The Electric Panel Specialists The Number 1 panel replacement company in Arizona
480-694-6531 Electrical Panel Upgrade
Hazardous panels: Zinsko, Ferderal Pacific and Challenger
Unsafe Electrical Panels: Fire & Shock Hazards You Shouldn’t Ignore
Replace Federal Pacific (FPE), Zinsco, Pushmatic, and Challenger Panels Before They Fail
Outdated or unsafe electrical panels pose a serious risk of electrical fires, breaker failures, and electric shock—especially in older homes and multifamily properties. If your property still has a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco/Sylvania, Pushmatic/Bulldog, or Challenger panel, it may already be unsafe and out of compliance with modern electrical and insurance standards.
Our licensed electricians specialize in the fast, code-compliant replacement of hazardous electrical panels—at economical, transparent pricing backed by years of experience.
⚠️ Why Unsafe Electrical Panels Are Dangerous
These discontinued panels have well-documented issues such as:
Federal Pacific (FPE) Stab-Lok Panels
Breakers that fail to trip, even during dangerous overloads
High risk of electrical fires and shock hazards
Often considered uninsurable by many carriers
Zinsco / Sylvania Panels
Breakers that overheat and melt to the bus bar
Risk of arcing and internal damage
Fail to meet today’s electrical safety standards
Pushmatic / Bulldog Panels
Breakers that become stiff, jammed, or unreliable
No modern safety features like AFCI/GFCI compatibility
Breakers often fail to reset or trip properly
Challenger Panels
Known overheating problems
Breakers with high failure rates
Frequently flagged during home inspections and insurance reviews
These panels may appear to “work,” but many fail under normal fault conditions—putting your property at risk without warning.
🔥 Insurance Companies Are Flagging These Panels
More insurers are refusing coverage or requiring replacement of:
Federal Pacific (FPE) Stab-Lok
Zinsco / Sylvania
Pushmatic / Bulldog
Challenger panels
Failing to replace these panels can lead to policy cancellation, higher premiums, or failed inspections during property sales, rentals, or refinancing.
⭐ Immediate Replacement Is Strongly Recommended
Upgrading to a modern electrical panel:
Improves fire safety
Reduces the risk of unexpected outages
Ensures insurance compliance
Increases property value
Enhances electrical capacity for today’s appliances, EV chargers, and HVAC systems
Our team provides safe, professional, and affordable panel upgrades tailored to every type of residential property—from single-family homes to apartment communities.
⚡ Why Property Owners Choose Us for Panel Replacement
✔ Extensive Experience With Unsafe Panel Brands
We’ve replaced hundreds of FPE, Zinsco, Pushmatic, and Challenger panels across residential and multi-unit properties. We know exactly what failures to look for—and how to replace them safely.
✔ Economical, Transparent Pricing
We believe safety shouldn’t be overpriced. Our panel replacements are competitively priced with no hidden fees, and we provide clear estimates upfront.
✔ Licensed, Insured & Code-Compliant Electricians
Our upgrades meet or exceed current NEC electrical code, ensuring long-term safety and insurability.
✔ Fast, Clean, Professional Installation
We minimize downtime, maintain a clean worksite, and coordinate all required inspections.
✔ Experience With Apartment, Condo & Multi-Unit Buildings
We handle both individual panel replacements and multi-meter pack upgrades, making us a trusted choice for property managers and HOAs.
🔧 What’s Included in Our Panel Replacement Service
Removal of unsafe electrical panel
Installation of a new, code-compliant breaker panel
Upgraded breakers and bus bars
Modern grounding and bonding
Surge protection options
Permit handling & inspection coordination
Full testing and safety verification
Your new system will be safer, more reliable, and built to last.
📞 Don’t Wait for a Failure — Replace Your Unsafe Panel Today
Electrical panels like FPE, Zinsco, Pushmatic, and Challenger have known safety defects. Replacing them now protects your property, your tenants, and your investment.
Get a Free, No-Pressure Estimate Today
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We’re here to keep your property safe—dependably and affordably.
