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Here we provide text, labels, and equipment photographs used to help identify Zinsco and GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels and circuit breakers, and we include photographs of a Zinsco look alike marketed by Kearney.

This website discusses the electrical, fire, and shock hazards associated with Zinsco electrical components, circuit breakers, electrical panels, including certain Sylvania electrical panels and breakers which are in fact of the same product design and origin.

Readers should also see IDENTIFY ZINSCO SYLVANIA METER BASE and see GTE-SYLVANIA-ZINSCO FAILURE MECHANISM, as well as ZINSCO FAILURE REPORTS.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

IDENTIFY GTE-Sylvania-ZINSCO - How to Identify Zinsco-Sylvania & GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers

Zinsco electrical panels were distributed in the United States, primarily in the Western states. Photo (at left) of a recent GTE Sylvania Zinsco circuit breaker burnup courtesy of Jeff Weissman.

Some Sylvania brand electrical panels are essentially a "Zinsco in Sylvania's clothing". The panel labels may identify it as "Sylvania", Sylvania-Zinsco, or GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco, but the circuit breaker colors and other external details permit the inspector to identify the problem Zinsco-design electrical panel bus and circuit breaker materials. Photographs of Zinsco Sylvania and GTE Sylvania Zinsco electrical panel labels courtesy of J. P. Simmons. An expert who opens the electrical panel or performs further disassembly (DANGER) can further identify the characteristic circuit breaker details but the circuit breaker toggle switch colors and unique labels should be sufficient for most inspectors and owners to identify this equipment.

• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, note the blue and silver foil "Sylvania" label
• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, main breaker and Sylvania label
• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, closeup of the blue and silver Sylvania label
• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, Sylvania label and pale green double pole breaker
• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, closeup of the blue and silver Sylvania label
• Sylvania Zinsco Main Panel, double pole green Zinsco circuit breaker in a Sylvania-labeled electric panel
• Sylvania Zinsco

IDENTIFY SYLVANIA-ZINSCO - How to Identify Zinsco-like Sylvania Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers by Electrical Panel Labeling

Some Sylvania brand electrical panels are essentially a "Zinsco in Sylvania's clothing". The panel labels may identify it as "Sylvania", Sylvania-Zinsco, or GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco, but the circuit breaker colors and other external details permit the inspector to identify the problem Zinsco-design electrical panel bus and circuit breaker materials. Photographs of Zinsco Sylvania and GTE Sylvania Zinsco electrical panel labels courtesy of J. P. Simmons. An expert who opens the electrical panel or performs further disassembly (DANGER) can further identify the characteristic circuit breaker details but the circuit breaker toggle switch colors and unique labels should be sufficient for most inspectors and owners to identify this equipment.

Readers should also see IDENTIFY ZINSCO SYLVANIA METER BASE and see GTE-SYLVANIA-ZINSCO FAILURE MECHANISM, as well as ZINSCO FAILURE REPORTS.

Contact Us with field reports and photos. We are pleased to credit and link-to contributors.

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to identify GTE Sylvania Zinsco electrical panels and and circuit breakers

Question: My electrical panel has the flat busbars but is not labeled Zinsco

My home was built in 1983 and has a circuit breaker panel labeled Sylvania GTE. I have inspected the entire thing- there is no Zinsco marking anywhere, including on the box or breakers, and the Sylvania label is different from those shown in the identification photographs, as is the Underwriter Labs label. However, it does have the bus bars that are strips of metal that run perpendicular to the back of the panel box. Do those bus bars indicate it is a Zinsco style Sylvania, or is that a design that was used outside of Zinsco? Thanks, A.C.

Reply:

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem in electrical components such as panels and circuit breakers.

That said, The Zinsco-Sylvania panels I've seen and of which others have provided still more photos included a label that presented both the Sylvania and Zinsco names. But I don't rule out the possibility of some Sylvania labels where you don't see the word Zinsco, either from a particular manufacturing period or because a label could have been peeled off.

The flat busbars perpendicular to the panel back you describe might indicate the panel is a Zinsco design. You or someone who is qualified can (WATCHOUT FOR ELECTROCUTION HAZARDS) open the panel, remove the cover, and inspect one of the breakers: if you see that the breaker matches the Zinsco breaker designs shown in our website article photos - that is, the characteristic Zinsco breaker with a mounting slot and a clip that connects the breaker to the bus bar, then you can know with confidence that it is or is not the Zinsco design, regardless of being labeled as just Sylvania.

I would avoid any unnecessary unplugging and re-plugging of circuit breakers because if it's the Zinsco design, the plug-in procedure on aluminum or even copper plated aluminum bus bars cuts the copper plating and can encourage arcing, bad connections, and overheating or failures in the equipment.

Send us some photos of the whole panel (use the CONTACT link at top, left, or bottom of our web pages), all panel labeling, the bus and a breaker, and we can also most likely confirm what you've got.

Such added details can help us understand what's happening and often permit some useful further comment. What we both learn may help me help someone else.

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Questions & answers about how to identify GTE-Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels and circuit breakers.

