Thank you!!! It was late in the Central Valley and I found a hardware store that had a breaker but couldn't find anybody that would come replace it the same night. 106 degrees out today and I was able to fix it without frying myself.
This is the best Zinsco video I've seen! It's very helpful to see what's inside and how it works. This is my exact setup (horizontal) except in my case the power comes from below. Super nice to see it all!
Really appreciate the video! It was 114° yesterday when one these old breakers gave up, leaving my AC without power. Checked the box, realized I had a 20 amp for an AC running a 30. 🤔 Old breaker wasn't even tripped.. just had no continuity until you flip the switch a gazillion times - AC would power back on for a couple minutes.. then cuts out again. Anyway, I had no experience with these, watched the video and got it swapped out to a 30 amp that wasn't 300 years old. Really appreciate it!
Very good video. I have a old house with this kind of breaker and do not know how to replace the breaker. You give very details about the issues and how to handle. Thank you! Only issue is the safety, should be with more careful.
Siway Chen --- this video doesn't show the retaining bar that holds the breakers in place at the top. The bar is held in with tamper proof screws, meaning you cannot back them out without a special screwdriver made for tamper proof screw removal. Not all Zinsco panels have that bar and some electricians if they service the panel will remove the bar and leave it off. Hopefully yours is off
I thought the same thing! kind of a bummer to put the new aftermarket in there. Takes away from the beauty.. but I get it, those originals are fairly hard to find. Very helpful video as well..
8:57 - If the circuit associated with that neutral you just handled is energized (as you said) and a there is a load is connected to it, you would be electrocuted with a full 120v on the grounded conductor (neutral) by touching the exposed copper at the end of it. Also, you would get a sparks while reconnecting it to the neutral bar. treat all neutrals (white wires) as if they're hot; because, they are! the white wire is the return path to complete the circuit. don't put yourself between _any_ white wire and ground. That's why it's called the grounded _conductor_ (it conducts electricity)!
I was going to add that, so thanks. I think the word “electrocuted” is used to often. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I think that if a person gets electrocuted, they are dead. Electrocution would be the cause of death. If the white wire was a required return path of a hot circuit, you would receive a shock but still be alive.
At 5:20 you say it's not a 2 pole, its 2 circuits coming off the same pole. Which is not true! At 2:10 min you show the old breaker with the two areas that connect to the (Fins) Horizontal Buss bars, Your tandem breaker is a 220-volt breaker as you can see the tabs connect on different buss bars. They are not connected on the same Buss Bar. At 3:14 on the new breaker you can see the tabs one in the middle connects to the bottom Buss and the top U shape area connects to the Top buss, Giving you 220 Volt, even tho its a tandem, the each gives you 120 Volts. When replacing a single pole breaker before ordering, you must pay attention to the tab connecting to the Buss ( A Phase Top or B Phase Bottom). In order to get the correct breaker. Another thing after turning off your Main Breaker never assume the panel is off, Please test your meter to a known hot source then test the Buss and breakers your working on! to make sure your Main Breaker is working correctly. Do not grab your non-insulated screwdrivers on the metal shank as it can cause serious injury or death! Overall good Video good information......Eg
Thanks for this video, very helpful. Looks like these things are a bit of a PITA to replace, which is what I was afraid of. On top of that, my Zinsco panel was installed upside down!
These Zinsco can be much harder to pull out. I had to use channel locks. Like he said the aftermarket breaker is difficult to get back on. I used a hammer and wooden block on one. I'm putting another slim double in about an hour from now or so. I'm hoping it will be easier. I was wondering if I could use a lubricant? Thanks. P.S. I grew up in that area so it's always nice to get a look at the old hood.
How bad are these Zinsco circuit breaker panels, do we need to replace it? We just bought a house with a Zinsco panel (30 horizontal breakers). One of the breakers is stuck open, another doesn't click or turn off at all. Home Depot and Lowes don't sell replacement circuit breakers.
I don't have a main breaker to turn off the busses on my Sylvania/Zinsco panel. Can I change out breakers without having problems with arcing and such?
