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	Subject - Older homes newhomeowner I hoping to purchase a home built in 1922. My question is , will the old wiring handle todays electronics? Such as todays TVs or refridgerators , VCRs ? Or wil the entire place need to be rewired ? What are the dangers with older homes? How is wiring inside the walls different from today and if anyone can answer , approx how much would this cost ( 1120 sq ft ) I ive in Calif Electricman Its hard to say without knowing specifics, but most likely a house wired back in 1922 will not have proper grounding for todays electronics, there are many issues at hand here and you should probably contact an electrician to have the house checked out. cal_sparky Hello! Whether the old wiring is adequate and safe depends on several things-- 1. the "native" condition of the wiring, especially the insulation on the knob and tube wiring exposed in the attic. Time can take its toll, but I have seen old wiring that's in excellent shape. And I've seen wire with the insulation falling off everywhere. 2. unsafe modifications and other abuses. Old house wiring has often been added onto, overloaded, and otherwise damaged by careless or clueless owners (or handymen). Some of the things I've seen are fires waiting to happen. 3. your expectations and needs--if you want to run electric space heaters or window air conditioners, the old wiring is not sufficient. If you want to run a laser printer in a home office, or a microwave and the toaster at the same time in the kitchen, the old wiring won't be able to handle it. Otherwise, modern electronics generally use very little power and can do well on old wiring. Except for a computer surge protector, which needs a ground wire to operate. And old systems don't have a grounding wire. So, you ought to have a licensed electrician with old wiring expertise evaluate the house. Cliff Popejoy www.ApexElectricalContracting.com Sacramento CA