Your home’s electrical safety depends on your electrical panel. Your home would be at risk from several forms of lethal electrical risks, such as electrical fires or electrocution, without a breaker box and circuit breakers. Fortunately, the majority of electrical panels provide great protection. There are, however, a few vintage brands that don’t.
Electrical panels made by Zinsco are known to malfunction and have been out of date for a long time. They may experience issues with breakers that fail to trigger during overcurrent or short-circuit occurrences. When they malfunction, they can be extremely dangerous because potential fires or electrocutions may result.
A short circuit or overcurrent could burn the Zinsco breaker, fuse it to the bus bar, and start an electrical fire if it doesn’t trip. Thankfully, this is a known problem that you can resolve before a danger arises.
Unfortunately, Zinsco breakers malfunction considerably more frequently than is deemed to be a reasonable margin of safety. Because of this, the majority of electricians and industry professionals consider Zinsco breakers hazardous and advise replacing them right away. Sadly, even if your Zinsco panel and breakers are operating properly right now, you never know when they might stop working.
Are All Zinsco Panels Dangerous?
A Zinsco electrical panel that is in good shape is not hazardous, however, even if there is only a “small” issue, you should replace Zinsco panels that are in doubtful condition because they may be dangerous.
You should totally replace your Zinsco panel if it has rust, holes, dents, or other damage. Hire a licensed electrician to replace your electrical panels and circuit breakers if you don’t have the necessary knowledge.
The interior parts of the Zinsco panel are undoubtedly unsafe, even though the Zinsco panel box itself may not be hazardous.
How to determine if your panel is a Zinsco one
The history of Zinsco panels and breakers is rich and illustrious. Their products have gone through numerous rebrands throughout the years and are occasionally difficult to distinguish.
The methods below for identifying Zinsco electrical panels and breakers may be useful if you are unfamiliar with the brand.
Identification of Zinsco labels: Zinsco labels come in blue and white, green and white, red, or blue and silver combinations. They might or might not contain a label bearing the word “Zinsco”.
Identification of the Magnatrip label – Your Zinsco breaker or panel box may have the “Magnatrip” emblem imprinted on it. Zinsco made products under the Magnatrip brand name from the 1940s until the 1970s.
Identification of the UL label: The UL (Underwriters Laboratory) label on Zinsco goods is yellow on black.
Identification by color coding – Many Zinsco breakers lack any of the aforementioned distinguishing characteristics. While some are simply plain black, others are color-coded. The following is what the colors stand for:
15 Amp in blue
Orange or red – 20 Amp
Green or light blue – 30 Amp
Grey or light brown – 40 Amp
Black* – 50 Amp (*Note: Black is an option for all amp levels)
Black – 60 Amp
Identification of the design elements: Zinsco breakers all have a thick unit with a deep-slotted connecting opening that crosses the bus bar as a common physical design feature.
This is why:
All Zinsco panels had copper bus bars prior to the 1940s. But there were shortages because of the rise in demand for copper during the Second World War and the Korean Conflict. The National Electrical Regulation (NEC) modified its regulation and permitted the use of aluminum in the production of electrical breakers and panels as a result of these shortages.
Zinsco chose not to use copper, whereas other producers of electrical components did. Instead, they switched to an aluminum alloy that was later vulnerable to electrical oxidation. The aluminum switches from being a conductor to an insulator as it oxidizes. Unfortunately, this action causes electrical burnouts and fires, which is bad news for Zinsco and its customers.
What are the Dangers of a Zinsco Panel?
The following are some of the dangers associated with Zinsco parts as a result of this design flaw:
Their bus bars rust quite quickly.
The breakers could “fail on,” making them appear to be off but still allowing electricity to flow.
The bus bars and circuit breakers made by Zinsco in the past do not meet modern UL standards.
Some older breakers might be configured as a two-wire system, which would leave it unground.
The breakers might melt and fuse to the bus bar of the panel, which would stop the breaker from tripping. This might cause more melting, overheating, and electrical fire.
There could be a weak connection between the bus bar and the circuit breakers. This can cause arcing, which could result in high temperatures and an electrical fire.
Poor-quality aluminum acts as an insulator, obstructing the flow of current.
To protect the safety of your home, you should replace the load center, breakers, and other parts if your electrical panel was made by Zinsco. Alternatively, you might swap out the electrical box entirely.
Always visit a local licensed electrician if you have any questions about any of the procedures to make sure your home’s electrical system is safe and functioning properly.
