Zinsco Electrical Panels Fire Hazard

In the 1970 s the manufacturing of zinsco panels came to a stop.

Zinsco electrical panels fire hazard.

In 1963 zinsco introduced the r 38 twin breaker which was the only twin circuit breaker that also made contact on both bus bars for 240 volts in a single breaker space. At one time zinsco electrical panels were commonly installed in homes in certain parts of the country. Zinsco electric panels could leave property owners at risk for both fire and electric shock as a result of failing to operate properly as much as 25 of the time. The circuit breakers inside many zinsco panels melt to the main bus bar.

These panels normally have a zinsco sticker at the top and color coded circuit breaker handles. Zinsco is now defunct but many homes still have these panels. They were zinsco panels bought out by sylvania and the only major change in the. This made the zinsco brand hugely popular with contractors and millions of zinsco service panels and load centers were installed through the 60s and 70s.

Here we outline safety precautions that should be taken by building owners where zinsco and gte sylvania zinsco electrical panels are installed and we outline some indicators that a problem may be occurring with this equipment. Since a breaker panel is critical in helping to prevent a house fire finding installed electrical equipment with a known history of defect or failure can be a serious issue warranting immediate attention. Sylvania panels were used in the us in the 60s and 70s. It was found that they would allow electricity to burn until the wires melted leaving homes at risk of fire and homeowners at risk for shock.

It was a very popular product and installed throughout north america. There are structural issues with the breaker contact points that cause zinsco electrical panels to overheat resulting in fire. These electrical panels have been abandoned by the industry and it is difficult to find an electrician that will service this. As time has passed electricians and home inspectors have discovered that certain zinsco panels often can fail to operate properly and may leave homes and homeowners at risk to both fire and electrical shock.

This zinsco electrical panel article discusses the electrical fire and shock hazards associated with zinsco electrical components circuit breakers electrical panels including certain sylvania electrical panels and breakers which are in fact of the same product design and origin. Zinsco or gte sylvania panels were popular electrical panels installed in homes throughout the 1970s. This means the breaker can t ever trip even when there s a. Safety hazard warnings for zinsco gte sylvania zinsco kearney electrical panels circuit breakers.

However previously purchased panels were still being installed for a time after that. Production was halted when design flaws were discovered.