[jentx]

Have started having problems with plugs melting, laptops shocking people, outlets that won't work anymore...replaced some breakers and that fixed 50% of the issues. Couldn't tell what was causing the other problems.

Some outlets are 2 prong and some are 3. Some outlets/lights/etc won't work no matter what we do. While searching the net, seems that it could be one of our panels?

All power went out in daughter's room and a couple of nearby outlets - we replaced the breaker to her room which is in the zinsco panel (it's a large slim flat "Q" breaker). It solved nothing.

Added a 30a breaker in the sears panel for a large 18500 btu air conditioner that has been working fine for about a year, then started sparking/melting at the outlet yesterday.

The previous owners used different types of panels, breakers, wires, outlets, etc. Some material in the home is obviously re-used from someplace else(which is fine with me).

I'm wondering if it's worth my time to upgrade the breakers/wires or is it all in vain and I should get a whole new panel/breakers/wiring/outlets/etc?

 

[TarheelTerp]

I'm wondering if it's worth my time to upgrade the breakers/wires
or is it all in vain and I should get a whole new panel/breakers /wiring/outlets /etc?

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[flasherz]

Wow. I see a lot of no-no's there.

The first thing I would do is replace that Zinsco. As a survivor of a near fire from an FPE panel failure about 15 years ago, I can tell you that you don't want that thing in your home, especially when you are experiencing shocks and outlet melts and stuff.

While you're doing that, you may as well look to consolidate some of the other old, old equipment while you're at it. It would clean up a lot of the issues there (lack of wire clamps, whites used as hot wires without remarking, etc.)

Some equipment can be re-used if it's working well, others - not so much. Have someone give it a look and give you their best offer for the clean-up.

 

[Oso954]

I am afraid of the wiring problems in the house, more so than the panels.

I would get an electrician in there to fix (or make safe) the wiring problems. Then you can discuss panel replacement and other wiring upgrades with him.

 

[bobelectric]

Don't blame the 30 amp Zinsco breaker for a sparking/melting outlet.

 

[jentx]

Thanks to everyone for the replies...

I guess we are going to break down and get an electrician. There is just too much going on with all of the panel boxes(there's 4!) and wires. There's even a few places in the house where the previous folks used old pink phone wire to power a few things!

bobelectric - the new 30a breaker for the ac is on the sears panel (Sears panel on the left in 1st pic and Zinsco on the right in 1st pic)--- I'm thinking since the wire is melting right behind the receptacle, that's def on us and we could prob put a new one on there if we wanted to. Everything else that is causing shocks at outlets, has melted, went out, etc has all been on the Zinsco panel. We opened a few outlets up and the wiring was melted - odd romex with a black material weave insulation on some of them.

 

[sammy37]

Thanks to everyone for the replies...

I guess we are going to break down and get an electrician. There is just too much going on with all of the panel boxes(there's 4!) and wires. There's even a few places in the house where the previous folks used old pink phone wire to power a few things!

bobelectric - the new 30a breaker for the ac is on the sears panel (Sears panel on the left in 1st pic and Zinsco on the right in 1st pic)--- I'm thinking since the wire is melting right behind the receptacle, that's def on us and we could prob put a new one on there if we wanted to. Everything else that is causing shocks at outlets, has melted, went out, etc has all been on the Zinsco panel. We opened a few outlets up and the wiring was melted - odd romex with a black material weave insulation on some of them.

Sounds like you have a scary mess here and we all would hate to see you lose your family over some bad wiring!
I see a lot more problems here than just electric panels and I think you should get an electrician out there ASAP before the place burns down, especially when you mention phone wire being used to power outlets!!

 

[Kyle_in_rure]

I agree with the above posts, you have a "scary mess" going on and need an electrician to come in and do some work (at least replacing those panels, Zinsco panels are fire hazards). If I were you, I would ask around and find a good electrician.

 

[joecaption]

http://inspectapedia.com/electric/Zinsco.htm

 

[sammy37]

Wow, never knew that Zinsco breakers/panels were such a hazard. We lived in a housing tract in California that had hundreds of homes with them, never any issues, although they were very expensive to replace.
Back in the early nineties, I had to buy a double pole breaker for our Zinsco box and I wanna say it was somewhere in the 30-40 dollar range.

 

[rrolleston]

bobelectric - the new 30a breaker for the ac is on the sears panel (Sears panel on the left in 1st pic and Zinsco on the right in 1st pic)--- I'm thinking since the wire is melting right behind the receptacle, that's def on us and we could prob put a new one on there if we wanted to. Everything else that is causing shocks at outlets, has melted, went out, etc has all been on the Zinsco panel. We opened a few outlets up and the wiring was melted - odd romex with a black material weave insulation on some of them.

What size wire did you use with that 30 amp breaker?

 

[rrolleston]

Even my 25,000 btu built in AC don't draw enough to require a 30 amp breaker. If it was tripping smaller breakers then using a larger breaker is not a good idea.