Art,
I'm surprised that there was #16 wire used in the house to begin with.
If I were you Art I would make my first (long term) project replacing that wire with some good #12 copper. And when you run to the swnd the outlet/switch to insulate the screw heads, and tape any wire nuts used as well.
Bob,
If it were my own house, not a rental house, I'd replace the wiring. After rewiring the outlets, voltage is fairly good, a 700 watt load (with the lights and fans on) on the last outlet only drops from 120v to 115v.
I did add an outdoor GFCI, as I knew the cheesy wiring would not cut it with a 12 amp lawn mower with 100 feet of extension cord. It is the only outlet with a ground...
Art
