When it’s the holidays, flickering lights are beautiful and contribute to the magical feeling of the season. However, when it is not the holidays, and your home lights flicker it is unmagical and worrying.  Flickering lights are different from dimming lights in effects and causes. When your lights flicker they tend to dim for a moment and return to their bright state, hence It is noticeable because of its frequency; while dimming lights dim for more than a moment and tend to stay that way.

Causes of flickering lights

Sometimes what causes your lighting to flicker is a simple disconnection which you can quickly fix yourself. Other times, it could be an indication of severe problems with your wiring and circuit breakers, in which case you should call a local electrician. Here are the possible causes of your flickering lights;

  • Loose or Faulty light bulb

Flickering lights can directly be caused by a loosely fitted lamp or one that’s damaged. You can quickly detect this because that one bulb might be the only flickering light in your home. When you notice this, take the precaution to turn off the light from the switch and wear gloves before you touch the bulb. Screw it tightly or make a complete replacement if it is damaged.

  • Type of Bulb

While DIY tightening or replacement might come easily with some bulbs, it is not the same for others such as the fluorescent bulb.

Flickering lights can also be caused by the type of bulb in your home. Fluorescent lights are known to be prone to flickering more than LED lights. It is almost natural for fluorescent bulbs to flicker but if it becomes frequent and intolerable, consider replacing them.

  • Dimmer Switches and LED bulbs

LED lights are hardly one to flicker, but when they do, it is usually because of incompatible dimmer switches. Most dimmer switches are built specifically for higher electrical loads while LED lights do just the opposite. Therefore, low voltage LEDs will not be compatible with high voltage dimmer switches, and this will lead to flickering lights. The solution is to keep your valuable LED lights and find an appropriate dimmer switch.

  • Faulty Fixture Switch or Light Plug

If you observe that your lights flicker when you use the on-off switch, then the fixture is defective. You should also check to see that the light plug is correctly fitted to the outlet, and the prongs are in order.

Other causes include overloading your circuit and more importantly faulty wiring. For these problems, you would need to call a professional to assist you.