Zinsco panel

An electrical panel brand from the 1950s to 1970s with reported failures of breakers to trip and of breakers to seat reliably on the bus.

Glossary

What is Zinsco panel?

Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco panels are reported to suffer from breakers that can fuse to the aluminum bus bar, so that the breaker handle moves to off while the circuit remains energised, and from bus deterioration that produces arcing and overheating. As with Federal Pacific, the defensible approach is to identify the panel, describe the reported concerns rather than asserting a defect in the specific unit, and recommend evaluation by a licensed electrician. Evidence of overheating — discoloured bus, melted breaker plastic, a burnt smell — moves the finding from informational to urgent.

Related terms

AFCIAn arc-fault circuit interrupter is a breaker that opens the circuit when it detects the electrical signature of arcing, which is a common ignition source in residential fires.Aluminum branch circuit wiringSolid aluminum wiring used for 15- and 20-amp branch circuits in many homes built between roughly 1965 and 1973, associated with an elevated risk of overheating at connections.BondingConnecting metallic components of a building's systems together so they remain at the same electrical potential, reducing shock hazard.Double-tapped breakerTwo conductors terminated under a single breaker lug that is listed for only one conductor.

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