If your Phoenix home was built between roughly 1965 and 1975, there's a real chance it was wired with aluminum branch circuits instead of copper. This isn't a rare thing. During those ten years, copper prices spiked so hard that builders across the country (and especially in rapidly growing Sun Belt cities like Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe) switched to aluminum to keep costs down.

Then they figured out it wasn't a great idea.

Here's what you need to know if you own or are buying one of those homes.

Why Aluminum Wiring Is a Problem

Aluminum isn't dangerous by itself. It conducts electricity just fine. The issue is how aluminum behaves at connection points (outlets, switches, breakers, wire nuts) over time.

• Thermal expansion. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper when it heats up and cools down. Over thousands of cycles, that movement loosens connections.
• Oxidation. Aluminum forms an oxide layer that actually insulates. Copper's oxide conducts. So an aluminum connection gets more resistive as it ages, while a copper one stays conductive.
• Galvanic corrosion. When aluminum touches a dissimilar metal (like a standard copper-rated outlet terminal), moisture accelerates corrosion at the joint.

The result: loose, corroded connections that heat up under load. Heat at a connection means arcing. Arcing means fire.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that homes with pre-1972 aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have at least one connection reach fire-hazard conditions compared to copper-wired homes. That's not a typo.

Do You Have Aluminum Wiring? How to Tell

A few ways to find out without tearing open walls:

1. Check the age of your home

Built 1965-1975 in the Phoenix metro? Aluminum is likely. Parts of Scottsdale, Tempe, east Mesa, and central Phoenix built during that window are especially likely. Homes built before 1965 or after 1975 are overwhelmingly copper.

2. Look at the wire jacket

Pull the cover off a light switch or outlet (turn the breaker off first). Aluminum wiring is usually labeled on the jacket: you'll see "AL," "ALUMINUM," or "ALUMINUM ACM" printed every few feet.

3. Look at the wire itself

Copper is orange-pink. Aluminum is silver-gray. You can also see aluminum at the main panel, where individual wires come into breakers.

One thing to note: large-appliance circuits (range, dryer, AC, sub-panel feeders) are often aluminum even in modern homes. That's different. Aluminum on branch circuits (the 15 and 20 amp circuits feeding your outlets and lights) is what creates the fire risk.

If you're not sure, we'll come out and tell you for free. It takes about fifteen minutes.

What Remediation Actually Costs in Arizona

You have three options, and the costs are wildly different.

Option 1: COPALUM Crimping (The Gold Standard)

This is the only method the CPSC officially endorses. A special crimping tool bonds a short copper pigtail onto the aluminum at every connection point. Every outlet, switch, and junction box gets treated.

• Cost: $85 to $200 per connection point
• Whole-house cost (typical 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft home): $4,500 to $10,000
• Pros: Permanent, proven, insurance-friendly
• Cons: Not cheap, and only a handful of electricians in Arizona are certified to do it

Option 2: AlumiConn Connectors

A newer alternative using purpose-built connectors rated for aluminum-to-copper joins. Faster to install than COPALUM.

• Cost: $50 to $120 per connection point
• Whole-house cost: $3,000 to $7,000
• Pros: Proven, widely accepted by insurers, faster labor
• Cons: Connectors take up more space in the box, sometimes requires larger boxes

Option 3: Full Rewire

Pull every aluminum branch circuit and replace with copper. This is what we recommend if you're already doing a major remodel or if the wiring has other issues like deteriorated insulation.

• Cost: Same as any whole-home rewire. See our Arizona rewire cost guide for full breakdown.
• Typical range: $12,000 to $25,000+ depending on home size and access
• Pros: Eliminates the problem entirely, updates everything to modern code
• Cons: Biggest cost, invasive (drywall patches)

What Won't Fix It

Please don't fall for these:

• "Purple wire nuts" (twist-on connectors). Marketed as aluminum-rated years ago, now considered inadequate by the CPSC.
• CO/ALR outlets alone. Rated for aluminum, but the CPSC determined they don't fully solve the problem. Better than standard outlets, but not remediation.
• "Just be careful." Not a strategy.

Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore

If your home has aluminum wiring and you notice any of these, call an electrician today:

• Warm outlets or switch plates
• Discolored outlets (brown or black around the plug holes)
• Burning plastic smell near any outlet
• Flickering lights when appliances turn on
• Buzzing from switches or outlets
• Circuit breakers tripping without obvious overload

These are signs a connection is already failing.

What About Home Insurance?

A lot of Arizona insurers won't write new policies on homes with untreated aluminum branch wiring, and some have non-renewed existing policies. If you've gotten a notice from your insurer, remediation done by a licensed electrician with documentation is what they need to see.

We provide a signed remediation report for every aluminum job we do, suitable for submission to State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, American Family, and most other major carriers.

Getting It Done Right

Aluminum remediation isn't a weekend DIY project. It's also not something to hand to the cheapest bidder. Look for:

1. Arizona ROC license (The Wire Guy Electric is #340400)
2. Specific experience with aluminum branch-circuit remediation
3. Use of AlumiConn or COPALUM, not purple wire nuts
4. Written documentation for your insurer
5. A permit pulled with the city

If you're in an older home in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, or anywhere in the Valley and you think you might have aluminum wiring, schedule a free inspection. We'll tell you what you have, what's actually risky, and what your real options look like. Honest assessment, no upsell.