need a breaker

[toplessHO]

obsolete Sylvania/Zinsco main breaker QFL2150.
Its in a friends house and wont reset after some yahoos
turned panel off and didnt fully reenergize it.
only other option is replacement of panel and adding a main
at the meter.
Ive tried most of the obsolete breaker dealers but always willing to listen if you guys know of anyone.

 

[Cmreschke]

Why a main at the meter?

 

[acer66]

They seem to sell it but they cost a fortune. http://westcoastpower.com/shop/Zinsco/Circuit+Breaker?page=8

Did you pushed the breaker all the way into the off position and than back on?

 

[Dagny]

They are well known to be of poor quality. I would recommend CH cutler hammer or QO square D.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Do you have a picture of the breaker?

 

[toplessHO]

thanks dont really need any input as to quality,I already know this......
its lasted 30 yrs without any issues regardless of being Zinsco junk.
Just trying to help a friend out without redoing entire panel etc
Ill get a pic,all I have is a close up of label and one of entire panel.

 

[toplessHO]

They seem to sell it but they cost a fortune. http://westcoastpower.com/shop/Zinsco/Circuit+Breaker?page=8

Did you pushed the breaker all the way into the off position and than back on?

yes breaker is a victim of not being exercised and tech not reenegizing properly

tried WCP and they show online but are out of stock.
Ive run into this alot today

 

[toplessHO]

heres a pic
its a bolt in type with lugs at top for incoming feeders

 

[wyliesdiesels]

If its Shitsco i would replace it! No telling when the other breakers will fail. Tell your friend to start saving!

I know youre on the other end of the country but we have a breaker shop here in town that sells hard to find obsolete breakers...

Called United Circuit Breaker...

 

[toplessHO]

have talked to several obsolete breaker houses in Calif.Seems to be a haven of them there.
Replacement of panel is an option but he was quoted $2K so a simple mains replacement
is first choice. I ll try them Monday

 

[rockwithjason]

i was going to suggest resa or romac which are both in ca

 

[toplessHO]

I need to get with him and compare notes
let alone the local supply houses that have been looking.
to make matters worse it looks like they offered a QFL in stablok and bolt in.
To add to confusion is that some suppliers go by several names online.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I save oddball breakers when I change out panels for emergencies,I don't have anything like that in the collection though.

 

[LXCam]

Too bad you're on the other side of the country, I know three places within 10 miles of me that would probably have one. If you really get in a bind, pm me and I'll get you their contact info. If you only had any idea how much of that **** I've thrown away over the last 30 years, it's sickening what it has become worth.

 

[bgeery]

I went though this with my old Zinsco panel, as the breakers started to go bad. Zinsco's are dangerous, thermal-trip only breakers, with a crappy overheating buss system. Get a Square D HOM panel, if he is really on a budget. If you want cheap, get a permit and add a main disconnect between the panel and the meter. Once inspected and power restored, swap out the panel yourselves. Sell off the old breakers to suckers on ebay that are too cheap to upgrade. I paid for half the replacement panel and breakers doing that. These Zinsco breakers are expensive, and not worth the cost to replace. Tell your friend to not throw good money after bad.

 

[plain garage]

What is meant by "not energized properly"? How do you energize a circuit breaker, serious question, as I'm about upgrade a sub-panel myself.

 

[Mustang51js]

I guess I need to start saving these breakers,I don't know how many of them I've tossed in the garbage over the years lol,could use some extra money

 

[sberry]

I sold a Fed main a while back. I got another one the other day. My neighbor messed with an obsolete panel and he should have changed it out during a major outage a couple yrs ago. It would take him about a work day but he found some breaker. Me, I like to see them go. A new panel gives a warm fuzzy feeling.
I think I have an old CH that look similar? It would make a real disconnect,,, ha

 

[Norcal]

I sold a Fed main a while back. I got another one the other day. My neighbor messed with an obsolete panel and he should have changed it out during a major outage a couple yrs ago. It would take him about a work day but he found some breaker. Me, I like to see them go. A new panel gives a warm fuzzy feeling.
I think I have an old CH that look similar? It would make a real disconnect,,, ha

The same breaker was used in Westinghouse BR load centers after Westinghouse bought Challenger (Zinsco/Sylvania's successor). It just made me hate the BR line even more then I did when it was Bryant BR, after Eaton took over the breaker they still use today was introduced to replace the Zinsco style.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I tore out an old G/S panel last week ,haven't seen one in years.
I saved all those old breakers for late night emergencies along with my old Fed pac breakers and GE junk that I hate even more than Fed pac.

