Questions Homeowners Ask

Not every electrical project requires a drawn-out permitting process. I can quickly handle everyday updates like swapping out switches, updating outlets, or replacing existing light fixtures without the need for any local permits. If your specific project happens to fall under local permit requirements, I will take care of all the coordination with your city or county building department to ensure everything is fully covered, approved, and up to code.

If a breaker trips, start by reducing the load. The most common cause is simply running too many high-powered appliances at once—like a space heater and a hair dryer on the same circuit. Try unplugging a few items, moving them to an outlet on a different circuit, and resetting the breaker to see if it holds.

However, if the breaker trips again immediately, trips when nothing is plugged in, or feels hot to the touch, stop trying to reset it. These are signs of a more serious issue, such as a short circuit, a ground fault, or a failing breaker. Diagnosing these hazards requires specialized tools and expertise, so please leave the circuit off and contact me right away so I can safely find and fix the root cause for you.

If your home was built before the early 1960s, you likely have ungrounded, two-prong outlets. While they may still power your devices, they offer zero shock protection if an appliance develops a fault, and they prevent your modern surge protectors from actually doing their job.

Please avoid using cheap three-prong adapter plugs—they do not solve the underlying hazard. The safest and most permanent solution is to have me run a new ground wire to the outlet. Alternatively, I can install code-compliant GFCI protection, which instantly makes the outlet significantly safer for you and your family even without a physical ground wire. Contact me today to evaluate your older home's wiring and get it safely updated.

Because every home is unique, the exact price depends on a few factors—including the specific repair or installation you need, the age and layout of your house, and how far the work is from your electrical panel.

Simply include whatever details you know about your project when you submit your request. I offer free phone consultations to talk through your needs, review the details together, and discuss the costs so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins.

You describe the job first, then add your contact details and the address. The last step shows the arrival windows open on our calendar right now, and you can pick one or send the request without a time. We read it and get back to you. Nothing is booked until we've agreed on a time together.

An arrival window is the span of time the visit will start in, not how long the job takes.

Josiah Hirsh. He owns Hirsh Electric and does the work himself, so the person you talk to about the job is the person who comes out to do it.

Yes, for things like storm damage, a sparking outlet or a sudden loss of power. Call (404) 357-4144.

In the event of fire, smoke, or an electrical shock or injury, evacuate the premises immediately and dial 911. If a power line is down, stay far away from it and anything it makes contact with, and call 911 alongside your power company. The power company owns the line to the house. The mast, the meter base and the wiring inside are the homeowner's side, and that's the part an electrician repairs. If something is sparking or smells of burning and there's no fire, switch off that breaker if you can reach the panel safely.

The greater Atlanta area. We're based in Smyrna.

If you're not sure your address is in range, send the request anyway and we'll let you know.

Changing a bulb, resetting a breaker or a GFCI, and replacing a cover plate are all fine to do yourself. Georgia law also lets you do electrical work on a home you own and live in, though permits and inspections still apply.

Call an electrician for anything inside the panel, any new circuit, anything involving aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring, and any problem you can't explain, such as a breaker that keeps tripping or an outlet that's warm. Those are the jobs where a mistake stays hidden inside a wall.

Not automatically. Wiring that met the code when it was installed is generally allowed to stay. Today's rules apply to new work and to whatever is being replaced or altered: a replaced bathroom outlet has to be GFCI protected, for example, and a new circuit has to meet current requirements in full.

The code changes because of what's been learned about fires and shocks, so grounding, GFCI and AFCI protection and working smoke alarms are worth adding to an older home even when nothing forces you to.

Start with what's happening, where in the house, and since when. For a repair, note what was running when it happened. For an installation, have the make and model of the fixture, fan, charger or appliance if you've already chosen one.

A few facts about the house help too: roughly when it was built, where the panel is, and the brand and amp rating on the label inside the panel door.

We work on homes: single-family houses, multi-family units, apartments and condos.

In an apartment or any rented home, electrical work normally needs the property owner's or manager's approval, so check with them before you request an estimate.