Essential Steps for Troubleshooting Flickering Lights at Home

Flickering lights are more than a common household frustration, they also pose a significant risk to your entire household. When left unchecked, you could be ignoring deeper electrical safety problems that require immediate intervention from a licensed electrician.

Whether it’s simply a loose bulb or dangerously overloaded circuits, take the time to understand the cause of flickering lights and maintain a safe and functional home.

Get the pro tips from the Norwood and Newton electricians at Castle Electric to understand the common culprits and solutions, along with advice on when it’s time to give us a call about your lighting!

1. Check for Loose Bulbs

It’s possible that your flickering lights are caused solely by the bulb itself. When your bulbs aren’t properly screwed into their sockets, it can create an intermittent connection and cause your lights to flicker. Before you do more complicated troubleshooting, turn off the light and gently tighten the bulb. Tightening it too hard could cause the bulb to break in your socket. If it stops flickering, you solved the problem and can rest easy that there’s nothing more serious going on.

If tightening doesn’t resolve the issue, it’s possible that the bulb is defective. Swap it out and see if it resolves the issue. It’s also important to handle your bulbs carefully and turn off the power to avoid any damage before you start making adjustments. 

2. Inspect the Light Switch

If tightening or changing out the bulb didn’t work, you may have a worn or faulty light switch. It’s not unusual for the internal components of a switch to degrade over time and create an inconsistent electrical connection where the light flickers. Toggle the switch on and off several times to see if the flickering seems connected.

Do you have a home dimmer switch? Light bulb compatibility may be the cause of your flickering lights. For example, older dimmers aren’t designed for energy-efficient bulbs and could cause your LED lights to flicker. If you suspect your switch is the problem, you may need to replace it with a newer, compatible model to see if it resolves the issue. 

3. Assess Overloaded Circuits

Do you have multiple appliances and electrical devices connected to the same circuit? You may have an electrical demand that exceeds its capacity. Overloaded circuits can cause flickering lights, particularly when high-demand appliances such as space heaters activate.

Unplug some of the devices and check to see whether or not the flickering stops. If it disappears, you’re probably dealing with some kind of electrical overload. You can redistribute the devices to other outlets or upgrade your electrical panel to handle the higher demand. Remember that overloading your circuits is both inconvenient to your home and a fire hazard. 

If you can’t make any changes to your electrical load, give us a call. The team of electricians at Castle Electric can look over your electrical panel and recommend any changes, upgrades, or swapping out old circuit breakers to maximize your electrical needs.

4. Look Over Your Wiring

Wiring issues are a serious concern that requires caution and care. Visually look to see if you have loose, burned, frayed, or damaged wires and connections. Any damage could interrupt the flow of electricity and leave your home vulnerable to fire hazards and shocks. Everything from the fixture itself to the outlet or your home’s internal wiring could have an issue. However, it’s important never to touch the wires. Faulty wiring is a safety risk and needs help from one of our licensed electricians.

5. Call an Electrician for Ongoing Issues

Some of the problems with flickering lights are simple DIY fixes, but others will signal more complicated and hazardous issues. If you’ve tried everything you can do safely and aren’t seeing results, give us a call. Our experienced electricians can diagnose any hidden problems with your home’s electrical system, from outdated wiring to faulty circuit breakers or other factors like power grid fluctuations. With proper electrical maintenance and prompt electrical repairs in Newton and beyond, we’ll help keep your home safe and prevent small issues from escalating into major problems.

Call Castle Electric Today to Stop Your Flickering Lights

Flickering lights are frustrating and could point to underlying electrical concerns that affect your home’s safety and efficiency. From loose bulbs to worn switches, or an overloaded circuit, take action as soon as possible to save yourself time, money, and hazards.

The team at Castle Electric is always here to safely restore your lighting and handle all of your electrical service in Norwood, MA and Newton, MA. Schedule your appointment today!