Kearney vs. Zinsco Service Panels

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Saw my first Kearney service panel last week. Sure looks like a Zinsco! Please see the photo of the manufacturer's label. Some of the breakers also looked like Zinsco. They were labeled "UMB Lab, Inc." Google didn't return anything for me in the first few pages.

Are these Zinsco breakers? Your thoughts are appreciated.

[Emmanuel J. Scanlan]

Joe,

Cooper Industries (Cooper Power Systems Division http://cooperpower.com/) purchased Kearney Co. from its parent company, Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corp, in 1997. Kearney was a large manufacturer of line and power distribution equipment in its day. Not sure when they entered or left the LV distribution equipment market.

There have been other reports of these Kearney panels floating around and it has been reported that the internal labels indicated that Zinsco breakers were to be used to populate them. Not able to find any old catalogs, etc., for Kearney equipment to validate that. Hopefully someone else has a reference for it.

Hope this helps.

[gbeaumont]

Hi Joe,

The design of that panel is certainly very close to Zinsco, the only real difference I can see is that the Kearney busses are "L" section rather than the Flat section that zinsco used, as to the breakers, they do appear to be zinsco sourced.

Given all the above I'd be tempted to report the panel as I would any Sylvania/Zinsco.

Regards

Gerry

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Zinsco - without a doubt. The "L" shaped bus bars were very common in the last few years of Zinsco production.

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by jpope

Zinsco - without a doubt. The "L" shaped bus bars were very common in the last few years of Zinsco production.

That's good to know Jeff, I have never seen one with that style busses

Thanks

Gerry

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

They were labeled "UMB Lab, Inc."

Und Lab, Inc., more than likely.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Ahhh! That makes sense.

[Rollie Meyers]

Zinsco/Sylvania panel interiors can also be found in Purex swimming pool control centers, plus in my collection of breakers there are some Zinsco design breakers marked "Arrow-Hart" then there is Unicorn Products, they used them also and their "Pick-a -Amp" breakers were based on Zinsco breakers.(Unicorn was I beleive bought by Milbank which still makes a Zinsco knock off.)

The Unicorn Pick-a-Amp breaker was a good idea based on a bad design, as they were used in Trailer parks where they worked well because you just changed the rating plug to fit the needs of the trailer....