Flickering Lights? Here’s the Problem
The ultimate guide to what’s wrong with your home’s lighting
When it comes to flickering lights, not knowing what the problem is can be a nuisance. Whether your lights are flickering, blinking, or dimming periodically, it’s important to remember that there is always a cause. Oftentimes, this cause is benign. Every now and then, however, flickering lights are an indication of a larger problem with your home’s electrical system. In this case, ignoring what seems like a small problem can lead to costly and even deadly consequences in the form of an electrical fire, for example.
Before you start to worry about flickering lights too much, however, investigate the problem further. You can usually diagnose the cause of flickering lights by observing the flickering pattern. This involves observing when it happens, for how long, how frequently, and so on. Today, your local Raleigh electricians will be discussing some of the most common causes of flickering lights in your home and how to identify them.
What the Pattern Of Your Flickering Lights Indicates
As we said before, noticing the pattern of your flickering lights can help you identify the issue that is causing it. Based on the pattern, you can make a pretty solid guess about what is causing your lights to flicker. Here are a few of the most common examples.
Pattern #1: One Light Flickering
When you notice only one light flickering, this is indicative of either a bad bulb or a loose bulb. This is an isolated problem and can be solved easily by switching out the faulty bulb for a new one or simply screwing the light bulb in more tightly to its socket. Always remember to turn off the light completely before attempting this, however. Failure to do so could lead to you burning or shocking yourself!
Pattern #2: Multiple Lights Flickering in a Contained Area
When this problem involves multiple fixtures within a contained area (in a single room or region of your home) is most likely due to an issue with the circuit. In this case, you’ll want to call an electrician in order to diagnose the issue more precisely. It’s always best to do this sooner rather than later as a loose connection in a circuit can be extremely dangerous if left uncorrected. Call an electrician immediately if you are observing this in your home!
Pattern #3: Lights Flickering All Over the House
In the case that the flickering lights are not specific to one area of your home, it is very likely that there is a larger problem with your electrical service itself. This could include loose service conductors in the central electrical panel, for example. Loose service conductors are an extreme fire hazard so you’ll want to contact a local electrician immediately if you’re observing this pattern in your home. Your electrical system will need to be closely evaluated by a licensed and certified electrician.
Pattern #4: Lights Flickering Whenever a Large Appliance is Turned On
In the event that your lights are flickering only when a large appliance is powered on, this may be indicative of a need for an electrical service upgrade. This is due to the large amount of energy demanded by large appliances. In this case, you should contact an electrician to inspect your current electrical system to determine whether or not it is time for an electrical service upgrade.
Pattern #5: Your Neighbor’s Lights Are Also Flickering
When lights are flickering throughout the neighborhood, this means this is a problem stemming from the electrical company servicing your area. In this case, the problem has nothing to do with any individual home’s electrical system. Your best course of action in this scenario is to compare notes with your neighbors to get a feel of the disruption of service before contacting your electrical service provider to report the problem.
Contact Raleigh Electricians For Electrical Repair!
Now that you know some of the most common causes of flickering lights in your home as well as what you can do to fix the problem, it’s time to call Right Electrical Services, LLC to repair the problem! We offer electrical repair services that will correct the problem quickly and efficiently. Don’t delay- putting off this seemingly simple issue which could be indicative of a larger and more serious problem isn’t a smart choice! Our licensed electricians are standing by to help. Contact us today by calling us at (919) 359–1017.
