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Any Electrictians?

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Leroy

04-25-2005 17:10:29




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I recently got a used 125 amp circuit breaker box not realizing the brand. It is a Zinsco with the 100 amp main breaker with a 20 amp 220 breaker and a 30 amp 220 breaker with the rest 8 20 amp 110 breakers, I didn't realize that it used a 3/8" single or 3/4" double breaker, all I have seen are 1/2" or 1". I would need a 50 amp 220 breaker for welder and 1 30 110 circut with possibly 3-4 20 amp 110 circuts with balance 15 amp 110 circuts. The box says to use Zinsco breakers, Type Q, QC, QCN, Q24, Q2420, HQ, HQC,R38, or RC38 breakers. Are these avaible anyplace or any that will replace them? Or do I junk The Box? Lights all I would have on the 15 amp circuts. Leroy

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Bus Driver

04-27-2005 16:27:55




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
You asked a question- and I am giving you a straight, correct, answer. Zinsco breakers are now made by Challenger. And they are costly. If you happen to find old Sylvania breakers, they probably will fit as Sylvania owned Zinsco at one time. But the Zinsco is the poorest quality stuff I have seen in doing electrical work for 58 years. I would not install it anywhere. But the items you have might be very useful for doing repairs to existing Zinsco installations.

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Leroy

04-27-2005 18:50:46




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Bus Driver, 04-27-2005 16:27:55  
I will just see if I can salvage some screws



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buickanddeere

04-26-2005 21:24:09




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
Scrap the panel and replace with the 36 circuit 200 amp "V" Reliance as your 1st choice.

Link

2nd choice.

Link



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david - OR

04-26-2005 06:32:21




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
Zinsco has been out of business for years. You can still buy the breakers at big box stores, but the price is triple Square-D or Siemens.

There are many things wrong with Zinsco panels. The busbars are plated aluminum, and thin guage at that. The circuit breakers are known for not tripping, even with a severe overload. The internals of the panel tend to corrode in humit environments. The panels have been implicated in house fires, and most home inspectors will flag a Zinsco panel as something that needs to be "upgraded".

Use the Zinsco panel for a birdhouse, or drive over it with a tractor and throw it away, but don't install it in one of your buildings.

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Big Jim

05-04-2005 00:18:08




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to david - OR, 04-26-2005 06:32:21  
Listen to that advice. Zinsco is considered the second worst panel in existence, just a little bit behind FPE. The only thing most good electricians will do with one is to tear it out and replace it.



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Leroy

04-26-2005 05:27:58




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
I think I will retain my curant fuse panel with my plug fuses, I only have one breaker box, A Murry I think and that is in my other main shop and my house still has the fuses and in the main disconect the fuses are the 100 amp with blade on each end and are the rebuildable type. A few year ago the lineman told me this is a better setup than a breaker panel. I am just going to need to replace the service entrance cable along with all my outside overhead wire after the Jan. ice storm took everything down and just thought that this may be a good time to upgrade but sounds like I may still have the best system. Thanks

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Ice Storm?? John,PA

04-26-2005 23:03:41




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-26-2005 05:27:58  
Sounds like the opportune time for a claim under hyour homeowner's insurance policy for a complete UPGRADE.. Probably only a $500.00 deductable. Hope it was only within the past 90 days ago. If not, could be too late. SORRRY, John,PA



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Leroy

04-27-2005 05:24:17




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Ice Storm?? John,PA, 04-26-2005 23:03:41  
It was $1,000 and I can do the job cheaper than that myself. My Mom's Brother was one of the 3 people in this county that died due to the use of generators in the storm and it made the national news. When it gets where I have everything figured out my Amish friends will set a couple of poles and pull the overhead wires for me and I will then do the hookup. Power was out for us 6 days some others longer, I also had a car (1977 AMC Hornet with unter 100,000 mile have the top caved in and ruined the camper trailer, Just got it back ),storm cleanup still dominate city goverment problems with cleanup

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buickanddeere

04-27-2005 07:47:59




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-27-2005 05:24:17  
That's awful news. Our sympathy here from the YTmag site guys. What happened that the generator took your Uncle's life?



