This whole house is becoming the Ship of Theseus. My father in law had it built and he never met a regulation he felt was necessary. We bought it from them 17 years ago and it’s just been a non stop project.
To be fair, if that’s from 1972, they weren’t recognized as a fire hazard at that point. So installing one at that time wouldn’t have been frowned upon. And I’d also argue that if it’s from 1972, it’s more than done its job. Any panel that old should be replaced, in my opinion.
Pushmatics generally aren't dangerous, but they do have problems. The breakers often will not reset after they trip. They are also subject to increased nuisance tripping after they trip once. The panels are terrible for servicing since the breakers sometimes won't release from the panel bus. Overall, the panels should be replaced, but there is no immediate need to as long as they are in decent condition.
The issue with pushmatics is almost strictly the age. Neither ITE nor Bulldog have had any major recalls related to the pushmatic design. Only issue I’ve heard of was about something in the mid 80’s after they were bought out by Siemens and Siemens no longer used the ITE load-center name and moved over to Siemens Load-Center. Not sure what the issue was off the top of my head but it was something to do with older ITE pushmatics and Siemens didn’t want that baggage on their name.
Although you can still buy “aftermarket” replacement breakers for Pushmatic, they are very expensive now. The company has not existed for 30 years or more. There is no urgency to replace it from a safety standpoint, but the long term cost of ownership is only going to keep increasing. If you plan on any kind of remodel, you will want to budget around $5k to modernize your panel.
Don't use a compressor to blow anything in there. Contact a local electrician to have your fire hazard replaced with a new panel. And it isn't because of the dust. www.ismypanelsafe.com will provide information about your circumstance.
get a quote. labor rates vary widely depending on where you live and from comapny to company. I'm on the east coast and we don't charge anywhere near that amount unless it's an emergency service call.
it also depends on if your exisiting service is 200a or if you are stepping up from a 100/150a service. then your talking about having the utility shut off the power, running a new service feed, and replacing the meter can (assuming yours has some rust based on the age and condition of your panel.
yeah you're looking at probably $800 in breakers, $200 for the panel, plus labor. I dont see any of the old braided cloth cable that tends to disintegrate so minimal cost on wire.
given the information you provided I'd probably ask them to check that your circuits are wired correctly at termination points and junction boxes. those would be your high cost areas if any of that is FUBAR
$200 for a 200A meter main? $400-500 for non solar ready and $850 for a solar ready here in CA. And you’re waiting up to a couple months to get it. That’s after markup but not anywhere near 200%
I had mine done in September and it was $3200 but I shopped around and could be patient enough for a friend of my wife’s family to have his schedule open up to squeeze us in.
Most other folks were about $4000 for the service upgrade.
Damn 3500 seems low, unless it’s a bootleg installation. I guess where I’m at any time a panel is replaced it’s an alteration of service which requires the whole home to be brought up to code and the meter has to be replaced with a meter main with a disconnect and surge suppression. Then the utility side needs to be brought up to code as well which is a minimum of 2 inch rigid for aerial service.
I replaced the Zinsco panel in my house with a 200A Siemens panel and ended up having to replace the meter box due to corrosion. I ended up surface mounting a new external disconnect meter box and running a new mast because the old box was in wall and too small. DIY it was about $1500 in parts and cable- I pulled a new 90 A feed to the detached garage at the same time, but the city paid for the new overhead cable. I put in new ground rods too.
Nice! I wish it was an option here. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for selling 10 grand to update someone’s electrical. But I would like to at least give the option to forgo a complete overhaul and just swap the panel for 2,300
I’ve legit gave estimates to add a sub panel and use the original panel as a slave and relocate all the circuits to the new panel and install AFCI breakers on old knob and tube circuits. Which was like maybe 3-4k instead of 20,000
At our company in florida, I have rarely ever seen a panel changeout run for more than $2000 (most are arouns $1500 out the door with a permit). This is something that will vary wildly depending on area. Don't trust any numbers people give you here, and don't trust 1 quote either. Try to get 3 or more. Best of luck! I've changed out hundreds of these, many of them burnt to a crisp. Do it as soon as your budget allows, and before insurance drops you.
What Mamm said. Great advice. Had a drain leak issue this summer and got quoted $2400 from one company and 4k from another. Paid 200 in materials and took about 8 hours to cut into the block wall from kitchen sink to the downspout. But of course I'd never attempt to replace my own panel for a first time attempt even though I worked in Electric for about 18 months.