Nice video, I'm no electrician and have changed a few on my 45yo Zinsco panel til I can afford to change it out. Pretty simple, tho I do have my wife stand behind me with a 2x4..🤣🤣🤣
Watching the video, I think you did a good job of explaining to a DIY’er, thanks. However, you took out a 2 pole breaker, 240 volts between them. The bus is alternate sides, each one with the contact point. I believe you replaced it with a 2 pole which is critical if it were a multi-wire circuit. When you turned on power, you energized all of the existing breakers at once, to reduce the load on the main you turn the branch breakers off and turn them on one at a time. That also lets you exercise the breaker, which being Zinsco breakers could be important as they were known to melt together. Last point, whenever you energize equipment, you stand to the side and just one hand is doing the work. The reason is that if you accidentally caused a phase to phase short, that panel throw out some melted copper or ??? Standing to the side can save your eyes or other parts of your body. No sense in taking the chance.
i replaced all the breakers. i replaced them with the new double ones like u used in this video. all electrical works in the house but the dryer outlet. the dryer turns on but wont heat up. the dryer man says the dryer is not the issue
+Cole Mayberry there are 2 kinds of breakers that look very similar, but are completely different: tandem and 2-pole. You may have bought the incorrect one. Tandem is 2 SEPARATE 120 volt circuits. 2-pole is 240 volt, it has a tie holding the two handles together. Regardless you need to test the main breaker with a proper multimeter and you need to see 120 volt - 120 volt -240 volt on both sides of the main breaker.
+Edward Quintana no sir. We take old people. JK. Come on in you'll live it. In fact most employers would probably prefer someone your age over a young green employee any day! I'm 43 and find 30 year olds you be a great age you have a lot going for you already.
I have a question for you about breakers. I'm about to change out my Zinsco 40 Amp double pole breaker. It's been going bad for the last few days, and it's connected directly to the central air unit for the home. Considering it's been going bad, I had the thought to increase the Amp on the breaker. So, if I go with a bigger breaker 50 Amp, will I have any issues, since the original breaker was for only 40 Amp
Efran Duran ----- I hope you didn't put a larger amperage breaker in to replace the one you say is bad. Hopefully you got the correct info somewhere because I noticed no one answered you. The wires in electrical panels and in your home or commercial building etc... are sized for specific amperage rating and not any higher or risk of fire or the breaker not working correctly. # 14 awg copper wire is rated to 15 amps maximum, #12 awg copper wire is rated to 20 amps maximum, #10 awg copper wire is rated at 30 amps maximum, #8 awg copper wire is rated at 40 amps, # 6 -50 amps, # 4 - 60 amps and they continue on to the very largest in that fashion. Wires installed in your home are labeled with printing on the wire itself but age can make them disappear. You never want a breaker with larger ampacity than the wire or conductor size is rated. Otherwise the wire could overheat from too much load flowing through it and it could catch fire before the circuit breaker senses the overload because its rated higher than the wire, so it will not trip into the fault position before the wire burns up and catches your house on fire. Zinsco breakers are already notorious for not working properly as it is and causing fires dozens of times a year or more in the US and Cananda. So don't give it any help in failing it does fine on its own.
Does it matter which fin the metal piece of the breaker connects to? I just changed out a 15 amp single pole breaker foe the first time but the metal clip on my old breaker is in the inside slot while the new one has the metal clip in the outside slot. I see there are 2 fins in the panel so I connected the breaker and everything see,s to work fine. Just want to make sure it’s safe to use either fin.
it's fine, those 2 metal clips on the bottom of the breaker are designed to balance the load between both of the bussing (the two long thin metal rails). Both will give you 120 volt. As long as all the breakers aren't all on the same slot it's fine. Don't worry about it too much if they are or are not on the same slot- if they WERE the only thing that would happen is you might trip the main breaker more often- and we'd be having a different conversation. Thank you for watching Chavez.
+Cole Mayberry position does not matter. Test the main breaker with a multimeter. It dibs like you bought tandem breakers instead of 2-pole breakers. Is the panel damaged? Why are you replacing breakers in the first place?
