Flickering Lights Red Deer: What Your House Is Telling You

Spark Electrical Services

3 days ago

5 min read

Flickering lights are your house trying to tell you something.

I'm Mac, owner of Spark Electrical Services here in Red Deer. I'm a Master Electrician. Flickering lights are one of the most common calls I get. A lot of the time it's something small. Sometimes it's a loose wire getting hot inside a wall. The trick is telling the two apart. Here's how I do it.

TL;DR: Count how many lights flicker. One light is usually the bulb, the fixture, or the dimmer. One room usually points to a loose connection on that circuit. The whole house points to your panel, the wires coming in, or the power lines outside. If the flicker comes with heat, buzzing, or a burning smell, turn it off and get it checked. Call Spark at (587) 226-4240.

Why Are My Lights Flickering?

It depends on how many lights are doing it. That one detail tells me where to start.

One light. Usually a loose bulb, a cheap bulb, a worn fixture, or a dimmer that doesn't get along with LED bulbs.
One room or one circuit. Usually a loose connection at a switch, a plug, or a wire splice in a box. Sometimes it's too much stuff on one circuit.
The whole house. Usually something bigger. It could be a loose connection in the panel, a problem with the wires coming into the house, or trouble on the power line side.

A flicker isn't the problem. It's a sign of the problem. My job is to find what's behind it.

Is a Flickering Light Dangerous?

Sometimes. A flicker from a loose bulb isn't a big deal. A flicker from a loose wire is a different story.

A loose connection doesn't carry power cleanly. It can spark and heat up, and that heat sits inside your wall or your panel where you can't see it. That's the one I worry about.

Turn it off and call an electrician if the flicker comes with any of these:

A switch plate, plug, or panel cover that feels warm
Buzzing, crackling, or sizzling sounds
A burning or hot plastic smell
Brown or black marks on a plug or switch
Some lights getting brighter, not just dimmer
A flicker that's getting worse or happening more often

Lights that get brighter matter most. If some lights dim while others go bright, it can mean a loose neutral on the wires that feed your house. When that happens, one half of your house can get too little power and the other half too much. That can cook your electronics. Don't wait on that one.

If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 911.

Why Do My Lights Dim When the Furnace Kicks On?

A quick, small dip when something big starts up is pretty common. Motors pull a burst of power for a split second when they start. Your furnace fan, fridge, washer, or sump pump can all do it.

Here's how I sort normal from not:

Probably fine: a quick, small dip that's gone in a blink.
Worth a look: a big dip, a dip that hangs on, or lights that flicker the whole time the thing runs.
Call soon: it started out of nowhere, it's getting worse, or a breaker trips along with it.

In winter I see this a lot with space heaters. Someone plugs a heater into a bedroom plug that shares a circuit with the lights. Every time the heater clicks on, the lights dip. The fix might be moving the heater, or it might be a new circuit. If the breaker is tripping too, here's my guide on a breaker that keeps tripping.

What Can I Check Before I Call an Electrician?

A few safe things. None of them need a screwdriver near live wires.

Snug the bulb. Turn the light off and let the bulb cool first.
Try a different bulb. Cheap LED bulbs flicker more than good ones.
Look at the dimmer. An older dimmer made for old-style bulbs can make LED bulbs flicker. The bulb box will say if it's made to dim.
Watch the pattern. One light, one room, or the whole house? Only when something turns on? Only on windy days? Write it down. It saves time when I come out.
Ask a neighbour. If their lights are flickering too, it's likely the power lines, not your house.

Please don't pull the panel cover or take switches apart to have a look. That's where people get hurt.

Is It My House or the Power Company?

If your neighbours have it too, it's likely on the power line side. Inside the city, Red Deer runs its own electric utility, called Electric Light & Power. The City lists its phone numbers on its power outage page. Outside the city, call the outage line for your area.

If it's only your house, it's likely your wiring, your panel, or the wires coming into the house. That's where I come in. I start at the panel and the main connections, then work out to the circuits. If I find a problem on the power company's side, I'll tell you and tell you who to call.

What Does It Cost to Fix Flickering Lights?

It depends on what's causing it, and I won't guess at a number before I find it. Here's what moves the price:

How long it takes to find. A loose bulb takes seconds. A loose splice buried in a ceiling box can take a while to track down.
How many spots need work. One loose switch is a quick fix. A house full of tired connections is a bigger job.
How old the wiring is. Homes built in the late '60s and early '70s may have aluminum wiring, and those connections need special care. My guide on aluminum wiring covers it.
The panel. If the problem is in an old or worn panel, a repair might not be the smart move. Here's my guide on panel upgrades.
New circuits. If a room just has too much on one circuit, a new circuit means new wiring. That's permit work in Alberta, and I pull the permit. Here's my guide to electrical permits in Alberta.
Where you are. Red Deer is home base, and we also cover Blackfalds, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, Innisfail, and the rest of Central Alberta.

Call me with what you're seeing. Tell me how many lights, when it happens, and anything you've smelled or heard. I'll tell you straight what I think it is.

FAQ

Can LED bulbs make my lights flicker?

Yes. Cheap LED bulbs, or LED bulbs on an old dimmer made for old-style bulbs, often flicker or buzz. Try a good bulb that says it's dimmable and a dimmer made for LED. If it still flickers, the problem is likely in the wiring.

Why do my lights flicker on windy days?

If the whole street flickers, it's likely the power lines, so report it to your utility. If it's only your house, the connection where the power comes in might be loose. Have it looked at before it gets worse.

Can flickering lights start a fire?

The flicker itself won't. What's causing it can. A loose connection can heat up inside a wall, a box, or your panel. That's why I don't ignore a flicker that comes with heat, buzzing, or a burning smell.

Is a flickering light a sign of aluminum wiring?

It can be. Loose connections are a known problem with aluminum wiring, and flicker is one sign of a loose connection. If your home is from the late '60s or early '70s, have the wiring checked.

Do you fix flickering lights outside Red Deer?

Yes. We're based in Red Deer and we work across Central Alberta, including Blackfalds, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, and Innisfail.

Don't Live With a Flicker

A flicker that won't go away is worth a look. Often it's a quick fix, and then you know for sure. If your lights are flickering, dimming, or acting up, call Spark Electrical Services at (587) 226-4240. Tell me what you're seeing and I'll help you sort out what it is.

Mac, Spark Electrical Services