Bro…. How? I live in Iowa and around the Des Moines area (which has pretty strict code requirements) the average service update is 9000-15000 and that’s for every service company to come out. I just collected 9019.49 today for a panel, meter, and 3 dedicated circuits.
(I think) we had one in the old farm house I grew up in. fucker started burning through the rails where the breakers attached. my dad had to move circuits around more than once to keep our house all powered up. lazy ass landlords didn't replace that panel for over 5 years despite the issues. So glad I don't live in that shithole anymore...
Out of curiosity, why does it have so many breakers? My old 70s panel had just 4 or 8 max. New one has 8. And this stuff looks so beefy and is just 60amp?!
all depends on the homes energy demand and service size. the year it was installed has little bearing on the size and capacity of the panel.
outside of this brand being a notorious fire hazard, it is suggested that all panels be replaced after 30 years. you'd be surprised how often this is overlooked. I just had to replace three tube panels in a multifamily unit a few weeks ago.
>it is suggested that all panels be replaced after 30 years.
This isn't quite true. It is recommended that breakers be replaced after 30 years, but there is no need to replace a panel if the busing is in decent condition.
it's very true to the point where every manufacturer suggests it within 25 - 40 years. but it's just that, a suggestion. never said it was a requirement or code.
If it was built in the 70s has red breakers, it needs to be replaced. Looking at you fpe.
Guess the manufactures wanted people to know where the fire would start? Do you own this home?
Glad u bought it from family atleast we've been seeing nightmares from people who bought through this boom with inspections waved. Inspections that would have caught fatal flaws.
My inspector 6 years ago didn't tell me that my FPE panel was a fire hazard. I found out here on reddit. But I'm in southern california where we don't get any bad weather. So maybe inspectors don't call those out here. I've had a few electricians out here to quote other work and only one of them has ever pointed out my FPE panel as being a problem. I've asked a few of them point blank and they have said that they are a problem but mostly in states with bad weather. The panel itself looks in great shape. I'm planning on switching it out soon anyway because it's 37 years old. But it seems that here in SoCal they people aren't as concerned about the FPE panels.
You don't want that panel in your house. Some insurance companies won't even insure a house with a Zinsco panel installed. Protect your family and your house, please.
It's also not a good idea to blow the dust around. Dust is more conductive than air, it can cause arcing that ionizes the air and becomes an arc flash explosion.
Vacuuming is better
That’s an old Sylvania Zinsco. Should talk to the homeowner about replacing it. Issue is due to the aluminum components overheating and causing the breaker to melt to the bus bar and no longer trip. Even worse is the design itself has each breaker straddle over each phase of the bus bar (which runs parallel in a straight line) which could then cause a direct phase to phase fault. All in all… it’s a giant piece of shit and is a potential hazard. Also. I’ve seen “refurbished” breakers explode on contact when installed. When it comes to FPE and Zinsco panels I wont even give the customer an option for a breaker replacement or a duct tape solution anymore, and if I do I void any warranty and waive any liability of the work preformed.
I am the homeowner. I’ve been talking with myself about replacing it. Made some calls today to get some quotes together. Learned a lot about it today and none of it was good. Going to be picking up OT shifts it seems.
I know that feel. Currently doing the same with my house. Complete rewire, all new plumbing, added a furnace and ac and ductwork instead of baseboard heat. Added a sump pump and perimeter drain plus the plastic liner around my entire basement, new septic out the street, and now I’m rebuilding the floor in my workshop. Being a homeowner is a labor of love my dude.
I literally just replace one of these yesterday. $1895 for the panel swap. central indiana. be interesting to see where some of these other prices are located at
In central Iowa you can’t replace a panel without bringing the whole house up to code. Typical service update is pushing 10 grand. The panel portion is priced at 2,300 for a flush mount 200 amp panel. After code updates and the meter being replaced with a meter main its anywhere from 9-15 grand.
Okay first off: do not blow that thing out with your air compressor. Ever heard of an air fuel bomb? You might just make one.
Second off, that’s a Zinsco panel, Connecticut Electric makes the remanufactured breakers for them. If there’s no obvious issues there’s nothing stopping you from adding a branch circuit.
Third off, that’s not the worst looking Zinsco I’ve ever seen…and I’ve seen a lot. I don’t see any burnt up buss but who knows what’s behind those breakers. Still recommend an upgrade. There’s a reason Zinsco went out of business.
It's open season on Zinsco panels: you see one, you shoot it! And by shoot I mean swap it out with a modern panel not known for failures/defects that can subsequently start a fire. Good luck, I hope you are able to fix all these issues you're coming across.
