Lights Flickering Guide

Here are some key culprits that could be causing the issues, but not limited to:

• Circuit Overload
• Faulty light switch
• Faulty electrical equipment or fixtures
• Loose or Outdated electrical wiring
• Loose Light Bulb
• Loose neutral connection

Do you get flickering or dimming lights in the whole house or business? If you start to investigate it might be because of other electrical loads like an appliances, furnaces, AC units etc. Then you might have found the culprit. This quite often points to circuit overload, due to the larger amounts of electrical current that these appliances or equipment tend to require when they first start up. You may need to consider a breaker replacement or there might be loose connections at the breaker itself. This can cause a fire very quickly as arching can start!

Perhaps your flickering light problem is not home or business-wide; it’s specific to one light, or a series of lights controlled by the same light switch. In this scenario, your culprit could be a faulty light switch. Yes, this seems like a simple small enough problem to fix, and it is but don’t ignore it! It’s very important to replace the switch as the contacts are not making proper connections causing it to possibly arc and create a fire hazard.

Might we also, at this point recommend having a qualified electrician do the job? It’s better to play it safe than a DIY install.

Failing or faulty pieces of electrical equipment can cause surges in your electrical system, which in turn, can cause your lights to dim or flicker. If you notice this happening, related to a specific piece of equipment, stop using it!

Whether due to age, poor maintenance, or poor installation to begin with, certain pieces of electrical equipment are prone to failing or becoming faulty. Items such as a TV, vacuum cleaner, welder, AC unit to name a few might be the answer to “Why do lights flicker?”

We recommend either have a technician look at it to repair or replace it.

If your light flickering seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes by and affecting more and more lights throughout the home or business you might have a wiring issue. Loose wiring, courtesy or wear and tear, outdated wiring, or incorrect installation, can cause flickering and more. Wiring inspection or upgrades might be necessary and require a qualified electrical contractor.

A loose connection anywhere within your electrical system is a fire hazard. It goes without saying that if you’re not sure if your light flickering is a loose wiring situation or something rather less worrisome, it’s better to have it checked out by someone who will be sure and know how to fix the problem.

Your flickering light problem might be as simple as a light bulb that is loose in its socket. Light bulbs that have become loose or were not tightened enough on the original installation will receive an inconsistent supply of power, which will cause the flickering. You may also find that it just might be a simple sign that the bulb is starting to wear out.

To check, simply turn the light in question off; wait for it to cool down (several minutes) before handling; then gently tighten the bulb in its socket before turning it back on to see if its flickering days are gone!

Lights need to have a few wires to them; typically a hot, neutral and ground. We find that sometimes it can be a pour neutral connection which won’t allow the fixture to work properly and flicker! This issue usually takes place in the light switch box or at the fixture itself.

These are just some of the most common reasons we find why you might be affected by the flickering light syndrome. Given that all electrical problems need to be fixed sooner than later the question shouldn’t be “Why do the lights flicker?” It should be: “The lights are flickering and what am I going to do about it?”

Besides that, flickering lights are often some signs of more serious underlining issues with your electrical wiring. Its never a good idea to either ignore or DYI a lighting electrical problem! You don’t want any potential to cause a dangerous fire hazard.