Update: Had a call for a flickering light in a 1980s Phoenix condo last week

Honestly, the whole circuit was backstabbed with aluminum wire, which explained the arcing. Anyone dealt with a full rewire on one of these old units?

4 comments

4 Comments

morgan.jason28d ago

Oh man, backstabbed aluminum... that's the trifecta of bad news. Did a whole condo rewire once and I'm still finding bits of old wire in my tool bag years later.

elliot_roberts28d ago

Used to think aluminum wiring was just a bit fussy until you had to work with it. Then I pulled a backstabbed outlet like @morgan.jason mentioned and the wire just crumbled in my hand. That was the moment I realized it wasn't just old, it was dangerous. Now I see aluminum and my first thought is a full rewire, no question. You find those brittle ends everywhere and it just proves the whole system is shot.

fisher.thomas17d ago

Check if the HOA has any rules about rewiring, some of them get weird about who can do the work.

rowanw1128d ago

Yeah, those old Phoenix condos are a mess. You'll need to fish new wire through the slab, which is a total pain. Budget extra time for it.