Zinsco panel problems are myth...

[Michael R. Boyett]

Well, maybe not. Here's a couple of recent photos of a Zinsco panel taken by an electrician that I thought were interesting. One's the SE with the cover open, next is a close up of the breakers (look at the 125 A main):


Here's the 125 A breaker removed:


I understand the home is getting a completely new SE panel.

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Gotta love those aluminum bus bars....

[Michael R. Boyett]

Yeah, this would have been a difficult issue for a home inspector to see I suspect. I would imagine the panel had experienced a complete failure, i.e. no power anywhere, so an electrician would have diagnosed it pretty quickly. Pretty much confirms my standard Zinsco & FPE comment re: suspect panels and to have them further inspected by a licensed electrician.

[Bob Elliott]

AAHH!
Just add AFCI upsteam of the breakers.

Seriously I feel vindicated not opening my Zinsco sub-panel the other day.
I just provide the Inspectny link.I recommend a Licensed Electrician examine and evaluate .

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Seem the same issue with a Square D, Cutler Hammer and GE......can happen to them all.

[Terry Clayton]

A few years back (way before digital cameras) I was called to a small store because the smelled burning in the panel when I took the cove off I could see the gap between breakers glowing I shut off the main and pulled the breakers out and found one that nearly the entire middle of the breaker had melted but the breaker had failed to trip and was still supplying the 120v circuit. I wish I had a camera back then, this was a Zinsco