What Those Flickering Lights Are Telling You About Your Home
You and your family are sitting in your family room watching TV, doing homework, or reading, and the lights in your home start to flicker. At first, you ignore it. “It will go away or stop”, you say. It happens again and this time the dog starts to bark. Again, you try to ignore it and someone else says, “Do you smell smoke?”
Finally, when it still doesn’t stop, everyone wants to know what you are going to do about it. Now you get up to try to see where the flickering lights are coming from. You think to yourself, Where is this coming from and what is causing it? Is this a dangerous situation? Will we lose power? Is there a fire starting someplace in my home?
What Is Causing My Lights To Flicker?
Several possible reasons are causing this to happen. They are sometimes very dangerous or can be very simple. The flickering lights should tell you immediately that there is an electrical issue someplace in your house.
Some you can easily fix yourself, like a simple change to a new light bulb and others require the attention of a certified electrician. They can be a sign of faulty wiring, a bulb problem, fluctuating electric current, or a circuit overload.
Some examples of what can be wrong:
1. A Problem With A Light Bulb
Lights can flicker for a few reasons. They could be inappropriately placed in the socket, it is just about to burn out or be incompatible with your circuit. If like many people recently you have switched from what is called a traditional light bulb or an incandescent to a more modern and energy-saving LED bulb, there might be an incompatibility issue. The suggestion is to try and go back to the original bulb. You might need to bring an electrician to install either a dimmer switch or a more compatible switch.
2. There Could Be A Fault In Your Wiring Connections
Connections that are old and outdated or loose or just worn out could be coming from a number of areas including the main electrical panel, the socket, or switch boxes. Some of these situations could cause a fire in your home so you need to call for immediate professional services.
3. Electric Voltage That Is Fluctuating
If either your voltage is too high or too low, you have an electrical issue. In either case you need to take a look at your main electrical panel for an issue or a technical reason. If the lights next door are not flickering, then the problem is with your system, not for the whole neighborhood or building.
To ameliorate these concerns, you will need an experienced electrician to perform these electrical services. He or she will be able to determine where the problems are coming from. There may be cases that it is a transformer with the problem and then you need to contact your electrical supplier for the help you need to remedy this problem.
4. Electric Circuit Overload
These days when we each have many things to plug in and charge our phones, tablets, watches, and more, it is often the case that what we plug in is too much for our circuits to handle. While our outlets are usually protected from this issue, too much is just too much.
This can become obvious when we plug in just more things and the flickering begins! Circuit overload may not be a big problem because if you remove the connection of one device and the flickering stops, that is a simple fix. If it does not stop, you need that certified electrician to adjust the situation in your home.
One of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to find a certified or licensed electrician for use as you might need them. A reliable and recommended electrical service company can go a long way to keeping your home safe and bright. Some neighborhoods or buildings keep up a list of these craftspeople which benefit you a lot. With experience the company you allow to come into your home can solve the flickering light issue and many others, leaving time to pursue what you want.