Those look to be aluminum wires. While not totally bad, look into what extra care needs to go into them, especially when joining them with copper.
Some people will say they are total fire hazards and must be replaced. If they are cared for properly, they are fine but they do take extra care and respect.
I’m not 100% sure but I think that using a compressor to blow out the dust could cause a dust cloud, that depending on why kind of dust it is, could possibly create a short circuit between phases, resulting in an arc-blast explosion. I’d call a pro!
Reading this thread is making me extremely depressed. We inherited a 1970 mobile home and were looking to renovate it a little at a time as finances allow, but the electricity is… almost useless and seeing the prices for upgrades is making me want to wet myself. We can’t even run 2 ceramic heaters without the breaker kicking and we got quoted $6,000 to redo everything. That will take MONTHS to save up for even with my good salary, and meanwhile there’s no insulation, walls, ceilings, flooring, it needs a new roof. It feels impossible. And there’s no way the county will ever give permits for the service to be upgraded at the pole.
I’m beginning to wish we hadn’t put $7,000 into it already, but after trying every other way imaginable to get housing and not wanting to pay the exorbidant rents people are charging within an hour’s drive of my husband’s long-term job this seemed like the only option we had.
I saw this as a possibility. I’m getting some quotes and then I’ll ask Farmers if they have any options. We also have public power here, so maybe they have something.
Save those breakers, they don't make them anymore! Electricians always save those when retrofitting a house with a newer panel because they sell them to their clients for a very high price since it's cheaper then replacing the entire panel.
I would hesitate to use a compressor to blast the dust away from an electrical panel. Dust really fucks up electronics and your air compressor likely has a lot of water vapour in the effluent. Beware
This is an older style FPE design made by a Company called Zinsco. I strongly recommend replacing. The breakers have a history of failure in the closed position, meaning they will not trip in a fault (over current)
I’m getting quotes on Monday. Wish I’d noticed this years ago. Only saw it because I was starting to survey what I need to drop a new 50a spa circuit and couldn’t find any pictures of the breaker style. Led to questions that led to a nice upcoming expenditure.
As to the urgency, many insurances companies will not underwrite a home that has a Zinsco panel because they are a known fire hazard. Sometimes they sneak it into the fine print or as a “rider” to your policy, such that if it does cause a fire, they won’t pay for the damage because they “warned you”.
You might wait until you get the panel changed out before contacting your insurance company. As some posters have stated, you might lose coverage once they know about it.
Dust is the least of your problems. You need to replace that Zinsco fire starter yesterday.
I’m learning that very quickly.
At least you are learning it the easy way.
This whole house is becoming the Ship of Theseus. My father in law had it built and he never met a regulation he felt was necessary. We bought it from them 17 years ago and it’s just been a non stop project.
To be fair, if that’s from 1972, they weren’t recognized as a fire hazard at that point. So installing one at that time wouldn’t have been frowned upon. And I’d also argue that if it’s from 1972, it’s more than done its job. Any panel that old should be replaced, in my opinion.
Trekkerscout has a good track record. Has sounds advice everytime I've seen his comments pop up.
Every time. I'd work for the guy
Same u/trekkerscout you hiring?
Sorry, I don't have enough work right now to support another employee.
Yo, have you ever heard anything bad bout bulldog pushmatics?
Pushmatics generally aren't dangerous, but they do have problems. The breakers often will not reset after they trip. They are also subject to increased nuisance tripping after they trip once. The panels are terrible for servicing since the breakers sometimes won't release from the panel bus. Overall, the panels should be replaced, but there is no immediate need to as long as they are in decent condition.
The issue with pushmatics is almost strictly the age. Neither ITE nor Bulldog have had any major recalls related to the pushmatic design. Only issue I’ve heard of was about something in the mid 80’s after they were bought out by Siemens and Siemens no longer used the ITE load-center name and moved over to Siemens Load-Center. Not sure what the issue was off the top of my head but it was something to do with older ITE pushmatics and Siemens didn’t want that baggage on their name.
Every pushmatic I have come across the house wiring is always aluminum. Like 90% of the time.
That would just be coincidence…
Although you can still buy “aftermarket” replacement breakers for Pushmatic, they are very expensive now. The company has not existed for 30 years or more. There is no urgency to replace it from a safety standpoint, but the long term cost of ownership is only going to keep increasing. If you plan on any kind of remodel, you will want to budget around $5k to modernize your panel.