 

[toplessHO]

I would first like to thank all those whove offered to help find a replacement.
I need to also make a PSA to all that under no circumstances should you put a questionable breaker back in service. If youve ever see the results of a bad breaker
exploding then you will understand why. A circuit breaker is a very sophisticated piece of equipment that has the potential to fault with tremendous amounts of energy.
Please DO NOT put anything back in service thats the least bit questionable.
Some manufacturers say once and done.Repeated resets due to fault or overload can actually weld the tired breaker contacts to the point of no longer tripping.Stay safe guys......

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I would first like to thank all those whove offered to help find a replacement.
I need to also make a PSA to all that under no circumstances should you put a questionable breaker back in service. If youve ever see the results of a bad breaker
exploding then you will understand why. A circuit breaker is a very sophisticated piece of equipment that has the potential to fault with tremendous amounts of energy.
Please DO NOT put anything back in service thats the least bit questionable.
Some manufacturers say once and done.Repeated resets due to fault or overload can actually weld the tired breaker contacts to the point of no longer tripping.Stay safe guys......

I'm no licensed electrician, but I'm on board with the above statement.

Tommy

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What is meant by "not energized properly"? How do you energize a circuit breaker, serious question, as I'm about upgrade a sub-panel myself.

It means that the breaker didnt energize both poles. This happens quite often with older junk.

Energizing a breaker means turning it on.

 

[DC73]

Replacement of panel is an option but he was quoted $2K so a simple mains replacement
is first choice.

A friend of mine went through this with a Federal Pacific panel. The initial cost quoted to replace was pretty high. But the electrician came across a retrofit kit (Cutler Hammer if I remember correctly) to replace the guts in the old panel without removing the FP box itself. Saved her quite a bit of money at the time. Maybe something like that is available in this case?

DC

 

[wyliesdiesels]

A friend of mine went through this with a Federal Pacific panel. The initial cost quoted to replace was pretty high. But the electrician came across a retrofit kit (Cutler Hammer if I remember correctly) to replace the guts in the old panel without removing the FP box itself. Saved her quite a bit of money at the time. Maybe something like that is available in this case?

DC

Yes CH does offer retrofit kits for load centers(subpanels). I got one of their brochures at the Platt Tool day we had here recently in town.

 

[toplessHO]

not much of a CH fan either
seen way too much junk in the commercial world to believe in a lower grade residential line

I will most likely replace the panel this winter when its cooler and can buy a little time with just a main breaker replacement now.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

not much of a CH fan either
seen way too much junk in the commercial world to believe in a lower grade residential line

I will most likely replace the panel this winter when its cooler and can buy a little time with just a main breaker replacement now.

 

[Mustang51js]

have talked to several obsolete breaker houses in Calif.Seems to be a haven of them there.
Replacement of panel is an option but he was quoted $2K so a simple mains replacement
is first choice. I ll try them Monday

Need to get more quotes,how many wires are in the panel, that is way high and more than double what I would charge to replace a panel at a house with all the materials supplied

 

[toplessHO]

Need to get more quotes,how many wires are in the panel, that is way high and more than double what I would charge to replace a panel at a house with all the materials supplied

that was a quote from the a/c contractor that was installing a new $5k system.
They have an electrical division and it was an emergency so Im sure they fluffed it up a bit.
If you charged half that for a 200 amp panel and outside main I think you 'd
go broke.
I ll do what needs to be done for him at materials cost but for now lets see if we can find a breaker.........

 

[toplessHO]

found a rebuilt(so they say,most likely a DnC)
All Breakers part of RESA......about $280 shipped(yikes)
but friend is happy....

 

[toplessHO]

just saw the invoice
salesman told me it was "reman"
on the invoice it says "recert"
so as I suspected they dusted and cleaned it
and maybe tested it and will warranty for 1 yr.
only other option I had was a new one for $450
or so they said new

 

[sberry]

Lemme look in the used parts department.