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Zinsco & GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco Failures

Breaker & Panel Field Failure Reports & Photographs

Zinsco & GTE/Sylvania circuit breakers or electrical pane field failure reports & photographs of from a variety of sources.

This article series 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. Our page top photo of a burned Zinsco main circuit breaker and burned greased Zinsco electrical panel bus was provided by Washington state electrician J. P. Simmons

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Field Failure Reports: Zinsco Sylvania Electric Panel / Breakers

Arc flash burn marks on the interior of a GTE/Sylvania zinsco-type circuit breaker panel (C) InspectApedia.com CRField Failure Report No. 39: Pending approval 2018/10/22:

GTE Sylvania Cat. No. MLB20(20-40C) load center with 200A main breaker

Zinsco Cat. No. ML07(4-8) 8 space subpanel. 240VAC, 1 phase, 70A

Also see ZINSCO SYLVANIA KEARNEY FAILURE REPORTS where straight "Zinsco" brand panel failures are reported.

Field Failure Report No. 38: Arc-Flash Damage in a GTE Sylvania Zinsco-type Electrical Panel

Reader reports arc flash burn & asks about GTE/Sylvania panel recall

I'm dealing with this problem in my home currently, I have both my HVAC and an electrician here. It turns out as I'm reading your article, you cite someone named James Simmons from Mr Electric.

Completely by coincidence I happen to have gotten my hands on a Mr. Electric electrician today. He was recommended to me by a friend who's in contracting locally. He's doing a great job.

[Click to enlarge any image]

He did not know about the Zinsco/Sylvania problem. I discovered it by coincidence doing a search on line during the eight hours they've been here so far.

There were problems found with our air handlers and they were wondering if that is what caused this Ark. Once I found your website we started to take a different path.

If you're interested in more information or details please let me know.

Thank you for your information. Also is there a place where I can research to find out if my panels were officially recalled? - Anonymous by private email, 2017/02/16

Reply:

Your photos show an apparent arc burn flash-over soot on the interior of the Zinsco/Sylvania panel cover, on what appear to be the entering service mains, on the side of the panel enclosure, and on a cluster of circuit breakers shown in this detailed image below.

Arc flash burn marks on the interior of a GTE/Sylvania zinsco-type circuit breaker panel (C) InspectApedia.com CR

Without more investigation of the breakers, panel bus, and circuit involved one cannot say for certain if this arc-flash damage was due to a defect in the circuit breaker, panel bus, connections, or some other issue.

Arc flash burn marks on the interior of a GTE/Sylvania zinsco-type circuit breaker panel (C) InspectApedia.com CROPINION: a look by your electrician at the condition of the circuit breaker-to-bus connection might show the same arcing and burning illustrated above in this article. That would argue for an occurrence of the bus-connector defects and hazards we've described.

In any case, I would replace this electrical panel.

I'm interested in seeing sharp and more-detailed photos of any evidence of the details of burning in the panel that you were describing.

That would be useful additional information to document.

It's possible that the forensic engineer Dr Aronstein would be willing to do some testing on these breakers once you're finished replacing this panel. I'll check with him.

I'm not aware of any GTE/Zinsco panel recall that would help you out with replacement costs.

Notice: besides the Zinsco & Zinsco-Sylvanial field failures illustrated in this article, additional field failure reports and more photographs of Zinsco circuit breaker failures are found at ZINSCO FAILURE REPORTS

 

Zinsco no trip wiring burnup (C) D Friedman J Shuma

Photo 37, BURNED ELECTRICAL WIRING & RECEPTACLE: Zinsco circuit breaker did not trip, case report 2/20/2007 J. Shuma

Zinsco burnup bus (C) D Friedman J Weissman ... Zinsco burnup bus (C) D Friedman J Weissman

Note: this breaker photo (below) was submitted to us from a purported GTE-Sylvania photograph - it may have been collected from a GTE-Sylvania electrical panel that did not use the Zinsco-design circuit breakers and/or may be of a different brand or manufacture.

At below right is a close-up of the bus-connection portion of a classic Zinsco circuit breaker - showing the difference between these devices.

Zinsco burnup bus (C) D Friedman J Weissman ... Zinsco circuit breaker close-up showing bus connection (C) Daniel Friedman


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