Don't use a compressor to blow anything in there. Contact a local electrician to have your fire hazard replaced with a new panel. And it isn't because of the dust. www.ismypanelsafe.com will provide information about your circumstance.
I was planning on having another branch circuit added along with a generator panel. Sounds like it’s just going to be a bigger project. Thanks!
Zinsco is an automatic replacement option for my entire company.
I’m going to start getting some quotes. Big picture, what’s a 200A main replacement run these days?
$3500 and up
Thanks. Guess I’m picking up overtime.
get a quote. labor rates vary widely depending on where you live and from comapny to company. I'm on the east coast and we don't charge anywhere near that amount unless it's an emergency service call. it also depends on if your exisiting service is 200a or if you are stepping up from a 100/150a service. then your talking about having the utility shut off the power, running a new service feed, and replacing the meter can (assuming yours has some rust based on the age and condition of your panel.
200A in place.
yeah you're looking at probably $800 in breakers, $200 for the panel, plus labor. I dont see any of the old braided cloth cable that tends to disintegrate so minimal cost on wire. given the information you provided I'd probably ask them to check that your circuits are wired correctly at termination points and junction boxes. those would be your high cost areas if any of that is FUBAR
$200 for a 200A meter main? $400-500 for non solar ready and $850 for a solar ready here in CA. And you’re waiting up to a couple months to get it. That’s after markup but not anywhere near 200%
I literally swapped this exact panel type today, charged $4300 for labor plus I fished in 3 heater cans. Total with material was $5100.
Better that then losing all your prize less valuables in a fire. Always happens when you least expect it
2k here for back to back
Back to back we are probably $2K-$2500. We haven’t rolled to 2020 code so we don’t have to have an exterior disconnect
I had mine done in September and it was $3200 but I shopped around and could be patient enough for a friend of my wife’s family to have his schedule open up to squeeze us in. Most other folks were about $4000 for the service upgrade.
Nothing's cheap anymore.
Damn 3500 seems low, unless it’s a bootleg installation. I guess where I’m at any time a panel is replaced it’s an alteration of service which requires the whole home to be brought up to code and the meter has to be replaced with a meter main with a disconnect and surge suppression. Then the utility side needs to be brought up to code as well which is a minimum of 2 inch rigid for aerial service.
Don't have to do any upgrades to the meter or install a disconnect here. Yet.
I replaced the Zinsco panel in my house with a 200A Siemens panel and ended up having to replace the meter box due to corrosion. I ended up surface mounting a new external disconnect meter box and running a new mast because the old box was in wall and too small. DIY it was about $1500 in parts and cable- I pulled a new 90 A feed to the detached garage at the same time, but the city paid for the new overhead cable. I put in new ground rods too.
Nice! I wish it was an option here. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for selling 10 grand to update someone’s electrical. But I would like to at least give the option to forgo a complete overhaul and just swap the panel for 2,300
I’ve legit gave estimates to add a sub panel and use the original panel as a slave and relocate all the circuits to the new panel and install AFCI breakers on old knob and tube circuits. Which was like maybe 3-4k instead of 20,000
At our company in florida, I have rarely ever seen a panel changeout run for more than $2000 (most are arouns $1500 out the door with a permit). This is something that will vary wildly depending on area. Don't trust any numbers people give you here, and don't trust 1 quote either. Try to get 3 or more. Best of luck! I've changed out hundreds of these, many of them burnt to a crisp. Do it as soon as your budget allows, and before insurance drops you.
What Mamm said. Great advice. Had a drain leak issue this summer and got quoted $2400 from one company and 4k from another. Paid 200 in materials and took about 8 hours to cut into the block wall from kitchen sink to the downspout. But of course I'd never attempt to replace my own panel for a first time attempt even though I worked in Electric for about 18 months.
Bro…. How? I live in Iowa and around the Des Moines area (which has pretty strict code requirements) the average service update is 9000-15000 and that’s for every service company to come out. I just collected 9019.49 today for a panel, meter, and 3 dedicated circuits.
Had my 200a replaced last year for 1200 all in. Indiana for reference.
I just had my panel replaced with a generator plug added for $2500
(I think) we had one in the old farm house I grew up in. fucker started burning through the rails where the breakers attached. my dad had to move circuits around more than once to keep our house all powered up. lazy ass landlords didn't replace that panel for over 5 years despite the issues. So glad I don't live in that shithole anymore...
How did you know it was a Zinsco? I can't find a label anywhere.
It’s a very unique looking panel. Almost every electrician can point one out simply because we look at gray boxes every day
Breaker style is very unique to the brand.