+Massive Electric so just wiggle the breaker free and force the new one in? The breakers in my panel are inserted horizontally and I don't see how they are held in place. Based on your video, it seems that mechanical force alone is how they remain connected.
+Nicknamed Sin yes sir. The breaker has a metal "clamp" on the bottom inside the notched out area that tightly hold on to the electrical bussing inside the panel. Also there is a little rail with a tab, like a small tongue, in the panel that holds the bottom front of the breaker down. So, when taking a breaker out, it will sort of "hinge" or "rotate" on the tab last as you pull the breaker out as you pull it. It's not super clear in the video to see. When putting the breaker in, the tab is engaged first do the breaker if in place then "hinges" or "rotates" onto the bussing as you push it in. Hope that helps you, be safe and thanks for watching.
So, how did you finally get the breaker to attach? You said don’t modify the breaker but I’m guessing you did bend the fingers enough to get the breaker fingers to slide over the buss. That’s the only way I could get it on there. The panel and the aftermarket Chinese breakers are POS.
I know some who guys who would charge $250 labor for this exact job. On top of the cost. That's a Connecticut electric branded one and it could cost $60-90 because they know you need it and it's not easily available. Demand for them will I crease because zinsco panels are 40-65+ years old now and the breakers will need to be replaced.
+Don Vagabond the ones I've seen are "UBI". There are breaker houses around also which will sell original (used) breakers which have been cleaned up and refurbished as well.
+Cole Mayberry holy mackerel, how many hundreds of dollars did you spend on breakers!?!?! Something isn't right though if you had even more than 1 50amp breaker, it's highly unlikely that you would have even 2 50amp breakers. Still you need to test the main breaker wirh a multi meter.
+Cole Mayberry is what I am getting at is it sounds like the main breaker is bad or the main service feeders have a loose or bad connection or the service has a failure. But you still have to test the main breaker with a multimeter to find out.
This video doesn't show the retaining bar with the tamper proof screws that run across the top of the breakers that keeps you from removing the breakers.
@@MassiveElectric --- I don't know how many years you've been doing electrical as living but I've been doing it for 30 years and there are zinsco panels that have a retaining bar that runs parallel to the buss bar above the body of the breakers on top that holds them in place. You have to remove a pair of temper proof screws one on each end (left and right side) of the little bar. It's about a ½ inch wide and runs the length of the breakers positions. They all don't have them but about 50% do. They may be someting that they added in later years before they went out of business trying to keep those pieces of shit breakers from moving around and thus reducing the tendency to arc and burn up the buss bar and the clips as they often do. Maybe its a regional thing but it looks like you're in So Cal like I am. I was thinking it could be some earthquake kit to keep the breakers in place when the house is shifting around. If TH-cam comments allowed for uploading photos I'm sure I could find one online to post. Trust me, they are out there and I've had a few times when I wasn't able to get that bar off even with a tamper proof screwdriver and had to drill the screws out. I've also been lucky a few times where the person who serviced the panel prior to me had left the bar in place but backed out the screws far enough to where the breakers were still able to be removed. It is only on the panels with the breakers running horizontally. Now, I could be mistaken them with the Sylvania style or the other company(s) that tried to improve on the crap design.
@@MassiveElectric --- here is a link to a posted comment on Mike Holtz electrical forum. It talks about exactly what I'm talking about. forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=172802&highlight=Breaker+retaining+bar+removal+zinsco
@@MassiveElectric ---- sometimes there are people who know more than you. Sometimes people have seen more than you. Sometimes people are aware that they might not know everything but you don't seem to be any of those people. Keep making TH-cam videos. They make you a better wireman . Doing video production keeps you out of the service truck and although videos may make you look cool to those DIY people, those of us who are real electricians with years of real experience know the difference and know what we are talking about. I tried to be humble and even question my own knowledge to keep from sounding arrogant but then I read your reply one more time and realized what a dick you are and I figured I'd better prove you wrong and show people your lack of knowledge and experience. I might start watching all of your videos to make sure you aren't going to kill anyone with your attempts at teaching non trade and inexperienced laymen how to do work that only qualified people should be doing. Tighten up your game and drop the attitude. You don't know everything. I've been in the trade more than half my life and I learn something new every day or close to it because I know I don't know everything. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family
18 years in the trade, still, and never seen one of those retaining bars. And no, I certainly don't know everything. I made that video a while ago and don't recall everything in it, but imagine that if the panel, or any panel I'd ever seen had one I would have discussed it, as I can't imagine intentionally withholding information from the very consumer I'm trying to help. I do appreciate the input though- trust me, we think more alike than you realize.