A List Of Unsafe Electrical Panels That Are Considered Dangerous
Let’s take a look at some unsafe panels that can be found in homes, especially in older parts of Los Angeles and Orange County. Whether recalled or outdated, these panels require immediate attention:
- Zinsco (GTE-Sylvania)
- Federal Pacific Electric (FPE)
- Challenger (Eaton/Cutler Hammer)
- Pushmatic Bulldog Electrical Panel
Zinsco
Zinsco was a popular brand of electrical panel installed in many homes throughout the 1970s. Around 1973, Zinsco was purchased by GTE-Sylvania.
Although Zinsco no longer exists, their panels were part of a class-action lawsuit in 2002, and thousands of homes across the country may still have these malfunctioning panels installed.
Zinsco panels are unsafe because many of their circuit breakers melted to the main bus bar (a relatively large metal strip inside the panel designed to conduct substantial amounts of electrical current from the electric meter to the panel).
The melted circuit breakers failed to trip in the event of a short or overloaded circuit. The unchecked surge of power melted wires and started fires in homes.
If you see the name Zinsco anywhere on your electrical panel, it should be replaced immediately.
Many GTE-Sylvania or Sylvania panels are merely rebranded Zinsco panels or may contain the problematic Zinsco design. These panels need to be inspected by an electrician and, if found with the problematic design, replaced immediately.
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE)
Between the 1950s and 1980s, Federal Pacific Electric was one of the most popular manufacturers of electric panels in the United States. Millions of these panels were sold and installed in homes up to the 1980s. FPE was also part of the 2002 class-action lawsuit due to defects that led to extremely unsafe situations in the home.
FPE’s circuit breakers fail to trip when there is a short circuit or overload. Electricity surges through the circuits without a functioning breaker, leading to overheating and fires.
There have also been reports of circuits being in the “off” position yet still sending power to the circuit, causing electrocution when working on a circuit that is presumed to be off.
Look for “Federal Pacific” or “Federal Pacific Electric” on the inside panel cover if your home was built between 1950-1980. Another indication of these faulty panels is the name “Stab-Lok” (brand name of the circuit breakers) printed on the circuits themselves.
Have an electrician inspect and replace the panel right away.
Challenger (Eaton/Cutler Hammer)
Challenger panels were popular in the ’80s and ’90s, and installed in hundreds of thousands of homes. The problem with these panels lies in particular 15- and 20- ampere circuit breakers manufactured between February and April of 1988.
These circuit breakers were sold to electrical product distributors, retail hardware and lumber stores. About 9,000 of these devices have not been located, most likely have been installed in residences.
Quality control testing has determined that a mechanical part of these breakers may become detached and and prevent the breaker from functioning.
These malfunctioning breakers would overheat under normal conditions, at the connection to the bus bar. Expansion and contraction from overheating leads to arcing, damaging both the breaker and bus bar.
Over time, both of these components would melt completely, leading to fire and shock hazards.
If you have a Challenger panel, a licensed electrician should be contacted to perform replacement work. Although the company no longer manufacturers products.
Challenger products were sold to many other brands, and even may be labeled as GTE-Sylvania or Zinsco. After Challenger went out of business, the remaining product lines were purchased by Eaton/Cutler Hammer.
In 2014, Eaton Corporation recalled over 1,000 residential breakers because the panel components could be easily accessed, posing an electrical shock hazard. If you see any of these names in your home’s electrical panel, give us a call right away.
Pushmatic Bulldog Electrical Panel
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE)
Between the 1950s and 1980s, Federal Pacific Electric was one of the most popular manufacturers of electric panels in the United States. Millions of these panels were sold and installed in homes up to the 1980s. FPE was also part of the 2002 class-action lawsuit due to defects that led to extremely unsafe situations in the home.
FPE’s circuit breakers fail to trip when there is a short circuit or overload. Electricity surges through the circuits without a functioning breaker, leading to overheating and fires.
There have also been reports of circuits being in the “off” position yet still sending power to the circuit, causing electrocution when working on a circuit that is presumed to be off.
Look for “Federal Pacific” or “Federal Pacific Electric” on the inside panel cover if your home was built between 1950-1980. Another indication of these faulty panels is the name “Stab-Lok” (brand name of the circuit breakers) printed on the circuits themselves.
Have an electrician inspect and replace the panel right away.
Between 1950 and 1980, Pushmatic panels were widely used and installed in homes.
What makes this brand of panel unique from other circuit breaker panels is that, rather than having switches that flip left and right, the panel uses rectangular buttons to be pushed in order to activate and deactivate circuits.
