Why You Should Replace Your Zinsco or Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panel

Outdated electrical panels can pose serious safety risks in your home. Two of the most hazardous panels still found in many homes today are Zinsco and Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) brands.

What’s the Problem?

1. Breakers Fail to Trip

These panels often fail to shut off power during electrical overloads or short circuits. This increases the risk of:

• Electrical fires
• Shock hazards
• Damage to appliances and wiring

2. Serious Design Flaws

• Zinsco panels can have breakers that overheat and even melt to the bus bar, making them unreliable and leading to dangerous arcing (sparking). The main breaker is connected to the busbar in a similarly-unreliable way, which can lead to power loss or fire.
• Federal Pacific FPE Stab-Lok breakers are known to come loose or fail internally, with many failing to trip during fault conditions. It’s very common for these breakers to stop working due to loose bus connections leading to damage.

3. Fire Risk

Independent testing and fire reports have shown that these panels are responsible for numerous home fires across the country. We have performed emergency panel changes for homes where their Zinsco or FPE panels have started catching fire or melting internally. These panels may last for many years without problem, and suddenly fail when it’s least convenient.

4. Not UL Listed: Obsolete and No Longer Manufactured

These panels are no longer safety-certified or in production. Replacement parts are hard to find, unreliable, and can be costly.

5. Insurance & Resale Impact

• Many insurance companies refuse to cover homes with these panels or charge higher premiums.
• Mortgage companies require the home to pass a 4-Point Inspection to be eligible for a mortgage, and these dangerous panels will cause this inspection to fail.
• Real estate deals often can fall through due to safety concerns over these outdated systems, because the buyer won’t be able to get a mortgage or home insurance without upgrading the panel.

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What Should You Do?

Upgrading your panel provides:

• Greater safety for your home and family
• Peace of mind knowing your system works properly
• Potential savings on insurance
• Better resale value
• Ability to add panel-integrated modern safety features like Ground Fault and Arc Fault Circuit Protection

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Third-Party Information on Hazardous Panels

From InspectAPedia:

Zinsco / Sylvania Electrical Panel Hazards
Federal Pacific / FPE Stab-Lok Electrical Panel Hazards
BullDog Pushmatic Electrical Panel Hazards

InspectAPedia.com^® – Online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice – illustrated, detailed, authoritative research on finding, diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects, energy conservation, & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.

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Is Your Panel Dangerous?

Below are some photos of common types of obsolete and potentially dangerous electrical panels. Please contact us if your panel looks like any of these:

If you see sparks or arcing or if you hear crackling noises as shown in the below video of a failing Zinsco panel, please turn the main breaker off immediately and contact us for emergency service:

Need a Panel Inspection or Replacement?

Contact us today for a professional assessment and a free estimate.