Flickering lights in your home can be distracting, disorienting, and a little spooky. Fortunately, there are plenty of explanations for why lights are flickering in your home.
Most of them are even pretty simple to fix. The ones that aren’t require serious and immediate attention.
Don’t spend another day shrugging off the problem. These are the 10 reasons why your lights are flickering.
1. Loose or Improperly Seated Bulb
It could be a bulb problem. In fact, loose and incompatible bulbs are the most common causes behind flickering lights. It’s common for bulbs that weren’t screwed in to full tightness to become loose or jostle over time.
The common, easy fix here is tightening or reseating the bulb. Just make sure the power source is turned off when you do this to avoid electrical dangers.
It’s also possible that your bulb is incompatible with your fixture. Has a light been flickering consistently since you brought home a new lamp or chandelier? It could be that your LED bulb isn’t the right pick.
2. Faulty Light Switch or Dimmer
The big thing to know is that dimmers that aren’t designed specifically for LED lights will cause flickering. You’ll need a specific type of dimmer if you want to use LEDs.
If you have an outdated or older dimmer, it could be sending low-voltage signals to the newer bulbs(s) you’re using. Consider a dimmer upgrade if you’re struggling with bulb-dimmer compatibility.
3. Overloaded Circuit
You may simply have too much going on at once with your home’s electrical load. Do you notice flickering whenever you’re also running a large appliance like a microwave, dishwasher, or air conditioner? Your overloaded circuit is likely experiencing a power dip.
In addition to stressing your home’s circuit and putting appliances at risk, an overloaded circuit is a fire risk. We see this most often in older homes that were wired in the days before major appliances were common. Consider having your circuit load increased by updating your circuit panel and installing new dedicated circuits.
4. Loose Wiring Connections
Flicking lights that are hard to diagnose can be caused by loose wiring in your home. Over time, wires can degrade or become loose due to everything from age to gnawing critters. Once air pockets exist between disintegrating or compromised wires, voltage leaks out.
In addition to reducing your home’s power load and wasting energy, that loose heat creates a very serious fire hazard. It’s also just a matter of time before your lights go from flickering to not working at all. The only fix here is to have a professional inspect and repair loose wires to prevent an electrical fire.
5. Voltage Fluctuations in Your Home
What’s behind inconsistent voltage at your home that causes constant dimming and brightening of lights? It can be hard to tell without an inspection from a licensed electrician. However, lights that dim and brighten periodically usually indicate poor grounding or a failing electrical panel.
6. Issues With Utility Power Supply
While uncommon, you may be experiencing the anomaly of lights flickering across multiple areas of your home. This might not be caused by something that’s actually in your home. Ask your neighbors if they’re experiencing the same problem.
You may also notice that streetlights in your neighborhood tend to flicker. Widespread flickering is usually a sign of an issue with your utility supplier.
The underlying reason could be recent storm activity, general grid instability, or an issue with utility maintenance. If you’ve ruled out an issue within your home’s electric system, contact your utility provider to report service inconsistencies.
7. Faulty Light Fixtures
It could be the light fixture. If you have older or antique fixtures, they may be damaged in a way that’s causing inconsistent power flow. If you have a newer fixture, the cause for faulty performance could be everything from damage from high-wattage bulbs to shoddy manufacturing.
8. Major Appliance Interference
We slightly covered this back at #3. If you notice that your lights flicker only when you’re running a specific appliance, it could be a circuit overload. Did your lights only start flickering after you upgraded to a newer, larger appliance?
New additions like a heated pool, hot tub, larger air conditioner, or extra-large washer/dryer combo can tax your circuitry by drawing more electrical currents. This could be a clear sign that it’s time to put the new appliance on its own dedicated circuit.
9. Weather and Environmental Factors
Weather can cause lights to flicker in several ways. First, temporary flickering is fairly common during storms or lightning surges. When wind, lightning, or whipping tree branches come into contact with power lines, they can trigger auto-shutoff features that are designed to prevent fires.
This is why you might get brief flickers followed by near-instant restoration during storms. However, weather can also cause ongoing flickering. This is especially true if you live in a humid or wet climate. Humidity and corrosion caused by water exposure can weaken electrical connections between your home and your power supply over time.
10. Aging or Outdated Wiring
Flickering lights are sometimes just products of time. For example, outdated aluminum wiring may have lost its conductivity. Any system that’s 30, 40, or 50 years old and beyond may be prone to failures due to wear and tear.
If your home is more than a few decades old, consider whole-home rewiring to get your home up to code. In addition to stopping flickering lights, this is also going to save you money on electric bills while also dramatically reducing your home’s fire risk.
When to Call an Electrician
If lights continue to flicker after you’ve tried basic fixes, it’s time to bring in a pro. The problem is also probably beyond the scope of DIY fixes if the flickering seems to affect multiple circuits or the whole house.
Finally, call an emergency electrician right away if you notice burning smells, heat, or sparks. It’s also a good idea to turn off your home’s breaker right away if you see any of these signs.
FAQs About Flickering Lights
Are flickering lights always dangerous?
While flickering lights aren’t always dangerous, they always need to be treated with caution. Your flickering light(s) may be caused by something simple like an incompatible bulb. However, wiring or circuitry issues pose risks for electrical fires.
Why do my lights flicker when I turn on appliances?
It’s very likely that your home is experiencing circuit overload. This means that your appliances are pulling in more energy than your home’s electrical system can handle. An amperage upgrade or new dedicated circuit will usually be needed.
How do I know if it’s a wiring problem?
Persistent flickering, burning smells, and heat are common signs of wiring issues.
Can outdated fixtures cause flickering?
Yes, outdated fixtures can cause flickering due to issues like bulb incompatibility or damage.
What’s the average cost to fix flickering lights?
Costs to fix a flickering light in Lakeland, FL can range from just a few dollars to upgrade to a compatible bulb to several thousand dollars to fully rewire a home.
Fix Your Flickering Lights in Lakeland, FL
A flickering light shouldn’t just be seen as a nuisance that you adjust to over time. Your flickering fixture is telling you that something is not quite adding up with your home’s electrical system.
Causes of flickering lights range from simple bulb mismatches to serious underlying problems with your home’s wiring. While there’s a chance you just need a quick upgrade to get flickering handled, some problems require immediate attention to prevent risks like whole-home electrical failure or fire.
Don’t put up with flickering lights. Call Lakeland’s on-time electrician. Mister Sparky offers light fixture services for Lakeland, FL and nearby areas for all types of electrical issues.
No problem is too big or small! Contact us today to get your flickering problem fixed.