While the Pushmatic panel itself is not as great a fire hazard as the panels mentioned above, it is obsolete since the company went out of business.
Finding parts is nearly impossible and, if they can be found, are extremely expensive. Any panel that is old and outdated is naturally prone to having worn out, hence unreliable, components and parts.
Even without recalls or reports of fire hazards, old and outdated electrical equipment should, at the very least, be inspected–and ultimately replaced.
Panels that are old and difficult to maintain should be upgraded and easily maintained in order to ensure the safety of your home.
PROFESSIONAL PANEL UPGRADES BY THE ELECTRIC PANEL SPECIALISTS
Outdated panels like Zinsco, Federal Pacific, and Challenger can be unsafe and should be inspected by a professional. Call 480-694-6531 for a free panel inspection and a clear, accurate replacement cost.
Get an idea what your panel upgrade
will cost here.
PROFESSIONAL PANEL UPGRADES BY THE ELECTRIC PANEL SPECIALISTS
At QUALITY CONTRACTOR SERVICES, we take pride in delivering the highest-quality electrical services at the best possible price.
Our specialty is replacing obsolete electrical panels and performing system upgrades—it's what we do every single day.
We offer free inspections to evaluate your outdated panel and free estimates for replacement. Our expertise includes 100, 200, 400 amp and larger panel upgrades, as well as installations, repairs, and maintenance for both residential and commercial properties.
Our team of experienced electricians is committed to providing excellent workmanship, honest recommendations, and exceptional customer service.
Advice and estimates are always FREE.
Call Phil at 480-694-6531 today to get a quote or learn how we can help with your electrical needs.
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The Electric Panel Specialists
We've been changing electric panels in Arizona since 1978. Over 45 years since I opened my business replacing electric panels. A lot has changed since then. That's why it's important to contact some one with the experience to know how things were done back then. We've seen all the changes in the equipment as well as the changes of all the codes through the years. Electric vehicle chargers, solar and swimming pool installs comprise a majority of our work. We changed 680 panels in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Sun City, Glendale and the metropolitan area in 2023. It takes experience and common sense to visualize the best method to go from a 1940 electric panel to a modern 200, 400 or solar ready panel. It takes some one with experience to determine which panel is needed for the new insta - hot water heaters, spa's and electric cars as well as solar back feeds. Feel free to pick my brain any time. Advice is free and we are typically hundreds if not thousands less expensive than out competitors. See for yourself. Estimates are also free.
Phil (480) 694-6531
How to change a 200 amp overhead electric panel Arizona
Here's a quick video on how to change an electric panel. Questions give me a call at 480-694-6531 Phil. Check out our website RESArizona.com We provide prices to give you an accurate idea of what yu panel might cost to change or view other electric panel upgrades.
400 amp electric panel upgrade with solar ready section
Basic installation of a 400 amp electric panel upgrade Arizona
Why Choose Us?
The electric panel is the most important and complicated system in your home. Codes advance every year adding safety to your system. But even more important are the past codes. We have been doing panel changes for over forty years. Long before most current electricians were born. Many things aren't taught these days that were common place in the past and most of todays electricians aren't even aware of such as aluminum wiring, two wire systems, sharing of the neutral wire, discontinued breakers and breakers that have lost there UL listing because of failure. You know as much about these items as most of today's electricians and this is not good. Improper installation of any of these items can create fire hazard or dangerous conditions for the rest of your electrical appliances. Electric panel upgrades in Phoenix Electric panel and Electric panel upgrades in Scottsdale
Most electric companies rarely do panel changes one or two a year. IT'S ALL WE DO. Over 500 last year alone. Some would think that would make us more expensive but it's quite the opposite. Becuase we are independent electrical contractors buy in volume, have the proper tools and materials for any issue we might run into we do the job in half the time of our competition.
Electric Panel Upgrade Specialists
We provide you with a full consultation to explain your available options so that you can choose the scope of work that’s right for your home or business - and your budget.
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Services
We strive to save you both time and money by combining our deep experience, the highest quality parts and equipment, and our dedication to delivering exceptional service. We will not leave the job until you are satisfied.
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My name is Phil Kroff (480) 694-6531 Master electrician for over forty years and I’ll answer the phone if you call day or night with any questions you might have. I enjoy my job and helping others. Advice is always FREE.
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