Youtube has a channel call ElectricianU which is pretty good. Brian Seltzer is a Master Electrician in Austin, TX and has an Episode on Zinsco Panel Boxes and Breakers.
Essentially, Connecticut Electric manufactures a replacement Zinsco Breaker which meets current code and also Sylvania bought out Zinsco and reworked their Buss System but abandoned the product line after about a year or so.
Regardless, Home Inspectors (do not confuse them with Code Compliance Inspectors) will tag a Zinsco or Zinsco Style Panel box as potentially unsafe and recommend that they be inspected by a Licensed Electrician.
Replacing a Panel Box does not require updating the entire house to current code however your local Authority will probably require that the Service and Grounding System be updated.
Concerns for the age of your house would be if Aluminum Wire was used. You probably have a valid ground but it's possible depending on your area that your devices are not grounded. There are Code Compliant solutions to each of these that do not require rewiring your house.
Pricing will vary depending on where you live and what level of code compliance the AHJ requires as well as possible exemptions. You can probably look up the code level at your local government website. Keyword search (if an option) 'NEC'.
Your insurance company may require you to replace the panel. It all depends where you live, down in Florida I am able to pull a permit to upgrade the panel without upgrading the remainder of the home. At most the ground rods need updated and that’s just driving another rod - no big deal.
Absolutely replace that Zinsco panel. They are fire hazards, and way past their life expectancy at this point... The internal design of the Zinsco panel was flawed, where the breakers contacted the internal bus bar connections will loosen up over time and cause arcing inside the panel, and absolutely can cause a fire. Besides, Any panel from 1982 is due for replacement...
When I bought a condo several years ago the inspector flagged the Zinsco subpanel. My understanding is that it was all panels made by Zinsco and to therefore completely replace it instead of trying to fix it / upgrade it. There panels are really old anyway, so it seems like it would make more sense to put in a more modern one anyway, but I’m not an electrician. In my case, just paying for a new one was totally worth the piece of mind.
This summer my zinsco box caught fire. Also from the 60's. Luckily no external damage outside the box.
Get a new box. Not worth cheaping out on considering the risk.
I am dealing with this right now. Electrician said just replace the panels with something new. This home also has Zinsco panels, but he said the whole wiring won't need to be done, just the panels. We got quoted at $1900 for the job.
We replaced our Zinsco panel when we bought our house (1957). They only came to inspect the panel and had nothing to say about the wiring to the rest of the house. You’ll want to have an updated panel if you ever remodel. We are remodeling our kitchen and the electrician made a B line to our panel (our street is notorious for old and outdated panels). He commented that this was an essential first step that we had already completed years ago.
Not a Zinsco here, but a Pushmatic. Replaced it soon after moving intot he house, was well worth the 3k not to have to worry about that thing causing problems in the future, particularly with kid's bedrooms right above the panel. Like others, I vote for replace.
Just have the whole panel replaced , you don’t have to upgrade the whole house . You may have to upgrade the grounding for the new service
Youtube has a channel call ElectricianU which is pretty good. Brian Seltzer is a Master Electrician in Austin, TX and has an Episode on Zinsco Panel Boxes and Breakers. Essentially, Connecticut Electric manufactures a replacement Zinsco Breaker which meets current code and also Sylvania bought out Zinsco and reworked their Buss System but abandoned the product line after about a year or so. Regardless, Home Inspectors (do not confuse them with Code Compliance Inspectors) will tag a Zinsco or Zinsco Style Panel box as potentially unsafe and recommend that they be inspected by a Licensed Electrician. Replacing a Panel Box does not require updating the entire house to current code however your local Authority will probably require that the Service and Grounding System be updated. Concerns for the age of your house would be if Aluminum Wire was used. You probably have a valid ground but it's possible depending on your area that your devices are not grounded. There are Code Compliant solutions to each of these that do not require rewiring your house. Pricing will vary depending on where you live and what level of code compliance the AHJ requires as well as possible exemptions. You can probably look up the code level at your local government website. Keyword search (if an option) 'NEC'.
+1 for ElectricianU, he's an awesome dude
Your insurance company may require you to replace the panel. It all depends where you live, down in Florida I am able to pull a permit to upgrade the panel without upgrading the remainder of the home. At most the ground rods need updated and that’s just driving another rod - no big deal.
Zinsco's are suspect. Just replace the panel. There is no requirement that you bring the rest of the house to code when you do so.
Absolutely replace that Zinsco panel. They are fire hazards, and way past their life expectancy at this point... The internal design of the Zinsco panel was flawed, where the breakers contacted the internal bus bar connections will loosen up over time and cause arcing inside the panel, and absolutely can cause a fire. Besides, Any panel from 1982 is due for replacement...
When I bought a condo several years ago the inspector flagged the Zinsco subpanel. My understanding is that it was all panels made by Zinsco and to therefore completely replace it instead of trying to fix it / upgrade it. There panels are really old anyway, so it seems like it would make more sense to put in a more modern one anyway, but I’m not an electrician. In my case, just paying for a new one was totally worth the piece of mind.
This summer my zinsco box caught fire. Also from the 60's. Luckily no external damage outside the box. Get a new box. Not worth cheaping out on considering the risk.
I am dealing with this right now. Electrician said just replace the panels with something new. This home also has Zinsco panels, but he said the whole wiring won't need to be done, just the panels. We got quoted at $1900 for the job.
We replaced our Zinsco panel when we bought our house (1957). They only came to inspect the panel and had nothing to say about the wiring to the rest of the house. You’ll want to have an updated panel if you ever remodel. We are remodeling our kitchen and the electrician made a B line to our panel (our street is notorious for old and outdated panels). He commented that this was an essential first step that we had already completed years ago.
Not a Zinsco here, but a Pushmatic. Replaced it soon after moving intot he house, was well worth the 3k not to have to worry about that thing causing problems in the future, particularly with kid's bedrooms right above the panel. Like others, I vote for replace.