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ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR

AFCIs ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS
ALUMINUM SECs & WIRING
ALUMINUM WIRING HAZARDS & REPAIRS
AMPS & VOLTS DETERMINATION
AMPACITY - the LIMITING FACTOR
APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS

BACKUP ELECTRICAL GENERATORS
BOOKSTORE - ELECTRICAL
BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE

Cadet & Encore Heater Recall
CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILURE
Classified CIRCUIT BREAKER WARNING
CIRCUIT BREAKER SIZE for A/C or HEAT PUMP
Classified CIRCUIT BREAKER WARNING
CIRCUIT BREAKER SIZE for A/C or HEAT PUMP
Classified CIRCUIT BREAKER WARNING
CUTLER HAMMER PANEL FIRE
CONDUIT, ELECTRICAL
CORROSION in ELECTRICAL PANELS
CORROSION & MOISTURE SOURCES in PANELS

DEFINITIONS of ELECTRICAL TERMS
DIRECTORY OF ELECTRICIANS

ELECTRIC HEAT
ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES
ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
ELECTRIC PANEL AMPACITY
ELECTRIC PANEL INSPECTION
ELECTRIC PANEL MOISTURE
Electric Power Frequency Table
ELECTRICAL BASICS

EMF RF FIELD & FREQUENCY DEFINITIONS

ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings

ELECTRICAL GENERATORS
ELECTRICAL GROUND SYSTEM INSPECTION

ELECTRICAL GENERATORS
ELECTRICAL GROUND SYSTEM INSPECTION

ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings

FEDERAL PACIFIC FPE HAZARDS
KNOB & TUBE WIRING
LIGHTNING PROTECTION
LOW VOLTAGE BUILDING WIRING
MAIN DISCONNECT
MAIN DISCONNECT AMPACITY
MULTI-WIRE CIRCUITS
PUSHMATIC - BULLDOG PANELS
RUST in ELECTRICAL PANELS
SAFETY FOR ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS
SE CABLE SIZES vs AMPS
SQUARE-D RECALLS

UNDERGROUND SERVICE LATERALS
VOLTAGE MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT

WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS
WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING

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
  OPTION #1 RETROFIT KIT
  OPTION #2 REPLACEMENT
  OPTION #1 vs OPTION #2
REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS
ZINSCO WARRANTY & CONTACT INFO
REPAIR ELECTRICIANS


More Information

LARGER  Photograph of Eaton Cutler Hammer Electric Retrofit Kit for Electrical Panel ReplacementCosts for Replacing Zinsco Electric Panels & Zinsco-Sylvania Electric Panels
InspectAPedia®  -         

  • What are the usual costs to replace an electrical Panel, FPE Stab-Lok, Zinsco, or Other Brand?
  • How to electrical panel replacement costs vary across the United States?
  • What factors affect the typical cost to replace an FPE Stab-Lok, Zinsco, or other Electrical Panel?
  • Eaton Cutler Hammer replacement panel choices for Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok equipment
  • Sources for Replacement Zinsco electrical panels
  • Should you Use Replacement Zinsco, GTE-Sylvania, Kearney circuit breakers?
InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.

This document discusses the typical costs to replace an electrical panel. This is a chapter of our longer articles which describes how to replace Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panels or Zinsco / Zinsco-Sylvania Electric Panels in buildings.

© 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.

Electrical Panel REPLACEMENT COST Typical cost of the traditional FPE Electrical Panel Replacement

Quotes From Electrical Contractors on Electric Panel Replacement

Quotes from electrical contractors on panel replacement by installing a complete, new, electrical panel, can be expected to vary by area of the country, hardware needed, replacement panel size in ampacity and number of circuits, accessibility to perform the work, and other factors that affect labor or materials.

That said, we've heard panel replacement costs ranging from $1,200. to $4,000 (April 2007, Northwestern United States). If you are surprised by the quotation you receive from your electrician, ask for the supporting details of the bid or ask for a bid from a competitor too. Shop expertise and workmanship not just price.

Basic equipment cost for replacement electrical panels of similar quality and price point, for just the electrical panel itself and its circuit breakers, is often less than $250.00. This price does not include the additional cost of labor and materials provided by a qualified, licensed electrician who makes sure that the electrical equipment is properly and safely installed.

Northeastern U.S.: Typically the installation of a new 100-Amp electrical pane in the Northeastern U.S. is around $1,200 to $1,500. (June 2006, Northeastern U.S.). This figure does not include the additional cost for a service panel (150A or 200A), extra labor, or materials for demolition and repair of a wall needed to address an electric panel which is already installed.

Southwestern U.S.: (Such as Dallas Fort Worth) Typically the installation of a new 100-Amp electrical pane in the Southwestern U.S. is around $1,200 to $2,100. (February 2008 Dallas Electrical Costs). A 150A or 200A electrical panel may cost up to $2400. from some installers.