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ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR
ZINSCO SYLVANIA ELECTRICAL PANELS
ADVICE FOR ZINSCO OWNERS
  ZINSCO SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
  SIGNS OF ZINSCO GTE SYLVANIA TROUBLE
IDENTIFY ZINSCO ELECTRICAL PANELS
IDENTIFY GTE SYLVANIA-ZINSCO PANELS
IDENTIFY ZINSCO SYLVANIA METER BASE
IDENTIFY KEARNEY PANELS
GTE-SYLVANIA-ZINSCO FAILURE MECHANISM
ZINSCO FAILURE PHOTOGRAPHS
ZINSCO FAILURE REPORTS
ZINSCO OVERHEAT IR PHOTOS
ZINSCO FAILURE REPORT PROCEDURE
  REPORT TO WEB AUTHOR
  REPORT TO THE US CPSC
  ZINSCO INSPECTION REPORT LANGUAGE
ZINSCO REPAIR ELECTRICIANS
ZINSCO REPLACEMENT PANELS
REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS
ZINSCO WARRANTY & CONTACT INFO
REPAIR ELECTRICIANS

• Personal communication, J. Aronstein to D. Friedman, 3/6/2006
• James P. Simmons: Personal communication and photographs used in this article series, J. Simmons to Daniel Friedman, 3/4/2006, 2/19/2008. Photographs contributed to this website by Jim P. Simmons, Mr. Electric, Licensed Master Electrician, 1320 Dayton Street SE, Olympia, WA 98501, 360-705-4225, Fax 360-705-0130 or by email to mrelectricoly@msn.com
• Thanks to various electricians, home owners, and home inspectors for contributing the Zinsco Sylvania-Zinsco electric panel and circuit breaker field failure reports cited above.
• Thanks to David Osborn, an alert home inspector, for helpful critique regarding the need for Zinsco/Sylvania electrical panel replacement, 4/27/06
• Thanks to Joe Funderburk, Alpha & Omega Home Inspections, Hickory Grove, SC for his photos of a Kearney electrical panel. Mr. Funderburk is a NACHI member and home inspector who can be reached at jfunderburk@aohomeinspection.com or at www.aohomeinspection.com
• Thanks to Texas electrician Jeff Weissman for contribution of photographs of burned Zinsco circuit breakers. 03/06/2007. Mr Weissman can be reached at jeffweissman@gmail.com or by telephone at 713-666-6605
  
• Thanks to reader Richard Sims for photographs of a 400A Zinsco Electrical panel 3/6/2007
• Thanks to reader Judd Stiff for photos of a Zinsco-Sylvania meter base 3/6/2007

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Recommended books on electrical inspection, electrical wiring, electrical problem diagnosis, and electrical repair can be found in the Electrical Books section of the InspectAPedia Bookstore. (courtesy of Amazon.com)
• * Safety Hazards and Safe Inspection Procedures for Electrical and Home Inspectors at Residential Electric Panels
• Aluminum Wiring Information Website Aluminum Electrical Wiring Hazards and Repairs: in-depth authoritative info, photos, documents including selection of proper vs. ineffective repair methods. E.g.: Ideal 65 "Twister" purple connector fails in field and lab testing with aluminum wire.
• Ampacity of an Electrical Service: How to determine the electrical service size or ampacity entering a building
• Circuit Breaker, a bad one fails to trip failure at aluminum bus-to-circuit breaker connection - field report and photographs
• Electrical Panels, How to Inspect in buildings, safety for electrical inspectors, electrical panel, fusing, wiring defects, defective products. Inspection Class Presentation
• Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok Circuit Breaker Panel Hazards Website - Latent fire hazards, in-depth authoritative research, documents, advice on Stab-Lok electric panel and circuit breaker failures and what to do when this equipment is found in buildings.
• Lightning Strike Risk Assessment, Protection Systems & Services
• Multi-wire branch circuit inspection and defects
• Rust and Corrosion in Electrical Panels, A Study and Report on Frequency and Cause for Electrical and Home Inspectors at Residential Electric Panels
• "Electrical System Inspection Basics," Richard C. Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985.
• "Simplified Electrical Wiring," Sears, Roebuck and Co., 15705 (F5428) Rev. 4-77 1977 [Lots of sketches of older-type service panels.]
• "How to plan and install electric wiring for homes, farms, garages, shops," Montgomery Ward Co., 83-850.
• "Electrical System Inspection Basics," Richard C. Wolcott, ASHI 8th Annual Education Conference, Boston 1985.
• "Simplified Electrical Wiring," Sears, Roebuck and Co., 15705 (F5428) Rev. 4-77 1977 [Lots of sketches of older-type service panels.]
• "How to plan and install electric wiring for homes, farms, garages, shops," Montgomery Ward Co., 83-850.
• "Home Wiring Inspection," Roswell W. Ard, Rodale's New Shelter, July/August, 1985 p. 35-40.
• "Evaluating Wiring in Older Minnesota Homes," Agricultural Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108.
• "Electrical Systems," A Training Manual for Home Inspectors, Alfred L. Alk, American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), 1987, available from ASHI. [DF NOTE: I do NOT recommend this obsolete publication, though it was cited in the original Journal article as it contains unsafe inaccuracies]
• "Basic Housing Inspection," US DHEW, S352.75 U48, p.144, out of print, but is available in most state libraries.
• Electrical System & Wiring Hazard Inspection, Detection, Cause, Remedy, Prevention - Main Electrical Page
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