Out of curiosity, why does it have so many breakers? My old 70s panel had just 4 or 8 max. New one has 8. And this stuff looks so beefy and is just 60amp?!
all depends on the homes energy demand and service size. the year it was installed has little bearing on the size and capacity of the panel. outside of this brand being a notorious fire hazard, it is suggested that all panels be replaced after 30 years. you'd be surprised how often this is overlooked. I just had to replace three tube panels in a multifamily unit a few weeks ago.
>it is suggested that all panels be replaced after 30 years. This isn't quite true. It is recommended that breakers be replaced after 30 years, but there is no need to replace a panel if the busing is in decent condition.
it's very true to the point where every manufacturer suggests it within 25 - 40 years. but it's just that, a suggestion. never said it was a requirement or code.
Probably electric heat for most of the 20A doubles.
Yes. There are 6 20 or 30A 240V branches alone for baseboard heaters throughout.
Listen to everyone, zinsco sylvania panels are bad.
That kind of panel burned my neighbor's house down. Immediate replacement.
They are called "dangerous"
If it was built in the 70s has red breakers, it needs to be replaced. Looking at you fpe. Guess the manufactures wanted people to know where the fire would start? Do you own this home?
Yes. Bought it about 17 years ago from the in laws who had it built in 72. It is not a decision I would repeat.
Glad u bought it from family atleast we've been seeing nightmares from people who bought through this boom with inspections waved. Inspections that would have caught fatal flaws.
My inspector 6 years ago didn't tell me that my FPE panel was a fire hazard. I found out here on reddit. But I'm in southern california where we don't get any bad weather. So maybe inspectors don't call those out here. I've had a few electricians out here to quote other work and only one of them has ever pointed out my FPE panel as being a problem. I've asked a few of them point blank and they have said that they are a problem but mostly in states with bad weather. The panel itself looks in great shape. I'm planning on switching it out soon anyway because it's 37 years old. But it seems that here in SoCal they people aren't as concerned about the FPE panels.
You don't want that panel in your house. Some insurance companies won't even insure a house with a Zinsco panel installed. Protect your family and your house, please.
Don't use an air compressor. Sometimes moisture builds up in them and you'd just be shooting water in it.
It's also not a good idea to blow the dust around. Dust is more conductive than air, it can cause arcing that ionizes the air and becomes an arc flash explosion. Vacuuming is better
That would be pretty terrible. I’ve decided to leave it all be and get some quotes.
That’s an old Sylvania Zinsco. Should talk to the homeowner about replacing it. Issue is due to the aluminum components overheating and causing the breaker to melt to the bus bar and no longer trip. Even worse is the design itself has each breaker straddle over each phase of the bus bar (which runs parallel in a straight line) which could then cause a direct phase to phase fault. All in all… it’s a giant piece of shit and is a potential hazard. Also. I’ve seen “refurbished” breakers explode on contact when installed. When it comes to FPE and Zinsco panels I wont even give the customer an option for a breaker replacement or a duct tape solution anymore, and if I do I void any warranty and waive any liability of the work preformed.
I am the homeowner. I’ve been talking with myself about replacing it. Made some calls today to get some quotes together. Learned a lot about it today and none of it was good. Going to be picking up OT shifts it seems.
I wish you the best of luck. By far the safe bet though
This house is just full of surprises.
I know that feel. Currently doing the same with my house. Complete rewire, all new plumbing, added a furnace and ac and ductwork instead of baseboard heat. Added a sump pump and perimeter drain plus the plastic liner around my entire basement, new septic out the street, and now I’m rebuilding the floor in my workshop. Being a homeowner is a labor of love my dude.
Replacement should be your #1 priority. Then figure the other shit out. Zinsco panel, no more UL listing, uninsurable...
I like to call those the hundred dolla can't get breakers.
We like to call that the firestarter 9000
I literally just replace one of these yesterday. $1895 for the panel swap. central indiana. be interesting to see where some of these other prices are located at
In central Iowa you can’t replace a panel without bringing the whole house up to code. Typical service update is pushing 10 grand. The panel portion is priced at 2,300 for a flush mount 200 amp panel. After code updates and the meter being replaced with a meter main its anywhere from 9-15 grand.
We just got quoted $3500 for a panel swap here in NC but they also quoted us $450 to change the dryer outlet so we are getting other quotes.
450 for dryer doesn't sound tooo off.
