Let’s be honest. Intermittent flickering lights is not only a nuisance to the home owner, it’s also a nuisance to your service electrician! Trying to find the culprit in the system isn’t always easy and straightforward. It can be caused by a lightbulb simply not being tightened all the way, or it can be more nuanced like different wattage bulbs installed on the same circuit or dimmer switch. And when you include the fact that the problem is intermittent…Good luck! I’ve been on plenty of service calls where I have to curb the customers expectations. This can be a simple fix if I can find the “smoking gun”, or we have to rely on my experience and start replacing devices that commonly fail in the circuit. When the flickering is intermittent, you may not get a definitive answer whether the problem is resolved right away. In this article I will go over some common reasons why your lights may flicker, and possible solutions your service electrician will suggest to you.
Common Reasons:
– Loose wires in the fixture and in the electrical panel can cause LED lights to flicker. Not only can a loose connection cause excessive heat and be potentially dangerous, but it can cause the LED light to receive inconsistent power, causing it to flicker. Making sure all the connections in the panel are tight and the wire nuts installed properly will often resolve the flickering it seems to the underlying issue
– Incompatible dimmers are also a common issue I come across. Not all dimmers are compatible with LED fixtures. It’s important to verify the product you purchase is “LED Compatible”. This verbiage will be present on the packaging of the product, and most times on the dimmer itself. If you find that your dimmer isn’t LED compatible, the easy solution is to replace it with a product that is.
– Defective fixture/LED drivers can also be the reason your LED lights are flickering. Some fixtures by design will flicker constantly and consistently when the electronics have failed internally. Intermittent flickering can be an early sign that the electronics may fail in the near future. If you’re able to narrow down the fixture that is failing, replace it immediately.
-Inconsistent wattage LED bulbs in the same fixture and/or dimmer. This is a possibility you start exploring after you’ve ruled out the possible problems listed before. LED fixtures can be very sensitive and they require a constant and consistent power. When you have different wattage LED bulbs in a circuit or fixture, the bulb with the higher wattage will require more power, diverting power away from the lower wattage LED bulbs, causing them to receive insufficient power and begin to flicker.
-Poor Quality LED fixtures and bulbs can be an issue as well. Not all LED fixtures and bulbs are created equal. It’s important to buy your LED fixtures from a reputable supplier or company. Cheaper inferior products may cost less initially, but will cost you more in the long run.
You can scour the internet and you’ll find many reasons why your lights may be flickering. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but only the most common issues I’ve come across as a service electrician over the years. Regardless of the reason, short of a loose light bulb, I would contact a licensed electrician to help you resolve this issue. Save yourself the headache and find yourself an experienced electrician that will go through the proper steps to diagnose the issue.
