It seems like the stuff of horror movies—you’re hanging out in your home when all of a sudden, the lights start flashing and flickering all by themselves! But while this phenomenon can definitely be spooky, it’s actually quite common. But what you’re probably wondering if this has happened to you lately is—are flickering lights dangerous? Don’t worry; we’re here to help.
4-Star Electric’s professional electricians have been helping Calgary homeowners fix flickering lights and other electrical problems for years, so we know all about what causes them. Better yet, we can tell you what to do to solve this problem and get the lights in your home working the way you want again. Read on and discover our secrets!
Are Flickering Lights Dangerous?
Flickering lights on their own are not dangerous for most people—but they can signify more serious problems that could create health or safety hazards unless addressed. Below, we’ll tell you how urgent each of the causes described above really is:
Less Urgent: Loose Light Bulbs, Wrong Bulb Types
Using the wrong bulb type isn’t ideal—it can cause the bulb to overheat and eventually explode. But loose light bulbs are more of an inconvenience than a safety hazard (unless they’re so loose that they fall out entirely and shatter, leaving broken glass on the ground). And since these problems are easy to solve, they’re on the lower end of our list. Just don’t leave them too long.
More Urgent: Overloaded Circuits
Overloaded circuits will normally just trip your breaker and cause an outage—as long as your breaker is working properly. But without a properly functioning breaker, overloads can cause wiring to overheat, eventually melting the insulation and leading to fires.
Most Urgent: Loose Wires & Circuit Breaker Problems
These are pressing issues that require urgent professional attention to prevent them from threatening your health and safety. As noted above, circuit breakers that don’t function properly will fail to shut down overloaded circuits (which leads to fire), and loose wires make it more difficult for current to flow through them. That resistance creates heat as a byproduct, which can eventually lead to fires or even explosions.
Other Consequences of Flickering Lights
Remember earlier, when we said that flickering lights weren’t dangerous for most people? There are a few exceptions. Specifically, people with conditions like epilepsy may be at a higher risk of suffering seizures when the lights around them flicker—so if you or someone who spends time in your home has such a condition, it’s important to fix your flickering lights ASAP.
The Best Way to Make Your Lights Stop Flickering
Securing loose light bulbs or changing out improperly rated ones is easy enough to do on your own, but the more complex the source of your flickering lights, the more help you’ll need to resolve the issue safely. While you can learn to use a multimeter on your own, calling us for professional help is a far more reliable way to find out if your circuit breaker is the source of the trouble—and of course, you should only ever let licensed professional electricians work on the wiring in your home.
Contact 4-Star Electric to learn more about why the lights in your home are flickering. Let one of our experienced pros help you diagnose the problem accurately and provide effective solutions so you can enjoy safe and consistent lighting throughout your home once again.