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Leroy

04-27-2005 18:48:21




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 Can't even type my own name in reply to buickanddeere, 04-27-2005 07:47:59  
Lester



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Leroy

04-27-2005 18:46:48




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to buickanddeere, 04-27-2005 07:47:59  
Thanks, setting in the garage running with garage door open from south and wind from south and garage to house door open enough to get extension cord thru and exaust seeped in, his son found him in the bathroom that was close to the cracked open door,aunt (With ahshimers (SP)) fount in living room, she recovered. Lesrer (Leroy) Helmlinger



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buickanddeere

04-28-2005 07:55:16




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 Proper Transfer Switch would have saved another li in reply to Leroy, 04-27-2005 18:46:48  
Sorry to hear that. That's a classic case that happens all the time.

The generator isn't run outside as the owner didn't purchase a beefy chain and lock to prevent it from being stolen. You should check out the number of people burned and homes lost due to fire. Amazing how many people try to refuel a running generator inside the garage.

And this is why I preach again and again to the masses who don't care and don't want to hear. Install a proper transfer switch. You then don't have to leave door and windows open to snake undersized and too long extention power cords. Even just the Ronk meter base box swap or the Reliance Controls 200Amp panel with built in transfer switch. Cheap insurance. You should see some of the tinker connections used to connect the hardwired furnace and well pumps where there is no transfer switch.

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Follow-up..John,PA

04-25-2005 19:59:09




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
I looked up your Zinsco requirements. The Q and QC breakers are still available along with the (twin) R's. thru W.D. Armstrong Corp. They have a lotta branches nationwide. The prices are "salty" but, so is changing the panel.

Armstrong has an 800 phone number: 1-800-692-7473. might give them a call. I think the phone number is good anywhere. HTH.



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John,PA

04-25-2005 19:23:26




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
Breakers for the older ZINSCO(tm) are still available. I think the breakers are produced by GE. They (the breakers) are retailed thru the JOHNSTONE SUPPLY Co. I am not sure if they have a branch located near you, but, here along the eastern part of the country, they have lots of branches.

I agree that the square D is a good outfit. And, breakers are available just about everywhere. Years ago, local electricians were also the distributors for the ZINSCO product line. I have quite a few of the older Zinsco breaker boxes in rural barns, and cold storage buildings. The new breakers are still UL rated and that has to be good enough for me. HTH John,PA

PS: Cutler Hammer Industrial breakers are the ones that give me a fit trying to find. They are no longer available in our area and I hesitate to tell my primary account that that is one reason why his entire cold storage system is obsolete. Plus his original electrician has retired, who sold him his ZINSCO panels, and custom made CUTLER HAMMER panels. But, the electrician is still the local "Fire Marshal".

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dr.sportster

04-26-2005 05:50:04




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to John,PA, 04-25-2005 19:23:26  
Siemens took over Cutler-Hammer.I always consodered C-H a quality item,since Seimens took over they have gone way downhill.Larger Siemens gear is totally annoying junk these days.Thats who makes the C-H breakers now under the Siemens name.



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dr.sportster

04-25-2005 19:04:39




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
Square D is the best residential breaker available.Dont try to save on stuff that can cause fires.No small breaker is more protective than Square-D.Im no fan of the industrial Square -D equipment but they are well priced for what you get in smaller sizes.I never heard of Zinsco.



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Kevin Bismark

04-25-2005 17:48:19




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 Re: Any Electrictians? in reply to Leroy, 04-25-2005 17:10:29  
I would throw it in the garbage where it belongs, there are a lot of them around and have had lots of problems with them over the years, don"t know how long they made them, one of the large townhouse complexes we take care of must have been built in the early 70"s and is full of them, have been chaging them out over the last few years, but it you really want to keep it you may be able to find breakers if you go to the right supply house, I have never had to look for these breakers, we had the ones I needed on the shelf at the shop. You can get a 125 amp Square D panel at home depot and the breakers are less than 6 bucks for the single pole, and maybe 20 for the 2 pole..

good luck..

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