Flickering lights often catch you off guard and quickly become an annoyance in the home. The flickering is often a sign of a much bigger problem. When a light flickers in the home, you could have multiple problems to deal with.
Learn about the various electrical problems and how to help pinpoint the problem and the next steps to take to find a solution.
Bulb & Socket Issues
Determine how many lights in the home flicker. If just a single light flickers, check the source of the problem. Turn the light off and ensure the bulb is properly screwed in. If a bulb is not tightly attached to the socket, the bulb could flicker. If the bulb still flickers, replace the bulb. If a new bulb flickers, then the problem has to with either the socket or direct wiring.
For example, if the bulb is a part of a lamp, the lamp itself could have damage. Switch the lamp to another outlet in the home. The lamp still flickers, the problem likely lies within the lamp. If the flickering bulb is part of a permanent fixture in the home, then an electrician would need to inspect a socket.
Damaged Electrical Wires
If more than one light flickers in the home, you could have a bigger electrical problem. Near the lights, you may have damaged electrical wiring. The damaged wiring could occur from years of use and deterioration, or animals like rodents may have chewed on and destroyed the wires.
Damaged electrical wires create major fire hazards in the home. Exposed wires could spark every time a light turns on. The sparks could eventually set a fire. One of the main signs associated with damaged electrical wires is when multiple lights flicker within the same room and the flickering only occurs in that single room.
An electrician can access the damage and replace the wires to prevent electrical hazards. When excessive flickering occurs, use the lights the least amount possible so you do not create dangers or more problems.
Loose Service Conductors
If lights randomly flicker all throughout the home, you may find the source of the problem from the main electrical panel in the home. Loose service conductors could create the electrical issues and also create the danger of starting a fire.
A full electrical inspection will include the electrical panel in the home and check out all the service conductors. The electric panel may need repairs, or an electrician can replace the loose conductors. Not only will you eliminate the dangers and stop the flickering lights, but you will have better power efficiency with new conductors.
Power Surge Issues
Whenever you turn on a large appliance, you may notice lights dim or flicker within that same room. Often when powerful appliances like air fryers or vacuums turn on, the power surge is too much for the system to handle and power is directed from other elements like lights.
While you easily get used to a quick flicker or dim when an appliance turns on, the process is not normal. The electrical panel in your home should properly handle the power surge and not create flickering lights.
An upgrade in an electrical panel may split the power source in rooms to multiple circuit breakers or update the whole system to handle more power. With the changes, your home will run appliances, hair dryers, and other high-power devices without running into so many problems. Outlet replacements will also help with power surges and ensuring bigger problems do not occur.
For more information on electrical repairs and services, contact us at Presley & Son Electric Service. We have multiple decades of experience and use our expertise to quickly diagnose and repair problems before the issues worsen.
