From: "Tony Ingenoso" 

It seems there's quite a few of these things still installed in the south -
many in the development I bought in (although mine is a pretty well built
GE they started putting in after a few fires in stuff that went up
earlier).  They've also been put in some high priced places in FL.
 At least one development in Boca I'm aware of where a friend lives.  Quite
a few went in during the aluminum wire era too - a FP with stock aluminum
wiring from that era is a fire waiting to happen.

The local Home Depots stock replacement breakers for them, something not
done up north.  Apparently the replacement breakers work - BUT the panel
design itself is flawed.  The stab tooth scheme simply doesn't hold well
and they still tend to fall out.

Many electricians simply refuse to even work on one unless its to rip it out
;->

Zinsco's are not so good either.  Contact goes bad and bus's stabs tend to
burn and the grease they filled the breakers with can harden over time
resulting in a slow/no trip unless they're frequently excercised
mechanically.  The Zinsco was a nice idea on paper, but poorly executed.



"Frank Haber"  wrote in message
news:3f842850$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> I'm pulling a Rich and renaming this.  We discussed this a couple of years
> ago, and it bears repeating.  I've seen one incipient Federal Fire,
overloaded
> by film lights and smelling burnt-Bakelite bad.
>

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