, 2012)

Zinsco are probably the worst I have encountered. I replaced one the other day that had a 2 pole 70a breaker fused to the buss. They are probably the worst design out there but I hate FPE and Crouse Hinds panels too.


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## TUNIT (Sep 18, 2013)

chris.b said:


> Do you guys run across these panels much? I see the Zinsco meter/outdoor panel quite often but saw my first main breaker panel today with a burnt main breaker. Are you replacing breakers or panels?


Chris i would have to research it but i thought Zinsco bought out FPE or the other way around and no one is insuring FPE anymore so you might have to research it but as another co-tradesman said it is junk and should be replaced.And i would explain it to the customer that way that it should be replaced,good luck .


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## chris.b (Jan 28, 2013)

TUNIT said:


> Chris i would have to research it but i thought Zinsco bought out FPE or the other way around and no one is insuring FPE anymore so you might have to research it but as another co-tradesman said it is junk and should be replaced.And i would explain it to the customer that way that it should be replaced,good luck .


Thanks for the reply. My intention with this thread was to ask if people see these Zinsco indoor panels. As I do not.


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## 3D Electric (Mar 24, 2013)

chris.b said:


> Thanks for the reply. My intention with this thread was to ask if people see these Zinsco indoor panels. As I do not.


We run into zinsco all the time here.worse than fpe. I have probably the crates of breakers for them.


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

chris.b said:


> Do you guys run across these panels much? I see the Zinsco meter/outdoor panel quite often but saw my first main breaker panel today with a burnt main breaker. Are you replacing breakers or panels?


Yeah actually I used to service an old stand up motor control center believe it or not that's all zinsco including old mag starters that are zinsco that they only fused two of the three phases!?! Yeah! why? Don't know! The damn thing runs an old prune dipper that's as old as the mcc. They're like my grandfather " just will not quit working" 
It's actually cool to work on and see in working order although I'd like to see it go with all new Schneider iec components.


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

Chrisibew440 said:


> Yeah actually I service an old stand up motor control center believe it or not that's all zinsco including old mag starters that are zinsco that they only fused two of the three phases!?! Yeah! why? Don't know! The damn thing runs an old prune dipper that's as old as the mcc. They're like my grandfather " just will not quit working"
> It's actually cool to work on and see in working order although I'd like to see it go with all new Schneider iec components.


I wasn't unusual to see only two phases fused on corner grounded delta sources. Also, the old starters only had two overloads. :001_huh:


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

retiredsparktech said:


> I wasn't unusual to see only two phases fused on corner grounded delta sources. Also, the old starters only had two overloads. :001_huh:


Yeah I know the old starters have only two overloads but even being a 240 system I think all phases should be fused,whats the difference? and this system is 480.it could have been converted though. Like I said this mcc's seen some time.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Chrisibew440 said:


> Yeah I know the old starters have only two overloads but even being a 240 system I think all phases should be fused,whats the difference? and this system is 480.it could have been converted though. Like I said this mcc's seen some time.


 
Zinsco was a LA company so SoCal should see a lot of vintage Zinsco gear. They did love Zinsco in nursing homes.


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

Actually, this is in nor cal. Tudor to be exact, just south of yuba city ca.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Chrisibew440 said:


> Actually, this is in nor cal. Tudor to be exact, just south of yuba city ca.


 
I am north a ways, prunes should have given that away, AKA "dried plums".


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

Where at?


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## 347sparky (May 14, 2012)

Had two service calls last week that had Zinsco panels. One of the houses had aluminum wiring too.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

347sparky said:


> Had two service calls last week that had Zinsco panels. One of the houses had aluminum wiring too.


So when did the FD arrive? :laughing:



The best place for Zinscos is the dumpster.


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

Chrisibew440 said:


> Yeah actually I used to service an old stand up motor control center believe it or not that's all zinsco including old mag starters that are zinsco that they only fused two of the three phases!?! Yeah! why? Don't know! The damn thing runs an old prune dipper that's as old as the mcc. _*They " just will not ever work"*_
> It's actually cool to work on and see in working order although I'd like to see it go with all new Schneider iec components.