Additional costs for replacement electrical panel installations: may be expected where there is difficulty of access, where demolition and wall repair are needed, where the electrical service is being upgraded to a larger ampacity than that of the panel being replaced, or where there are other special requirements. Typical factors affecting the cost of electrical repair and retrofit work are discussed in more detail just below.

The "Short Wire" problem and the Eaton Renovation Load Center: Electrical panel, FPE, Zinsco, or any other brand can be extra difficult when replacing the entire panel if only short lengths of wire are available in the old electrical box. Especially if the new electric panel is physically larger than the one being replaced, the original wires may not reach the circuit breakers in the new panel.

A product which might help when the entire loadcenter (what normal people call the "electric panel") is going to be replaced. is E-CH's "Renovation Loadcenters". The unique feature is that UL listed terminal blocks are provided in the enclosure as a means to terminate existing wires too short to reach the new panel's branch circuit breakers or neutral bus. A new wire can then be wired from the terminal block to the breaker or neutral.

This is a safer method than the twist-on connectors commonly used, or a separate terminal box, which takes up extra space. I do not discuss this approach further here but more information is available from Eaton Corp., Cutler Hammer Products or through your electrician and electrical supplier.

OPTION #1 RETROFIT KIT - Cost of Replacing a Zinsco Electric Panel using the E-CH Adjustable Retrofit Kit" discusses the costs of Zinsco panel replacement using Cutler Hammer's retrofit electrical panel kit.

This money-saving option is sometimes suitable, depending on the physical dimensions of the original electrical panel and the ampacity of the new service to be installed.

Factors Affecting the Cost of an Electrical Panel Replacement

  • Area of the country: prevailing wages and other costs for electricians vary by area of the country as well as city, town, or rural rates.
  • Electrical Work Permits and Electrician Licensing Fees required vary by municipality as do the fees that must be paid for those permissions to install an new electrical panel.
  • Amount of labor required to remove the old panel: this may vary widely depending on where and how the old electrical panel was installed, the amount of demolition, the necessity to perform cosmetic repairs to a surrounding wall or other surface, and even the working space to access the old panel.
  • Condition of the existing electrical wiring or its insulation: may affect panel replacement cost. Copper in electrical wiring does not deteriorate with mere age (contrary to what a New Paltz NY contractor told one of our clients). But the wire insulation may be damaged and unsafe from age, or from overheating. (Overheating a wire, unlike mere age, can also damage the copper wire itself.)

    Damaged electrical wires may have to be replaced. Replacement does not necessarily mean that the entire circuit needs to be replaced. Often overheating occurs locally, such as close to a connection or in a light fixture. The electrician may be able to cut back the damaged wiring, install a junction box, and extend the old circuit to the new electrical panel.
  • Obsolete electrical wiring such as knob and tube wiring does not necessarily have to be replaced (by code) but may be damaged, modified, or otherwise unsafe. Since a traditional knob and tube electrical circuit lacks a ground wire, these circuits should be upgraded to new wire whenever possible.
  • Physical size of the old electrical panel may be too small to preclude its re-use with a panel retrofit kit, so the entire box needs to be replaced.
  • Short electrical wires in the old panel may make it difficult or impossible to connect the existing wires to breakers in a new, physically larger electrical panel. Extensions, junction boxes, or a retrofit panel kit may be needed. We discussed this concern just above
  • Other new electrical work: may end up being part of your project. Since it's going to cost just to have your electrician walk in the door to do any job, it is often more economical to batch together multiple electrical tasks into one larger project. Discuss with your electrician other electrical improvements such as adding circuits, installing grounded electrical receptacles, adding a switch you've always wanted, and other improvements that may be less costly when added to the electrical panel replacement project.

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ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR
ALUMINUM WIRING HAZARDS & REPAIRS
FEDERAL PACIFIC FPE HAZARDS
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
  OPTION #1 RETROFIT KIT
  OPTION #2 REPLACEMENT
  OPTION #1 vs OPTION #2
REPLACEMENT PANEL COSTS
ZINSCO WARRANTY & CONTACT INFO
REPAIR ELECTRICIANS

  • Thanks to Dallas Texas electrician Lance Caddell, Master Electrician, Caddell Electric, LLC., lance@caddellelectric.com, 214-770-7598, www.Caddellelectric.com, www.DallasElectricRepair.com for technical editing and text suggestions.

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  • 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)
  • Electrical System & Wiring Hazard Inspection, Detection, Cause, Remedy, Prevention
  • ** Safety Hazards and Safe Electrical 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.
  • Electrical Panels, How to Inspect in buildings, safety for electrical inspectors, electrical panel, fusing, wiring defects, defective products. Inspection Class Presentation
  • Rust and Corrosion in Electrical Panels, A Study and Report on Frequency and Cause for Electrical and Home Inspectors at Residential Electric Panels
  • Replacement Electric Panels: Zinsco/Sylvania Panel Replacements two cost and method options for Zinsco panel replacement.
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