So, if you have one, an electrician will need to inspect it to see if it has a problematic design. However, not all Sylvania and GTE-Slyvania branded panels are dangerous. Also, many GTE-Sylvania or Sylvania panels are simply re-branded Zinsco panels or contain the problem Zinsco design. How to tell if you have one: The name Zinsco anywhere on the panel is a sure sign it should be replaced. So, if there ever is a short or other problems, the surge of power melts wires and starts fires in your home. This means the breaker can’t ever trip, even when there’s a short or overloaded circuit. Why they’re unsafe: The circuit breakers inside many Zinsco panels melt to the main ‘bus bar’. Zinsco is now defunct, but many homes still have these panels. Zinsco or GTE-Sylvania panels were popular electrical panels installed in homes throughout the 1970s. Inside, look for the name Stab-Loc (the brand name of the circuit breakers). Federal Pacific Electric will likely be written on the cover of your breaker box. How to tell if you have one: FPE panels are most common in homes built between 19. This can cause electrocution when working on a circuit you believe to be off. There are also many reports that FPE circuits in the off position still send power to the circuit. This problem has led to thousands of fires across the United States, including this one in Central Florida. Why they’re unsafe: FPE electric panels’ circuit breakers fail to trip when they should (when there’s a short circuit or circuit overload). And they were installed in millions of homes. Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panelsįor a long time (1950s-1980s) Federal Pacific Electric was one of the most popular manufacturers of electrical panels in the United States. Here are 4 types of unsafe panels you should consider replacing if you have them. Yet many Sarasota-area homes have old, outdated panels that might not work as intended, leaving them vulnerable to a house fire. This helps prevent fires caused by overheating wires. You see, electrical panels contain safety devices (either fuses or circuit breakers) that trip and shut off the power when too much electricity flows through them.
And these outdated panels don’t just make you uncool like a pair of outdated bell-bottoms might.
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