+Cole Mayberry what kind of 240 volt outlet? How many amps. Did you buy a 2 pole breaker? How many breakers did you replace? Did you test the panel for 240 volt at the mains?
True, but who's gonna pay dor it? I don't work for free and am sure you don't either. I always make the recommendation but some people don't have the resources to do that. So then what? Walking away from it is grossly irresponsible, then they'll just hack it and make the problem worse. I appreciate the input though and thank you for watching.
Massive Electric thanks for the video, I am about to replace one of my breakers like the one you replaced on the video. In regards to the comment from the guy that says that the whole panel should be replaced, it just shows how ignorant some people can be when it comes to knowing what people can afford and what they can’t, you did handled that comment with great info and respect. Thanks again man
Massive Electric I guess I didn’t realize some will put themselves at fire risk for around 2k. I guess some truly don’t have the funds or reserves or just make the choice to not allocate funding for this
As a licensed electrician I must tell you to get that Zinsco panel replaced. They are known not to trip correctly and you are going to get more failures.
Wrong...dont bend tab... you need to hook bottom first.you just modified and then said don't modify. Add antioxidant..THEN put it in. Yes they are crappy but when you replace one All the breakers are now more likely to arc. Grease the entire buss and start over
You turned a live 100 amp breaker off with your bare hand and with only eye protection and you still have a hand and a face. Congratulate yourself as a lucky fool and get a lottery ticket. Next time stand away and use a non conducting implement to turn off the breaker. Better yet, get a QUALIFIED electrician to replace the whole firetrap panel.
@@MassiveElectric Then you should know better than to Incorrectly educate others by NOT wearing insulated gloves. Hopefully others won't follow your example (and possibly die from it), but will have better Gloved Safety precautions. Otherwise, thanks for the other good info.
Man this was the only Zinsco video I found that had good camera work and helped me understand exactly what to do. Thank you!
Thank you so much man! 5 years later and you've just helped me and my family immensely. Scary that this panel is nearing 60 years old now
Thank you!!! It was late in the Central Valley and I found a hardware store that had a breaker but couldn't find anybody that would come replace it the same night. 106 degrees out today and I was able to fix it without frying myself.
This is the best Zinsco video I've seen! It's very helpful to see what's inside and how it works. This is my exact setup (horizontal) except in my case the power comes from below. Super nice to see it all!
Really appreciate the video! It was 114° yesterday when one these old breakers gave up, leaving my AC without power.
Checked the box, realized I had a 20 amp for an AC running a 30. 🤔
Old breaker wasn't even tripped.. just had no continuity until you flip the switch a gazillion times - AC would power back on for a couple minutes.. then cuts out again.
Anyway, I had no experience with these, watched the video and got it swapped out to a 30 amp that wasn't 300 years old. Really appreciate it!
glad the video was helpful Jack! thanks for watching
Very good video. I have a old house with this kind of breaker and do not know how to replace the breaker. You give very details about the issues and how to handle.
Thank you! Only issue is the safety, should be with more careful.
Siway Chen --- this video doesn't show the retaining bar that holds the breakers in place at the top. The bar is held in with tamper proof screws, meaning you cannot back them out without a special screwdriver made for tamper proof screw removal.
Not all Zinsco panels have that bar and some electricians if they service the panel will remove the bar and leave it off. Hopefully yours is off
Thanks for the great video. Exactly what I needed to see before changing the breaker. Cheers!
That’s one of the cleanest/neatest zinsco panels I’ve ever seen. lol Good vid, conseice and informative.
thank you for watching Richard
I thought the same thing! kind of a bummer to put the new aftermarket in there. Takes away from the beauty.. but I get it, those originals are fairly hard to find. Very helpful video as well..
