Why are my lights flickering?

The most common cause for flickering lights is a bad bulb or the circuit feeding your lights is overloaded.  Flickering lights could be as simple a fix as swapping out a light bulb but it could also be a sign of a bigger issue.  A flickering light although minor can be a major inconvenience in your home it can be very annoying and frustrating if the issue persists for too long.  Here are some of the common reasons why your lights are flickering and some quick fixes. 

LIGHT BULB ISSUE

If your lights are flickering due to a simple bad light bulb this is your best case scenario and easiest fix.  Light bulbs are not meant to last forever and if left on for extended periods of time the connections inside the bulb can ware down and go bad which would result in the flickering you are experiencing.  The best way to fix this issue is to take out the bad bulb and read the label on it,  then buy the same bulb and install it into the socket. There can also be an issue with the light bulb socket. You may be able to take out your light bulb and visually inspect the socket to see if there is damage or burn marks. Another issue you could have is an overloaded circuit.

OVERLOADED CIRCUIT

If your lights are flickering due to an overloaded circuit it can be pretty easy to trouble shoot.  First you will want to identify the breaker that is feeding the lighting.  In homes lights and outlets can be fed from the same circuit so if the circuit is overloaded there is a good chance it is because of something that was plugged in.  To trouble shoot this you will want to identify all the electric devices that you found are on the same circuit as your lighting.  Then you will want to unplug everything from those outlets,  if after everything is unplugged the lights still flicker there is a good chance your circuit is not overloaded.  If the lights stop flickering you will want to plug things in one by one until the flickering starts again,  this will give you an idea of how many device you can plug in at the same time.  Another reason for flickering lights is lose or faulty wiring.

LOOSE OR FAULTY WIRING

Having lose or faulty wiring even in something as simple as lights can be a major cause for concern as it increases your chances for an electrical fire.  Before looking into this be sure to shut down the power to your lighting as electrical shock can be very dangerous.  A loose connection can be determined by taking out the light bulb and opening up the fixture.  If it is just a simple pull chain light socket the connections are made on the back side of the fixture, you will have to take the fixture down and see if there are little burn marks on the back or if the wiring is loose.  If it is a can light fixture or another type of fixture you will have to open up the fixture and find where the electrical splice was made.  Sometimes wires are not securely twisted together and they pull apart or pull out of the wire nuts.  If you open up your fixture and the wire nuts are securely fastening the wires together then a loose connection is most likely not your issue.

WRONG SWITCH

If you just installed a new switch for your lighting and they start to flicker then the reason should lie in the switch.  If your light fixtures do not have dimming capabilities and you install a dimming switch this will cause issues with the power getting to the fixture even if you have the dimmer all the way up.  If your fixtures are dimmable but it was not wired to use its dimming function then this can also be causing your problem. 

HOW DO I FIX IT?

Your best bet is to always have a qualified electrician look into your electrical issue but figuring out the cause for your lights flickering is the first and most important step in fixing the problem.  If your lights are flickering form a light bulb then it will be as simple as changing out the bulb.  If your lights are flickering due to an overloaded circuit then you will need to limit the amount of electrical devices you plug into that circuit,  you can determine this with a little trial and error.  If your lights are flickering due to loose connections or faulty wiring then the best course of action is to contact a qualified electrician to fix the problem, electricity can be dangerous and if you don’t have a strong understanding of it you can get seriously hurt. I hope this article helped give you a little insight into your electrical system and was able to identify the cause of your problem.