Zinsco breaker panels, circuit breakers and fuses
4 reports to CPSC, the latest made Oct 5, 2025. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 4reports to CPSC
- Oct 5, 2025the latest report was made
- Aug 28, 2011the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Zinsco
- Makers
- CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC and VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Makers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Breaker panels, circuit breakers and fusesIncluding GFCIsCPSC’s product type: Panelboards, Circuit Breakers, Gfci”s, or Fuses (code 4063), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Electrical Systems
Other ways the reports write the brand (2)
“ZINSCO ELECTRIC PANEL Z2015” and “Zinsco Sylvania”
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| October 2025 | 1 |
| November 2012 | 1 |
| January 2012 | 1 |
| August 2011 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- First aid 1 CPSC: Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional
- No one hurt 3 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
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First aid Made Oct 5, 2025, sent to the company Oct 24, 2025, published by CPSC Nov 26, 2025
The product, in the report: Zinsco electrical a l panel
My home has a zinsco electrical panel ive had sparks melted wired had t he power company at my home three times because lights flickering and arching sounds
- Where
- ARLINGTON, Washington: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 53, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Zinsco, made or sold by CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional
-
No one hurt Made Nov 18, 2012, sent to the company Dec 7, 2012, published by CPSC Jan 2, 2013
The product, in the report: Zinsco Sylvania Breaker Panel
Zinsco Sylvania Breaker Panel. Heat pump quit working. Had odor in the panel area. Flipped breaker 50 amp. Flipped back and saw arcing. No power to Heat pump yet breaker was not tripped. Next morning opened panel and discovered 50 amp had melted partially also damaged were adjacent 30 amp and 20 amp breakers.
- Where
- Jay, Oklahoma: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 57, Unknown
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Zinsco Sylvania, made or sold by VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
No one hurt Made Jan 19, 2012, sent to the company Jan 26, 2012, published by CPSC Feb 9, 2012
The product, in the report: 200 AMP SERVICE PANEL
Dear Sir or Madam,
We had a small electrical fire. It was caused by a Zinsco electrical circuit breaker panel and Zinsco circuit breakers. I wish I had seen this site before I discarded some of the evidence (mostly burnt wiring and charred lumber I still have the panel). I knew there was a problem with the Zinsco electrical circuit breaker panel in our house because sometimes I could hear arcing in the panel. I had vacuumed out the panel because sometimes the sound of arcing can be insects such as ants or termites being fried like a bug zapper, but I saw no insects. Ruling out insects and water intrusion made me very wary of the panel. About a week later the Zinsco 60 amp circuit breaker for the water heater failed (I don’t know why someone used a 60 amp for a water heater). When I tried to remove the Zinsco 60 amp circuit breaker, I couldn’t because it was welded to the aluminum bars. I started gathering materials to replace the panel, circuit breaker, and some wiring that I felt was troublesome. Then there was a small electrical fire. Thankfully nobody was hurt (it was during the day, I was home alone). We were very lucky because I smelled the electrical fire and found the source very quickly in an unfinished section of the house upstairs. I used the proper fire extinguisher and we didn’t even have to call the fire department. The Zinsco circuit breakers did not trip. They malfunctioned continuing to deliver electrical power to the melting wiring (more fuel to the fire). I ran downstairs and turned of the breaker manually. I ran back upstairs to the melting wiring and found that shutting off the breaker manually did not interrupt power supply to the fire. I hit it again with the fire extinguisher and ran back downstairs to the panel. Due to my experience with 2 breakers not working, I wasn’t going to chance it by shutting off the main breaker. I pulled the meter and cut the wires at the panel before restoring power to check the other breakers. I found another Zinsco circuit breaker that did not interrupt power supply to the circuit and decided to immediately replace the panel. While removing the Zinsco electrical circuit breaker panel we found 4 Zinsco 20 – 30 amp circuit breakers that did not interrupt power supply to circuits. There may actually have been more defective breakers because we removed most of them before we started checking them. I am saying the following to convey that I get the gist of what we are discussing even though I am not a licensed electrician. Wiring is not something that I enjoy. I have completely re-wired several dilapidated 24-unit apartment buildings and then hired a licensed electrician to pull a permit and check my work. They always passed inspection without any red-tags. I have also wired a few houses. Additionally I have hired attorneys to conduct 3 different patent searches only to learn that [REDACTED] holds patents on my concepts.
- Model
- Z2015
- Bought
- Jan 19, 1976
- Where
- Palm Harbor, Florida: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 54, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand ZINSCO ELECTRIC PANEL Z2015, made or sold by CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
No one hurt Made Aug 28, 2011, sent to the company Mar 25, 2013, published by CPSC Sep 20, 2011
The product, in the report: Zinsco sub panel 240V, 1 ph, 225A
Zinsco circuit breaker panel, 240V 1Ph 225A A 30A breaker (under normal load) was heard buzzing. Closer inspection revealed arcing and heating between the breaker and the bus bar underneath. The bus bar is damaged beyond use in this spot.
- Model
- Zinsco circuit breaker panel, 240V 1Ph 225A
- Where
- Penngrove, California: Other Public Property/
Office - Who was involved
- Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Zinsco, made or sold by VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.