Lights flickering at inopportune times and no idea why?
Lightbulbs flicker for a lot of common reasons and shouldn’t cause you too much concern. While some flickering lights could be the sign of a more serious problem, often, there’s a simple solution.
Check out these common issues to see how to help your lights shine a little brighter.
Type of Lightbulb
If you’re asking yourself, “why are my lights flickering” go to the source first. You could be using the wrong lightbulbs. If you have a conventional dimmer switch, LED bulbs won’t work well with those since they prefer halogen or incandescent bulbs.
LED bulbs can be great and do work with other dimmers, but they also can flicker for other issues. They can take some time to power up, especially in the winter, and that can lead to some flickering.
When you’re working on a ceiling light, these common problems may have solutions you can do yourself. But be sure to use precautions, and if you’re unsure about your skills, find a professional.
A Lightbulb Loose
Power going inconsistently to the bulb may cause a flickering lightbulb, and it’s a simple fix. Turn off your lights and check that all the bulbs are screwed in tightly.
Be careful that you don’t hold on too tightly or push too hard. When you switch the light back on, you should be flicker-free.
Overloaded Circut
Have you noticed any trends in your electrical problems? Like when you run the dishwasher and the toaster, your lights flicker? If this is something you’ve seen with your home lights, it’s likely an overloaded circuit.
This means that power is being diverted to these appliances instead of your lights and isn’t a serious issue if it only happens a little. But if you notice this lasting longer than a few seconds and happening with every little extra device, you might need a new electrical circuit to support more power in those areas.
Change in Voltage
For residential lights and electrical power in general, the voltage usually sits between 115 and 125 volts. While you can notice the signs of a voltage change, it is something that needs diagnosing and treatment from a professional electrician.
If your lights flicker when you use large appliances but continue to flicker for several moments after you’ve turned them off, you might be dealing with a voltage problem. Have your bulbs been burning out faster than normal? Have you noticed other appliances shutting off or malfunctioning more often?
All of these are signs that your voltage could be out of wack and require some adjusting.
Fixing Flickering Lights
The problem of flickering lights will happen to everyone at some point. Usually, it means a bulb needs to be changed, but it also could be more than that.
The problems above aren’t hard to diagnose, but be careful if real work needs to be done. If this helped you get a better idea about why your lights might be flickering, keep reading for more good tips.