This is a great video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
8:57 - If the circuit associated with that neutral you just handled is energized (as you said) and a there is a load is connected to it, you would be electrocuted with a full 120v on the grounded conductor (neutral) by touching the exposed copper at the end of it. Also, you would get a sparks while reconnecting it to the neutral bar. treat all neutrals (white wires) as if they're hot; because, they are! the white wire is the return path to complete the circuit. don't put yourself between _any_ white wire and ground. That's why it's called the grounded _conductor_ (it conducts electricity)!
I was going to add that, so thanks.
I think the word “electrocuted” is used to often. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I think that if a person gets electrocuted, they are dead. Electrocution would be the cause of death.
If the white wire was a required return path of a hot circuit, you would receive a shock but still be alive.
At 5:20 you say it's not a 2 pole, its 2 circuits coming off the same pole. Which is not true! At 2:10 min you show the old breaker with the two areas that connect to the (Fins) Horizontal Buss bars, Your tandem breaker is a 220-volt breaker as you can see the tabs connect on different buss bars. They are not connected on the same Buss Bar. At 3:14 on the new breaker you can see the tabs one in the middle connects to the bottom Buss and the top U shape area connects to the Top buss, Giving you 220 Volt, even tho its a tandem, the each gives you 120 Volts. When replacing a single pole breaker before ordering, you must pay attention to the tab connecting to the Buss ( A Phase Top or B Phase Bottom). In order to get the correct breaker. Another thing after turning off your Main Breaker never assume the panel is off, Please test your meter to a known hot source then test the Buss and breakers your working on! to make sure your Main Breaker is working correctly. Do not grab your non-insulated screwdrivers on the metal shank as it can cause serious injury or death! Overall good Video good information......Eg
Thank you, man! 'Very helpful. And thanks to all the comments for added info.
Thanks for this video, very helpful. Looks like these things are a bit of a PITA to replace, which is what I was afraid of. On top of that, my Zinsco panel was installed upside down!
Is there a video of you taking the dead front off first?
How about a quick check to see if there are any live wires, etc, once you turn the Main Breaker off ... js.
Thanks for the helpful video. I now have the confidence to replace one of my own Zinsco Breakers that is bad.
+EagleTastic glad to hear it! Thank you for watching!
These Zinsco can be much harder to pull out. I had to use channel locks. Like he said the aftermarket breaker is difficult to get back on. I used a hammer and wooden block on one. I'm putting another slim double in about an hour from now or so. I'm hoping it will be easier. I was wondering if I could use a lubricant? Thanks. P.S. I grew up in that area so it's always nice to get a look at the old hood.
How bad are these Zinsco circuit breaker panels, do we need to replace it? We just bought a house with a Zinsco panel (30 horizontal breakers). One of the breakers is stuck open, another doesn't click or turn off at all. Home Depot and Lowes don't sell replacement circuit breakers.
I don't have a main breaker to turn off the busses on my Sylvania/Zinsco panel. Can I change out breakers without having problems with arcing and such?
Thanks for this video, you probably just saved my at least a $100!! Awesome.
+Chris Heaton thanks for watching. Be safe.
Nice video, I'm no electrician and have changed a few on my 45yo Zinsco panel til I can afford to change it out. Pretty simple, tho I do have my wife stand behind me with a 2x4..🤣🤣🤣
Watching the video, I think you did a good job of explaining to a DIY’er, thanks.
However, you took out a 2 pole breaker, 240 volts between them. The bus is alternate sides, each one with the contact point. I believe you replaced it with a 2 pole which is critical if it were a multi-wire circuit.
When you turned on power, you energized all of the existing breakers at once, to reduce the load on the main you turn the branch breakers off and turn them on one at a time. That also lets you exercise the breaker, which being Zinsco breakers could be important as they were known to melt together.
Last point, whenever you energize equipment, you stand to the side and just one hand is doing the work. The reason is that if you accidentally caused a phase to phase short, that panel throw out some melted copper or ???
Standing to the side can save your eyes or other parts of your body. No sense in taking the chance.
