Re: Old Wiring, what to do?
i'm going to respond to the original question with two divergent ideas as they may also be important.
Two of my previous computers did not like generators and square wave inverters (power outage situations). Power protection with battery isolation and true sine wave generation is somewhat expensive for moderate priced electronics, but if you have expensive gear, it might be worth it. (Off the shelf ups units do not provide battery isolation, just back up with square wave generation.) The ups will still provide clean power driven by a portable generator.
And if you hire an electrical contractor and want to proceed apace, have the contractor see if any illegal work has been done before just charging ahead. The building department may take a dim view upon inspection and require more than you are prepared for. Unpermitted wiring may be safe or unsafe, but unnecessary hassles should be prepared for. The contractor that tore the deck off my rental unit claiming to the landlord that it was totally unsafe also assumed that he would be able to get an over-the-counter permit. That was 6 weeks ago and the the architect just measured the house to apply for the new permit, to restore the lower unit to a non-dwelling. I would gloat but the deck won't be back for another 3 months. At least it's winter.
So don't assume anything. But find out what you have and what options exist. Your electrical contractor should know if there is anything amiss.
paul