Zinco - Main Service Panel ?

**Robert Schenck** · 05-07-2014, 10:01 PM

Folks - I came across this for the first time since inspecting and I'm hoping someone could help me with identifying this particular model of a residential Main Service Panel. I tried to Google it, but no luck. Did an inspection on a 1963 farm house and found this in the closet in an outdoor breezeway.

The equipment was made by Zinco (Company logo not shown in picture). The service feed can be seen coming in on the left, with the service meter on upper portion of the panels, and about 4 circuit breakers below.

I admitted to the Realtor that I've never seen this type of setup, and he said the same thing - that he hasn't either. I attempted to operate one of the breakers, but stopped myself short (remembering I'm not suppose to do that)!! The breakers appeared to move "up ad down", and had no amperage rating that I could see ? The handles levered outward, looking as though you could pull out the whole assembly.

Inside the house was a Zinco power panel .... with a few things wrong and called out in the report. Any input is certainly appreciated.

**Gunnar Alquist** · 05-07-2014, 10:12 PM

Zinco, not Zinsco? I am afraid I haven't heard of the former.

That's a heck of a service equipment panel for a residence!

You could just say you are unfamiliar and defer...

**Robert Schenck** · 05-08-2014, 08:07 AM

Gunnar - I stand corrected. It is a Zinsco, ... just forgot the "s" when spelling it. And yes, I agree - it is a heck of a service equipment panel. I wrote in the report that I am unfamiliar with this particular panel setup. Since there was a Zinsco distribution panel inside the home, I recommended upgrading the panel and possibly removing all of this and stream lining down to one panel only. In my opinion, this setup was over-kill. One of the breakers fed this distribution panel inside he house

**John Kogel** · 05-08-2014, 01:42 PM

That is a big commercial unit that should be in a museum somewhere.
The plan might have been to run power from there out to the barn and other outbuildings.
I wonder if the farmer got a deal or if he got taken to the cleaners?

**Marc M** · 05-08-2014, 09:02 PM

Hey Robert,
We suggest the replacement every time. Good or bad.

**Lon Henderson** · 05-09-2014, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by Marc M

Hey Robert,
We suggest the replacement every time. Good or bad.

Now you've gone and done it. The FPE/Zinsco lovers are going to picket you.

**Marc M** · 05-09-2014, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

Now you've gone and done it. The FPE/Zinsco lovers are going to picket you.

I know huh? I'll never know when to keep my mouth shut..

**Robert Schenck** · 05-10-2014, 04:30 PM

John - I agree with you, that it should be in an electrical museum somewhere. Marc - "Good or bad, no matter what" isn't really a definitive or sound input when writing the Inspection Report

, but I get the jest of what you're saying. I was hoping someone has seen this ancient relic before and could enlighten me on this type of panel.

**Lon Henderson** · 05-10-2014, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Robert Schenck

John - I agree with you, that it should be in an electrical museum somewhere. Marc - "Good or bad, no matter what" isn't really a definitive or sound input when writing the Inspection Report

, but I get the jest of what you're saying. I was hoping someone has seen this ancient relic before and could enlighten me on this type of panel.

I saw another Zinsco today. It had several issues beyond being a Zinsco, but it can be frustrating when an electrician says "It's working fine" and is ignorant of the problems and potential problems with them. There is lots of information out there.

Is My Electrical Panel Safe? - Important Information About Federal Pacific Electric, Zinsco and Outdated Electric Panel Boxes

**Jerry Peck** · 05-10-2014, 05:53 PM

I haven't seen one like that before either - and I can't read the name on the label ... do you have a photo of the name?

Some old breakers do not reset when turned off, so ... it may have been a very costly lesson to learn had you turned one off!

**Gunnar Alquist** · 05-10-2014, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Marc M

Hey Robert,
We suggest the replacement every time. Good or bad.

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

Now you've gone and done it. The FPE/Zinsco lovers are going to picket you.

Originally Posted by Marc M

I know huh? I'll never know when to keep my mouth shut..

HECK NO! WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OLD ZINSCO!
DOWN WITH MARC!
DOWN WITH MARC!
DOWN WITH MARC!

**Rollie Meyers** · 05-12-2014, 05:40 AM

To my knowledge there are no issues w/ Zinsco fusible switchboard units, unlike their plug-in circuit breakers, that switchboard is a oldie though, seeing the SMUD meter it has to be in the Sacramento area, The Zinsco loadcenter pictured has long outlived it's usefulness if there was such a thing as a Zinsco/Sylvania product that was ever useful.