Also he forgot to mention the conductors back-feeding the main breaker were energized even with the main breaker off/open . . .
What was the aftermarket part? I can't find it
You just did what you told people not to do! i.e.fiddled with a breaker
The natural and ground connect to the bus correct? Is tandem breakers safe?
i replaced all the breakers. i replaced them with the new double ones like u used in this video. all electrical works in the house but the dryer outlet. the dryer turns on but wont heat up. the dryer man says the dryer is not the issue
+Cole Mayberry there are 2 kinds of breakers that look very similar, but are completely different: tandem and 2-pole. You may have bought the incorrect one. Tandem is 2 SEPARATE 120 volt circuits. 2-pole is 240 volt, it has a tie holding the two handles together. Regardless you need to test the main breaker with a proper multimeter and you need to see 120 volt - 120 volt -240 volt on both sides of the main breaker.
am i to old to start this career im 31?
+Edward Quintana no sir. We take old people. JK. Come on in you'll live it. In fact most employers would probably prefer someone your age over a young green employee any day! I'm 43 and find 30 year olds you be a great age you have a lot going for you already.
Thank you! When your just not familiar with the brand....
Thanks I enjoyed it
Does it matter which circuit wire goes to on the breaker?
I have a question for you about breakers. I'm about to change out my Zinsco 40 Amp double pole breaker. It's been going bad for the last few days, and it's connected directly to the central air unit for the home. Considering it's been going bad, I had the thought to increase the Amp on the breaker. So, if I go with a bigger breaker 50 Amp, will I have any issues, since the original breaker was for only 40 Amp
Efran Duran ----- I hope you didn't put a larger amperage breaker in to replace the one you say is bad. Hopefully you got the correct info somewhere because I noticed no one answered you.
The wires in electrical panels and in your home or commercial building etc... are sized for specific amperage rating and not any higher or risk of fire or the breaker not working correctly.
# 14 awg copper wire is rated to 15 amps maximum, #12 awg copper wire is rated to 20 amps maximum, #10 awg copper wire is rated at 30 amps maximum, #8 awg copper wire is rated at 40 amps, # 6 -50 amps, # 4 - 60 amps and they continue on to the very largest in that fashion.
Wires installed in your home are labeled with printing on the wire itself but age can make them disappear.
You never want a breaker with larger ampacity than the wire or conductor size is rated. Otherwise the wire could overheat from too much load flowing through it and it could catch fire before the circuit breaker senses the overload because its rated higher than the wire, so it will not trip into the fault position before the wire burns up and catches your house on fire.
Zinsco breakers are already notorious for not working properly as it is and causing fires dozens of times a year or more in the US and Cananda. So don't give it any help in failing it does fine on its own.
Does it matter which fin the metal piece of the breaker connects to? I just changed out a 15 amp single pole breaker foe the first time but the metal clip on my old breaker is in the inside slot while the new one has the metal clip in the outside slot. I see there are 2 fins in the panel so I connected the breaker and everything see,s to work fine. Just want to make sure it’s safe to use either fin.
it's fine, those 2 metal clips on the bottom of the breaker are designed to balance the load between both of the bussing (the two long thin metal rails). Both will give you 120 volt. As long as all the breakers aren't all on the same slot it's fine. Don't worry about it too much if they are or are not on the same slot- if they WERE the only thing that would happen is you might trip the main breaker more often- and we'd be having a different conversation. Thank you for watching Chavez.
does position of the breakers matter. since i used the doubles i have half the panel open. so they are all stacked in the top half of the box
+Cole Mayberry position does not matter. Test the main breaker with a multimeter. It dibs like you bought tandem breakers instead of 2-pole breakers. Is the panel damaged? Why are you replacing breakers in the first place?
*sounds not dibs
I have a breaker like that but with 14-2 so black white and ground where does the white go if I'm putting the ground to bus bar
+Massive Electric so just wiggle the breaker free and force the new one in? The breakers in my panel are inserted horizontally and I don't see how they are held in place. Based on your video, it seems that mechanical force alone is how they remain connected.
