Puzzling electrical mystery: power comes back on...!

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i've heard of some electrican types that specialize in parts for discontinued systems. sorry but i can't give you any leads to that end. i would suggest that you one- have an residentual electrical contractor( it wouldn't hurt to contact a few)take a look and come up with a plan to get you back in a functioning mode. you could be very well suprised- some times they come up with some pretty inovative fixes that are reasonable... two- consider even if the worse is realized and you do have to replace they can at least let you know what your up against
 
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Black Op said:
My 2cents - Have an established electrical contractor replace your disconnect. They generally warranty their work for a year and you can rest assured it is done correctly.

You are lucky that your house did not catch on fire. Do not take short cuts with electricity.
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LandCruiserPhil said:
X2 And if your panel catches fire and you insurance co finds out you worked on it you may be paying for it anyway.

Time to step a side you are out of your league
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Sorry, I concur with ^^^.
 
Post pics. I need pics to even think about steering you anywhere.......pics of the whole panel as it looks closed, w/ user cover open, and again w/ deadfront off-TURN OFF MAIN BEFORE PULLING OFF DEADFRONT, pic of main breaker-disconnect. there are some sources that may be tapped w/o cheaping all the way out.
 
points above all good of course.
Safety number one here, always.
Looks like I can get a new breaker as a perfect replacement even though this is an older Zinsco breaker apparently. There are current identical replacements I'm told. Unfortunately, the bus bar it sits on is pitted from the recent arcing so a new main breaker may not last very long. And I don't think I can find a new bus bar OTC to replace that one. Welding the pits in might be possible but possibly iffy. The match between bus bar and breaker contacts must be just right I imagine.

One electrician I talked to thinks he can put in the guts of a new modern panel in the old metal box so it would not have to be physically dug in from the wall. All better new hardware would be great and safer than the original one likely. That may be the best way to go? We'd have to make the inside hardware match the current cutouts in the front metal though.



Even more fun with my generator. Managed to get it hooked to the built-in refrigerator... Yea!



How does one go about getting the system inspected after repair by a competent licensed electrician? Did you mean by the county or by an insurance guy or just a third party for safety? What's involved in such an inspection and what does it do? Is it even required if it's just a repair and not a new system?


(Lambc, PMd you - thanks)
 
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i would go with county, you might have to get a permit pulled to have the county inspect it.

they have just recently started inspecting around here, so when some one calls you to do work for them you have to be real careful, there is some shoddy work, especially in the city limits.
 
e9999 said:
points above all good of course.
Safety number one here, always.
Looks like I can get a new breaker as a perfect replacement even though this is an older Zinsco breaker apparently. There are current identical replacements I'm told. Unfortunately, the bus bar it sits on is pitted from the recent arcing so a new main breaker may not last very long. And I don't think I can find a new bus bar OTC to replace that one. Welding the pits in might be possible but possibly iffy. The match between bus bar and breaker contacts must be just right I imagine.

One electrician I talked to thinks he can put in the guts of a new modern panel in the old metal box so it would not have to be physically dug in from the wall. All better new hardware would be great and safer than the original one likely. That may be the best way to go? We'd have to make the inside hardware match the current cutouts in the front metal though.



Even more fun with my generator. Managed to get it hooked to the built-in refrigerator... Yea!



How does one go about getting the system inspected after repair by a competent licensed electrician? Did you mean by the county or by an insurance guy or just a third party for safety? What's involved in such an inspection and what does it do? Is it even required if it's just a repair and not a new system?


(Lambc, PMd you - thanks)
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Zinsco is the Yugo of electrical panel. Once the buss bars have been pitted your days are number more so when dealing with where the main plugs on. Zinsco has gone through several owners since they went out of business (for good reason) each time the cost of replacement breakers have gone up only to out done by FPE, another POS.

Replacing the guts my not be an option unless you live in a small hookie county. Another manufactures guts are not UL listed for box, NEC code violation. Also you power company will/should require a permit and an electrical clearance from an inspector prior to restoring your power. Meaning its time to bring the service up to code.

I would be interested in what guts your electrician plans to use. Zinsco is the only panel that uses that type of vertical bussing and the box is very narrow. The work space in a Zinsco panel work not meet the code requirement of today even if you found a new panel.

You will be better served if you did things right and replaced the box and do what ever repair to the wall needed or plan on dealing with a POS panel that could burn your house down in the future.

We refer to Zinsco panel as the panels that produce light. They have the ability to produce an arc strong enough to provide light without tripping. We have replaced at least a 100 of them over the years.
2957 Solano S. Panel 04.webp
 
What is on the inside of the wall? Looks like you're gonna need a new panel. Bummer.
 
that is one s***ty looking panel.

