Retire the 1970s wiring
Aluminum Wiring Replacement in Gilbert, AZ
If your home was wired between the late 1960s and the mid-1970s, there is a real chance its branch circuits are aluminum instead of copper. Aluminum wire itself is not evil — utilities run it every day. The trouble is at the connections. Aluminum expands, contracts, and creeps under screw terminals until connections loosen. Loose connections arc. Arcing makes heat, and heat behind a wall is how house fires start.
That is why insurance companies ask the question — and why some will not write or renew a policy on a home with untreated aluminum branch wiring. AC/DC Electric inspects, remediates, and replaces aluminum wiring in Gilbert and across the East Valley, and gives you the documentation your insurer wants to see.
Watch for these
Signs aluminum wiring is making heat
- Built or wired in the late 1960s or 1970s
- Outlet or switch covers feel warm
- Lights flicker with no pattern you can find
- A faint burnt-plastic smell near outlets
- Outlets that cut in and out
- Your insurer is asking about the wiring
- Cable jackets marked AL or ALUMINUM
Remediation or full replacement — straight talk
There are two honest fixes. Remediation joins a short copper pigtail to each aluminum conductor using a connector engineered for the job — COPALUM-style crimps or AlumiConn-style lug connectors — at every outlet, switch, fixture, and junction in the house. It is far less invasive than rewiring, and many insurers accept it. Full replacement pulls new copper through the home. It is the permanent, never-think-about-it-again answer, and it makes the most sense during a remodel or when the wiring has other problems anyway.
Which one fits depends on your home's layout, your insurer's requirements, and your budget. We lay out both with flat pricing and zero pressure. If replacement is the road you choose, our whole-home rewiring page covers what that project looks like.
Why insurers care so much
Aluminum branch wiring from this era has a documented history of overheating at connection points, and insurance carriers price risk for a living. Some demand proof of remediation before binding a policy; others surcharge or walk away. Homes of this vintage often carry a second red flag too — recalled breaker panels. If yours has one, read our piece on Federal Pacific panels and why insurers flag them.
Why AC/DC Electric
This is not a job for guesswork or big-box wire nuts. Real aluminum remediation is meticulous, connection-by-connection work, and it only counts if every single termination gets done. AC/DC Electric is licensed, bonded, and insured, quotes the entire job flat before starting, and puts the completed work in writing for your insurance file. Got questions at 10 p.m.? We answer 24/7.
Need an electrician now?
Call anytime — nights, weekends, holidays. A licensed electrician answers.
FAQ
Straight answers
Is aluminum wiring illegal?
No. It was code-approved when it went in, and nobody will force you to remove it. But legal and fine are different things. The failure mode — loose, overheating connections — gets more likely with every passing year, and insurers increasingly treat untreated aluminum as an unacceptable risk. Address it for safety first, insurability second.
How do I know for sure if my house has it?
Check the printed jacket on cables visible in the attic or near the panel for the letters AL or the word ALUMINUM. The build date is a strong hint — late 1960s through mid-1970s is the window. The sure answer is a professional look: we open a few devices, confirm what is there, and map how much of the house it covers.
Can I just put in new outlets myself?
Swapping in aluminum-rated CO/ALR devices helps at those specific terminals, but it does nothing for the splices hiding in junction boxes, ceiling fixtures, and appliance connections — which is where trouble likes to live. Partial fixes also rarely satisfy insurance carriers. Complete remediation covers every connection, not just the easy ones.
Will fixing it lower my insurance rates?
We cannot promise what any carrier will do with your premium. What we can say: many insurers require documented remediation before they will write or renew the policy at all, and we provide that documentation when the work is complete. Bring us your insurer's specific requirements and we will match the fix to them.
Residential Electrical
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Serving the East Valley & Phoenix Metro
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