+Nicknamed Sin yes sir. The breaker has a metal "clamp" on the bottom inside the notched out area that tightly hold on to the electrical bussing inside the panel. Also there is a little rail with a tab, like a small tongue, in the panel that holds the bottom front of the breaker down. So, when taking a breaker out, it will sort of "hinge" or "rotate" on the tab last as you pull the breaker out as you pull it. It's not super clear in the video to see. When putting the breaker in, the tab is engaged first do the breaker if in place then "hinges" or "rotates" onto the bussing as you push it in. Hope that helps you, be safe and thanks for watching.
Massive Electric really appreciate your input. Thanks.
So, how did you finally get the breaker to attach? You said don’t modify the breaker but I’m guessing you did bend the fingers enough to get the breaker fingers to slide over the buss. That’s the only way I could get it on there. The panel and the aftermarket Chinese breakers are POS.
Hi! Will that still pass inspection should they decide to sell the house?
Thank you for the awesome help
How did u make it fit in having a problem it's to long
I know some who guys who would charge $250 labor for this exact job. On top of the cost. That's a Connecticut electric branded one and it could cost $60-90 because they know you need it and it's not easily available. Demand for them will I crease because zinsco panels are 40-65+ years old now and the breakers will need to be replaced.
Thank you...
So if one replaces all the breakers, isn’t it no longer a zinsco?
Great vid! Very helpful:D
that new aftermarket one is the one im having to replace!
+Marty Forkwater lol nice. Might be time to consider replacing the whole panel.
What if there no main
Whats the brand of the after market breaker?
+Don Vagabond the ones I've seen are "UBI". There are breaker houses around also which will sell original (used) breakers which have been cleaned up and refurbished as well.
Don Vagabond It is probably a Sylvania after market one.
great video bro
+Marty Forkwater thanks for watching
can improper sized wires or improper breakers cause excessive power use? i hear the line "why is my power bill so high i dont use much".
+Marty Forkwater excellent question. That one is worth a video. (But the answer is no)
That panel is a piece of crap and should be replaced.
Always turn off all breakers first before turning on the main breaker. Then flip them on one at a time. You never know who left what on.
i replaced 6 50amp breakers 3 tandem 50s. 6 20amps with 3 tandems. and 6 15amp with 3 tandems
+Cole Mayberry holy mackerel, how many hundreds of dollars did you spend on breakers!?!?! Something isn't right though if you had even more than 1 50amp breaker, it's highly unlikely that you would have even 2 50amp breakers. Still you need to test the main breaker wirh a multi meter.
+Cole Mayberry is what I am getting at is it sounds like the main breaker is bad or the main service feeders have a loose or bad connection or the service has a failure. But you still have to test the main breaker with a multimeter to find out.
😂 I Struggled putting one in today
This video doesn't show the retaining bar with the tamper proof screws that run across the top of the breakers that keeps you from removing the breakers.
Because there is no such thing. That's what the panel dead front is for.
@@MassiveElectric --- I don't know how many years you've been doing electrical as living but I've been doing it for 30 years and there are zinsco panels that have a retaining bar that runs parallel to the buss bar above the body of the breakers on top that holds them in place. You have to remove a pair of temper proof screws one on each end (left and right side) of the little bar. It's about a ½ inch wide and runs the length of the breakers positions. They all don't have them but about 50% do. They may be someting that they added in later years before they went out of business trying to keep those pieces of shit breakers from moving around and thus reducing the tendency to arc and burn up the buss bar and the clips as they often do.
Maybe its a regional thing but it looks like you're in So Cal like I am. I was thinking it could be some earthquake kit to keep the breakers in place when the house is shifting around.
If TH-cam comments allowed for uploading photos I'm sure I could find one online to post. Trust me, they are out there and I've had a few times when I wasn't able to get that bar off even with a tamper proof screwdriver and had to drill the screws out. I've also been lucky a few times where the person who serviced the panel prior to me had left the bar in place but backed out the screws far enough to where the breakers were still able to be removed.
It is only on the panels with the breakers running horizontally.
Now, I could be mistaken them with the Sylvania style or the other company(s) that tried to improve on the crap design.
