So you woke up in the middle of the night to a flickering hall light. Now before you go call a medium to rid your house of spirits – call an electrician to check your wires!
Now the paranormal may be a more interesting dinner party story, but most of the time you have a simple fix on your hands. The most common causes of flickering bulbs are: a loose connection, a bad bulb, an overloaded circuit, voltage fluctuations or incorrect switch type.
Quick Fixes
Most of the time, your problem comes down to changing a lightbulb. And while our experts are happy to help with any problem – big or small – you can probably handle this one on your own.
First give your lightbulb a twist. If at first it feels loose, you are probably in the clear. If your house still looks haunted after ensuring your bulb is tightly screwed in, grab a new bulb (not a fluorescent one) and see if that scares away your ghosts.
Complicated Complications
If the solutions above are a no go, it may be time to call a professional. If your problem mostly occurs when larger electronics are also running or when you first turn on the lights, your voltage is most likely off. If this happens frequently, you should consider upgrading your circuits.
The other common, but serious, problem is faulty wires. If your problem is steadily worsening, do not delay. Call a professional to check your wires or ghosts will be the least of your problems!
M. R. Electricians are here to help. Reach out to our Florida team at (727) 422-0391, or to our Maryland, D.C. and Virginia team at (301) 871-0477 for immediate, expert help.