Why do my house lights blink?

Central air conditioning and heat pump condensers may cause a noticeable slight dimming when they start. Lights may flicker or dim due to startup of some appliances or motor driven equipment. A slight flicker or very brief dimming that corresponds to appliances turning on (or stormy weather) can be normal, but if it has become more pronounced, the causes could be numerous.
For example, flickering lights could be caused by:

  • loose wire connections
  • poor electrical supply to the house
  • not enough amps running to the house
  • poor grounding
  • overloaded circuits
  • animals such as birds and squirrels on the line
  • trees growing into the lines
  • transformer malfunctions

Jackson Purchase Energy coordinated a team to research the frequency and causes of blinks experienced by its members.  An eight-member team devoted 100% of their time for an entire week to address blinks, their many causes, and what JPEC would do to minimize the blink count. 

As a result of this project, JPEC has been able to locate issues in the field and address them before they caused further problems for our customers. This in one example of JPEC proactively addressing its members concerns. 

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