@@MassiveElectric --- here is a link to a posted comment on Mike Holtz electrical forum. It talks about exactly what I'm talking about. forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=172802&highlight=Breaker+retaining+bar+removal+zinsco
@@MassiveElectric ---- sometimes there are people who know more than you. Sometimes people have seen more than you. Sometimes people are aware that they might not know everything but you don't seem to be any of those people.
Keep making TH-cam videos. They make you a better wireman . Doing video production keeps you out of the service truck and although videos may make you look cool to those DIY people, those of us who are real electricians with years of real experience know the difference and know what we are talking about.
I tried to be humble and even question my own knowledge to keep from sounding arrogant but then I read your reply one more time and realized what a dick you are and I figured I'd better prove you wrong and show people your lack of knowledge and experience.
I might start watching all of your videos to make sure you aren't going to kill anyone with your attempts at teaching non trade and inexperienced laymen how to do work that only qualified people should be doing.
Tighten up your game and drop the attitude. You don't know everything. I've been in the trade more than half my life and I learn something new every day or close to it because I know I don't know everything. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family
18 years in the trade, still, and never seen one of those retaining bars. And no, I certainly don't know everything. I made that video a while ago and don't recall everything in it, but imagine that if the panel, or any panel I'd ever seen had one I would have discussed it, as I can't imagine intentionally withholding information from the very consumer I'm trying to help. I do appreciate the input though- trust me, we think more alike than you realize.
might have been nice too show you testing for lice "juice" after you turned the main breakers off.
please help.... i just replaced all my zinzcos and how my 240v outlet will not work
+Cole Mayberry what kind of 240 volt outlet? How many amps. Did you buy a 2 pole breaker? How many breakers did you replace? Did you test the panel for 240 volt at the mains?
exactly the problem we have - the new chinese breaker wont go in
Also, ask you electrician to address those aluminum wires.
Turn all the breakers off before messing with the main. You are one lucky fool.
The safe areas for you fingers are nowhere near that panel.
My insurance company made me change out my Zinsco panel for a more updated GE unit. Fire hazard.
Zinsco peashot.
Can't believe you're actually replacing breakers on that junk firetrap. Should be changing out the whole panel...
True, but who's gonna pay dor it? I don't work for free and am sure you don't either. I always make the recommendation but some people don't have the resources to do that. So then what? Walking away from it is grossly irresponsible, then they'll just hack it and make the problem worse. I appreciate the input though and thank you for watching.
Massive Electric thanks for the video, I am about to replace one of my breakers like the one you replaced on the video. In regards to the comment from the guy that says that the whole panel should be replaced, it just shows how ignorant some people can be when it comes to knowing what people can afford and what they can’t, you did handled that comment with great info and respect. Thanks again man
Massive Electric I guess I didn’t realize some will put themselves at fire risk for around 2k. I guess some truly don’t have the funds or reserves or just make the choice to not allocate funding for this
As a licensed electrician I must tell you to get that Zinsco panel replaced. They are known not to trip correctly and you are going to get more failures.
Not connect fully its to be 120 not 117or less
California is full of Zinsco breaker panel boxes and ugly design too.
Not fin, bus bar
this is what i dread as an electrician .......................trying to fix this shit ass panel.................replace it
Wrong...dont bend tab... you need to hook bottom first.you just modified and then said don't modify. Add antioxidant..THEN put it in. Yes they are crappy but when you replace one All the breakers are now more likely to arc. Grease the entire buss and start over
You turned a live 100 amp breaker off with your bare hand and with only eye protection and you still have a hand and a face. Congratulate yourself as a lucky fool and get a lottery ticket. Next time stand away and use a non conducting implement to turn off the breaker. Better yet, get a QUALIFIED electrician to replace the whole firetrap panel.
I am am 18 year electrician. Thanks for your input though.
why is it dangerous to use your hand turn off a breaker?
@@MassiveElectric
Then you should know better than to Incorrectly educate others by NOT wearing insulated gloves. Hopefully others won't follow your example (and possibly die from it), but will have better Gloved Safety precautions.
Otherwise, thanks for the other good info.
Try using a proper screwdriver.