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Why Do Lights Flicker in the Home

What Causes Lights to Flicker?

Worn out Light switch contacts when fair ware and tare and electricity power makes them go black and the contact surface reduces, making the lights flicker. The same thing happens with the light bulb contacts and the light element gets close to burning out from regular use over the years.

Another source is the screws in the sockets become loose with the heat from the electricity over the years of use. This causes the loss of contact for the wires and the lights then flicker. The current going through the fuse in the fuse box wears out with use over the decades and the lights flicker and go out when the fuse goes open circuit.

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Is it Dangerous if Your Lights Flicker?

Only if you don’t have a torch handy or a table light to use and are left in darkness and struggle to reach another room with a working light.

How Do I Stop My Lights From Flickering?

Get an electrician to check if the lighting cable insulation is burnt and needs replacing. That is a sign to replace the light sockets and replace the light bulbs.

Also the light switch on the wall or socket lower down the wall with a switch.

If you have a table or floor light, replace the cable, sockets, plugs, and bulbs.

Don’t forget to replace all the lighting fuses in the fuse box.

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Once you have gone this far, it is worth doing all the sockets, plugs, fuses and cabling.

You don’t want to wait until the wiring falls apart and all electrical powered products stop working like the TV and Radio.

[About the Author]

Andrew Burns is the Managing Director of W Burns & Son (Electrical), he is the 3rd generation to have taken over the Sheffield based business which is now over 80 years old.