Don’t worry. It isn’t a ghost. That flickering in your lights may take some time to figure out, but that doesn’t mean you have to sell immediately or burn the house down
Flickering lights can be a symptom of something going wrong within your home or the grid itself. Here are five causes of your lights flickering.
- Heavy load – a sump pump may sometimes cause your lights to flicker when it first comes on as it’s drawing a heavy load.
- Damaged equipment – appliances and equipment may start to fail and when they turn on, a similar draw issue occurs and the lights may flicker.
- Blame your neighbour – The above issues may come from your neighbour if you share a transformer or if you’re in an apartment.
- Failed switch – If you notice just one light flickering, then it could be in the switch or the wiring to the switch. This can be a larger issue that comes with the risk of fire if they fail or the wiring detaches entirely.
- Loose cable – many older homes have the power coming from above. These old lines may stretch and pull loose over time. If your house lights flicker during high winds, check where your power enters the home.
Flickering lights aren’t a major issue, but they do warrant investigation. Find out whether the lights in the entire house flicker or if it’s just one or two. Isolating the problem will make your search a lot easier.