Zinsco®, Zinsco-Sylvania® & Kearney Electrical Equipment in Residential Properties: Hazards & RemediesPrinter Friendly PDF Version of this document This page summarizes information provided at the Zinsco® & Zinsco-Sylvania® Panel/Circuit-Breaker Hazards Website - at the online encyclopedia InspectAPedia.com®. This page may be freely distributed in print or electronic form and may be copied to other websites. Do not alter the content of this page without first contacting us for permission. InspectAPedia.com privacy and content use policies can be viewed at Accuracy & Privacy Policies. Photo at left of a burned-up Zinsco circuit breaker was provided by A.K. and was the neighbor of another Breaker that jammed and burned in the electrical panel. | |
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Zinsco® and Zinsco-Sylvania® were a widely-distributed electrical panel brand throughout the United States. For years, anecdotes and field reports about Zinsco® equipment hazards and defects have been discussed at professional conferences and occasionally in the media.
Field reports circuit breaker burn-ups and very extensive electrical panel damage have been reported attributed to this product. Independent testing of a significant volume of Zinsco® breakers and electrical panels has not been completed, leaving electricians and inspectors to rely on the body of field experience.
There has been no product recall. What therefore remains arguable is the frequency with which a Zinsco equipment failure actually has caused serious house fires or losses.
On at least some occasions an electrical component fails, melts, even catches fire without setting a building on fire, thanks to other construction safety features (such as properly-mounted steel electrical panel enclosures).
So how do we estimate the Zinsco / Kearney risk level? With the exception of the more seriously failing FPE Stab-Lok electrical panels, we have not received any significant number of field failure reports concerning any other electrical panel brands that also use aluminum parts and that are or were priced in the same range as Zinsco.
This means homes with Zinsco-brand circuit breakers and electrical panels are likely to be at significantly greater risk such as burn-ups, fires, and failure to trip in response to overcurrent.
Limited test results reported by J. Aronsteinindicate that the central Zinsco electrical panel and circuit breaker failure problem appears to be burn ups at the clip-to-bus connections such as shown in our photo of a burned Zinsco electrical panel bus and breaker.
The Zinsco circuit breakers tested by Dr. Aronstein were reported to trip within normal overcurrent limits. However a circuit breaker whose bus connection burns can lead to overheating damage to the circuit breaker itself, rendering it non-functional.
Based on an independent review of field reports from licensed electricians, fire inspectors and home inspectors, there is little doubt that the equipment is a fire and injury hazard.
Bottom line on Kearney, Zinsco-Sylvania & Zinsco Breakers & Panels This means the equipment fails to protect occupants from electrical shock or fire at levels anywhere close to other brands and models of similar circuit breakers & panels.
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09/17/2021 - https://InspectAPedia.com/electric/Zinsco_Summary.htm - © 2021 - 1988 Copyright InspectAPedia.com All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark - This page may be copied to other websites as long as it is not modified. This page may be freely printed and distributed as long as it is done so without charge and as long as it is not used to endorse or sell a particular product or service. Author/Editor: Daniel Friedman.