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Here we provide text, labels, and equipment photographs used to help identify Kearney electrical panels and circuit breakers, and we include photographs of this Zinsco look alike sold by Kearney, a division of Kearney National, Tucker Georgia. This product included labeling indicating that owners should use Zinsco brand circuit breakers. This website discusses the electrical, fire, and shock hazards associated with Zinsco electrical components, circuit breakers, electrical panels, including certain Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels and breakers which are in fact of the same product design and origin.

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IDENTIFY KEARNEY - How to Identify Kearney Electrical Panels - Zinsco-like Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers

We have received field reports from electricians and home inspectors who observe that Kearney™ electrical panels look a lot like Zinsco's.

NACHI inspector Joe Funderburk reports from a field inspection that the Kearney panel included an identification label identifying the Kearney Corporation in Tucker, Georgia.

(Photos of a Kearney electrical panel circuit breaker set and bus design courtesy of Mr. Funderburk).

Here is another photo of Kearney circuit breakers in a Kearney Electrical Panel.

Another inspector has reported that the panel s/he examined was identified as B&C Kearney and included in-panel label says to use ZINSCO circuit breakers. Kearney was owned by Cooper Industries, Zinsco was owned by Thomas & Betts. The Kearney electrical panel door label (photo below) indicates that Kearney was a division of Kearney National, Tucker, Georgia.

Therefore the same Zinsco safety and functional concerns discussed at ZINSCO SYLVANIA ELECTRICAL PANELS should be applied to this Kearney-Zinsco equipment.

Kearney electrical panels have been reported to have "L" shaped bus bars. Below we include a photograph of an identifying label in a Kearney electrical panel.

Kearney Electrical Panel Labeling

From these preliminary reports it appears that Kearney Corporation made an electrical panel with a bus intended to accept Zinsco circuit breakers.

The Kearney panel door label (left) is labeled No. 102-0050.

Kearney made other electrical products including high voltage fuses.

We invite field reports and photographs from owners of buildings containing a Kearney electrical panel and we'd like to hear from electricians and home inspectors who encounter this product.

Photographs of the entire Kearney electrical panel, circuit breakers, bus design, panel labels, circuit breaker labels, and any evidence of product failures such as burnt buses, overheated circuit breakers, or other defects would be helpful to the inspection and electrical professions and will be reported here.

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

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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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