Why Are My House Lights Flickering?

House lights that flickers on and off, especially one that does so at a rapid pace, can be quite annoying. It’s also something that you won’t want to ignore. While it could mean that your light bulb simply needs to be replaced, it could also mean that there is a poor connection within your home’s electrical wiring that needs to be inspected by a professional electrician.

Reasons Why Your Lights Flicker

The following are a few of the most common reasons why your lights are flickering and what you should do about it:

• Only one light is flickering – If only a single light is flickering, then the issue is either a bad bulb or a bad connection between the light fixture socket and the light bulb. You should be able to simply swap out the bulb – but if this doesn’t solve the problem, then the flickering is probably being caused by a bad connection and you will need the assistance of an electrician.
• Only lights in one area of your home flicker – If you notice several lights flickering within a single area but not throughout the entire home, then it could be the result of a circuit issue. An electrician will perform a circuit diagnosis in order to identify the neutral conductor or loose hot that is causing the problem.
• The entire house is blinking/flickering – If the lights throughout your home are flickering, then you need an electrician to come inspect your main electrical service as quickly as possible. There’s a chance that the main electrical panel or meter base have loose service conductors, which present a fire hazard to your home.
• Flickering only occurs during the operation of an appliance – If you notice your lights flickering briefly as you begin to run a large appliance, such as a large outdoor air conditioenr, then you’ll need a professional to come address the problem. What’s happening is that the AC unit is drawing upwards of 100+ amps when it is turned on in a home that most likely only has a 200 amp electrical service, thereby causing the brief flickering. An electrician will ensure that your outdoor AC unit is wired to the max ampacity and that your connections are tight and that your wire size and fusing are correct. If none of these things are the problem, then you may need to have a soft start kit installed.

When Should You Call An Electrician?

If more than one light is flickering, then you should call an electrician as soon as you can. The flickering could be caused by a number of wiring issues which can be dangerous to attempt to handle on your own. If flickering is occurring throughout your home, have an electrician come as soon as possible as you are most likely dealing with a fire hazard.

We Fix Flickering Lights!

Jaffe Electric is a team of certified and licensed electricians in Maryland, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia.

If you notice more than one of your lights flickering, whether in your home or your business, be sure to schedule an appointment with one of our professionally licensed electricians.