We refer to fpe as welders!


e9999 go with a square D QO and i am going to say QO do not go cheap on this do it once and be done with it, know that it is going to trip when it is supposed to.
 
i could be wrong with this statement.


i think that 99.9% of electricians on this board would put a Square D QO in there own house.

when replacing or adding panels in my house i have put in the QO's i had to replace an FPE that lightning back-fed through my well circuit, and blew the bus out. it is a QO, and my sub panel in my garage that i added is a QO. now to change my main panel out to a QO.
 
toy4xfun said:
that is one s***ty looking panel.

We refer to fpe as welders!


e9999 go with a square D QO and i am going to say QO do not go cheap on this do it once and be done with it, know that it is going to trip when it is supposed to.
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That is NOT E9999 panel, just guessing it looks like his. Zinsco had a limited product line. I have seen many Zinsco with bussing burnt in half.
 
read this e9999

e9999,

You should be taking a good look at your avatar.

Several people on this board has provided good advice about how to properly replace your panel.

It appears that you'll be taking the CHEAP BASTARD repair route.

I understand that there are CHEAP BASTARDS out there, but MOST would quickly realize that some things are better repaired properly.

Are you willing to disclose your CHEAP BASTARD repair to the person who will eventually end up buying your house when/if you sell? They have a right to full disclosure.

I would consider removing fire hazard a pretty important risk mitigation, but you may not agree.

You might want to read up on Zinsco and FPE panels.

Symptoms of a 200amp main zinco service breaker going bad

Zinsco Sylvania Kearney Electrical Panel and Circuit Breaker Hazards, Failures, Inspection, Detection, Repair, Replacement - Sylvania Zinsco circuit breakers and panel hazards

Where Zinsco and Zinsco-Sylvania electrical panels are discovered in buildings they should be replaced to reduce some very real fire and shock hazards. Building owners or electricians encountering problems with this equipment are asked to contact us to add that information to our electrical failure data base in an effort to develop accurate safety information which is then shared with appropriate federal and state agencies. Thanks to Mr. James Simmons, a licensed electrician with extensive field experience and the contributor of most of the photos and case reports at this web page.

Where Zinsco electrical panels and Zinsco circuit breakers are in use, arcing, contact-point burn, and even circuit breaker case blow-out have been observed in the field.
 
look no need to get stupid here!


look e9999 you can get some one like lambc help you out for a lot less $$$ than a company still pull a permit and have it inspected.
 
toy4xfun said:
i could be wrong with this statement.


i think that 99.9% of electricians on this board would put a Square D in there own house.
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Or ITE/Siemens
 
LandCruiserPhil said:
Zinsco is the Yugo of electrical panel. Once the buss bars have been pitted your days are number more so when dealing with where the main plugs on. Zinsco has gone through several owners since they went out of business (for good reason) each time the cost of replacement breakers have gone up only to out done by FPE, another POS.

Replacing the guts my not be an option unless you live in a small hookie county. Another manufactures guts are not UL listed for box, NEC code violation. Also you power company will/should require a permit and an electrical clearance from an inspector prior to restoring your power. Meaning its time to bring the service up to code.

I would be interested in what guts your electrician plans to use. Zinsco is the only panel that uses that type of vertical bussing and the box is very narrow. The work space in a Zinsco panel work not meet the code requirement of today even if you found a new panel.

You will be better served if you did things right and replaced the box and do what ever repair to the wall needed or plan on dealing with a POS panel that could burn your house down in the future.

We refer to Zinsco panel as the panels that produce light. They have the ability to produce an arc strong enough to provide light without tripping. We have replaced at least a 100 of them over the years.
Click to expand...




^^^yep.
 
as far as residential panels go, I prefer QOs. Flagship overcurrent protection product line IMO.
 
LAMBCRUSHER said:
as far as residential panels go, I prefer QOs. Flagship overcurrent protection product line IMO.
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That is what I used in my shop. Like the fact that I can get breakers for it at the box stores if needed.

How does Cutler and Hammer compare? This is what I have in my house.
 
the quality of the componets are a factor in what electricans install in their own homes, properties. most of 'em have a list of ones they WOULDN"T use - other than the "don't use" list, most buy by price, just like the rest of us ( if you got a bucket full of cuttler hammer circuit breakesr, and that's what the local suppy place carry's..guess what, it's CH!!! as long as the equipment is sound design, a good electrican can install it without screwing it up- and will take the time to do it to perfection. ("ham handed" hobbists, apprentices,underskilled electricans will break something almost every time, good quailty gear or not) when homes are built the contractor sends out a man with instructions something like-"this service should take 6 hours- try to knock it out in 5 and then go to this address and see if you can knock out another, before the end of the day" guess who get's to fix problems after a year?
 
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