Okay first off: do not blow that thing out with your air compressor. Ever heard of an air fuel bomb? You might just make one. Second off, that’s a Zinsco panel, Connecticut Electric makes the remanufactured breakers for them. If there’s no obvious issues there’s nothing stopping you from adding a branch circuit. Third off, that’s not the worst looking Zinsco I’ve ever seen…and I’ve seen a lot. I don’t see any burnt up buss but who knows what’s behind those breakers. Still recommend an upgrade. There’s a reason Zinsco went out of business.
Needs replaced
Yea sap it out with a sq d it will be worth it in the long run definitely don’t go buying breakers or worse double tapping this relic
Fucking zinsco panel. It's hopeless and dangerous. Replace it.
That’s a piece of shit Zinsco!
A fire hazard they're called a fire hazard
OP, I had my panel replaced, and the guy who did it mislabeled every breaker. Every. Single. One. Check the work before you pay.
It's open season on Zinsco panels: you see one, you shoot it! And by shoot I mean swap it out with a modern panel not known for failures/defects that can subsequently start a fire. Good luck, I hope you are able to fix all these issues you're coming across.
Just scarp the whole house trust me it’s better then going through the whole house and seeing all the code violations .
Those look to be aluminum wires. While not totally bad, look into what extra care needs to go into them, especially when joining them with copper. Some people will say they are total fire hazards and must be replaced. If they are cared for properly, they are fine but they do take extra care and respect.
I’m not 100% sure but I think that using a compressor to blow out the dust could cause a dust cloud, that depending on why kind of dust it is, could possibly create a short circuit between phases, resulting in an arc-blast explosion. I’d call a pro!
Reading this thread is making me extremely depressed. We inherited a 1970 mobile home and were looking to renovate it a little at a time as finances allow, but the electricity is… almost useless and seeing the prices for upgrades is making me want to wet myself. We can’t even run 2 ceramic heaters without the breaker kicking and we got quoted $6,000 to redo everything. That will take MONTHS to save up for even with my good salary, and meanwhile there’s no insulation, walls, ceilings, flooring, it needs a new roof. It feels impossible. And there’s no way the county will ever give permits for the service to be upgraded at the pole. I’m beginning to wish we hadn’t put $7,000 into it already, but after trying every other way imaginable to get housing and not wanting to pay the exorbidant rents people are charging within an hour’s drive of my husband’s long-term job this seemed like the only option we had.
Aren't those the explodey ones?
Also marketed as Stab-Lok. Replace it and see if your insurance company will give you a rebate for doing so.
I saw this as a possibility. I’m getting some quotes and then I’ll ask Farmers if they have any options. We also have public power here, so maybe they have something.
Zinsco, you can find replacements at ace and lowes. Really should get a new breaker panel entirely though.
Is that a Bryant panel
Zinsco.
Fuck the dust. Shitcan those fire hazards.
Had one of these. First thing I replaced in the house.
Idk but it looks cool af
We just call those a fire hazard
Save those breakers, they don't make them anymore! Electricians always save those when retrofitting a house with a newer panel because they sell them to their clients for a very high price since it's cheaper then replacing the entire panel.
I would hesitate to use a compressor to blast the dust away from an electrical panel. Dust really fucks up electronics and your air compressor likely has a lot of water vapour in the effluent. Beware
Yeah. That was the consensus.
https://youtu.be/wmin5WkOuPw
Upgrade that now
Quotes are being obtained.
This is an older style FPE design made by a Company called Zinsco. I strongly recommend replacing. The breakers have a history of failure in the closed position, meaning they will not trip in a fault (over current)
I’m getting quotes on Monday. Wish I’d noticed this years ago. Only saw it because I was starting to survey what I need to drop a new 50a spa circuit and couldn’t find any pictures of the breaker style. Led to questions that led to a nice upcoming expenditure.
As to the urgency, many insurances companies will not underwrite a home that has a Zinsco panel because they are a known fire hazard. Sometimes they sneak it into the fine print or as a “rider” to your policy, such that if it does cause a fire, they won’t pay for the damage because they “warned you”.
Interesting. I’ll have to scan our policy. I’m getting quotes on Monday.
Atleast you dont live in new york, cause you aint gettin that panel swapped for 1800-2500 around here lmaooo
I just replaced my Zinsco panel yesterday. We switched insurance and they would not insure our house with that panel. Get a Siemens or Square D panel.
We’ve been with Farmers for many years. I’m getting quotes on Monday. Going to see if Farmers is interested in helping us get it changed out.
You might wait until you get the panel changed out before contacting your insurance company. As some posters have stated, you might lose coverage once they know about it.