FIFY....:laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Zinsco or FPE, aluminum wire, back stabbed devices and 16 cubic inch brown Union boxes...that's the devil's wiring system right there. :laughing:


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Or worse, the tiny metal gem boxes. I see a bunch of zinsco and FPE in the housing I work on and can't say the problem is rampant, but will certainly make future renovations difficult without a panel change.


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## 20year man (Jul 9, 2013)

I am in Philadelphia not so so much . But the suburbs... all over. ..


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## Split Bolt (Aug 30, 2010)

Just to go off in another direction, whenever I see Zinsco I am reminded of the "good old days." You young guns won't understand, but there was a time in this country when neighborhoods had local "mom & pop" hardware stores. This was back before the Big Orange Box came along and put them all out of business! (That's for another thread!) Anyway, whenever I worked in a neighborhood that had Zinsco panels installed in all the houses, a quick trip to the local hardware store serving that area was usually all you needed to get a Zinsco breaker! Now you pretty much have to go to e-bay!

Those were better days, for sure!


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## cey146 (Nov 24, 2013)

I ran into one of these panels for the first time, recently. I'm in need of a couple of breakers, but know better than to go looking anywhere here. I immediately searched Ebay, and found a few suppliers.

The problem I'm having, is that the breakers available appear to be made slightly different than the ones in the panel, I have. The difference is seen from viewing the breaker from the back side. On the existing ones, The stab is more guarded by the case. The ones I see on Ebay, have the stab looped out.

I'm replacing tandem breaker. (piggyback)

Looking to hear from someone with considerable experience with Zinsco breakers, to advise me what will work in this 1968 panel.

Thank you.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

I run into them several times a week in the Bay Area, they are all over the place along with FPE. Both garbage.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I love equipment that is known to go into meltdown... that means $$$$$$$$$$


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Zinsco was dirt cheap even in it's heyday, so they ended up being low bidder on a lot of projects where cost was the only concern. That meant they ended up being used in a lot of public works funded residential projects, hence the nursing homes, public housing, military barracks, farm labor camps etc. where you still find them.

Never knew they made MCCs with them. GTE/Sylvania owned Zinsco and I know Sylvania had bought the old Clark Control company to get into the motor control business, but I never knew they married them to make MCCs. That must be some ancient stuff.


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## USMC240 (Aug 7, 2012)

I'm surprised that some of you guys replace breakers in the zinsco panels. If we run into zinsco or FPE we always push for a panel change. I don't want to be the last one to touch their electrical system before it goes up in flames. I also don't want to see them on the news after a house fire knowing that I knew their home was unsafe without doing anything about it.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

JRaef said:


> Zinsco was dirt cheap even in it's heyday, so they ended up being low bidder on a lot of projects where cost was the only concern. That meant they ended up being used in a lot of public works funded residential projects, hence the nursing homes, public housing, military barracks, farm labor camps etc. where you still find them.
> 
> *Never knew they made MCCs with them. GTE/Sylvania owned Zinsco and I know Sylvania had bought the old Clark Control company* to get into the motor control business, but I never knew they married them to make MCCs. That must be some ancient stuff.


 
I have a old "magazine" article where the old Italian Swiss Colony winery in Asti, CA was being converted from 2 phase to 480V 3Ø using GTE/ Sylvania MCC's. Maybe that is why you don't see that wine around anymore.:jester:
Do not see Joslyn/Clark controls much but did replace the OEM size 1 starter that was used on a 10 HP 240V 3Ø motor, lasted for years before one of the contacts vaporized.


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## Ron Burgundy (Nov 30, 2013)

Here in NY there are still some FPE panels floating around, ill change out a branch CB on one but if its a main that's gone, the panel is coming out or I'm walking away, even though they are still available. I don't ever recall coming across a zinsco, but maybe. I'm sure somebody here remembers the old BIG DOG push button equipment. Also junk IMO.


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## Ron Burgundy (Nov 30, 2013)

That was supposed to say Bulldog pushmatic breakers


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Some guys like the Pushamatic panels because the breakers are "bolt on"...

Great feature until some moron cross threads a screw.. :no::no:


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## Ron Burgundy (Nov 30, 2013)

Yes sir. I've come across that a couple of times on commercial bolt-on equipment. And that's a pain in the tukus.


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## Ron Burgundy (Nov 30, 2013)

I ordered new busses both times, but I had to shut the whole panel sown to replace it and you know how commercial customers hate down time, at least in my experiences.


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