A talk with a fire inspector made me change how I look at old panels

I was finishing a kitchen rewire in a 1950s house in Portland last Thursday. The fire inspector, a guy named Carl, stopped by for the final. He pointed at the old Zinsco panel and said, 'I see those still in service all the time. We get a call about one melting down about every six weeks.' He told me they fail without tripping, just cook the bus. I always knew they were bad, but hearing that specific number from him hit different. It's not just an old part, it's a real ticking clock. How do you guys bring up full panel replacements with homeowners who don't see the problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinnp795d ago

Man, I saw a melted Zinsco bus bar photo online that looked like charcoal.

nora_barnes5d ago

Those things are absolute fire hazards.