What Causes Your Lights To Flicker and Dim?

Flickering lights happens from time to time in homes and offices everywhere. Flickering lights can be distracting, but if you have them enough, they can impact you in other ways too, like causing headaches and wasting energy.

What causes your lights to flicker and dim? And what can you do?

If it’s a single bulb

Sometimes you associate flickering light with only one bulb. This means the light bulb isn’t screwed in all the way to the light socket, or that the bulb is reaching the end of its lifespan. Some types of bulbs are more prone to flickering; an LED or fluorescent will flicker more than others. If you notice it with just one bulb, screwing it in or replacing it should do the trick.

If it’s with a single circuit

Do you notice the lights flicker when you use a high powered device, such as the microwave or a hair dryer? This might mean you have an overloaded circuit. When a circuit is overloaded, it means there is either too many appliances operating on the same line, or you have a circuit wire that is outdated. This is a common problem in older homes that haven’t upgraded their wiring to meet today’s demand.

While the occasional flickering light while using multiple appliances isn’t necessarily a problem, it can be annoying. If you start to notice the flickering more and more, or it trips your circuit breaker regularly, you have a bigger issue. It’s time to call in a reputable electrician.

If it’s throughout your home. 

If you experience flickering beyond one circuit, and it takes place throughout your home, you have a bigger problem on your hands. It may be the cable connections to the larger power source.  Have an electrician assess the problem and make changes right away.

If it’s flickering without a pattern

Sometimes you notice flickering lights throughout your home without pattern or rhyme or reason. It happens here, then happens there. These flickers can be a sign of many different problems. The only way to truly assess the situation is to call in an electrician. If you notice it with growing frequency, call in an electrician right away.

Flickering lights aren’t always a hazard. But it’s better to err on the side of safety and get the situation assessed as quickly as possible.