Keeping Current With Electricians

Posted on: 6 April 2022

Flickering lights are a fairly common occurrence in most establishments, households, and commercial buildings. Some causes for this may not pose much of a risk. In other cases, however, the cause of the blinking may be more serious and require immediate attention to prevent electrocutions or even electrical fires. Keep reading to learn why you have blinking lights.

Loose Wire Connections 

When wiring is loose, it could result from wear and tear, outdated wire installations, or poor wiring. Loose wire connections are often dangerous because they could cause overheating, which may lead to a fire. An electrician needs to be called to rectify the situation immediately before it worsens.

Loose Light Bulbs

Loose bulbs can also cause voltage fluctuations which can lead to flickering lights. The type of bulb can also be a factor. For example, incandescent light bulbs may stop working from time to time due to bad filaments or contact problems. In addition, light bulbs may get loose in their sockets. This leads to slight flickering as the bulbs receive an electric current supply that is quite inconsistent. You need to turn the switch off for safety and then tighten the bulb to fix this.

Circuit Overload

A circuit overloads from plugging in more appliances than the circuit is built to carry. For example, you may find that the lights start to blink whenever you switch on the microwave. This occurs because of the high electrical current that the appliance draws in order to function. A circuit that is overloaded could lead to a power outage, blinking lights, or damage to the appliances. This problem may require the replacement or installation of new circuits.

Voltage Change

On average, a household runs on 115 volts to 125 volts. Any amount higher than this may cause the lights to start flickering. Besides the lights blinking due to a voltage change, the lights may also dim whenever larger appliances are turned on. The blinking may go on even after the appliances are turned off. Light fixtures may also dim unexpectedly and at random times with voltage changes. Besides this, light bulbs could burn out faster than usual. Appliances might also shut off unexpectedly or malfunction. To resolve this, an electrician may install voltage stabilizers to avoid voltage fluctuations because the stabilizers will kick in whenever the voltage output is not stable.

Blinking lights may be a sign of underlying electrical issues, especially if the flickering is persistent. It needs immediate attention from an electrician to prevent electrical emergencies and damage to your property in the case of electrical fires.

For more information, contact an electrical systems service, such as Potts Electric.