It can be a surprising situation when suddenly the lights of your house just flick. When the lighting dims and brightens, it is an annoying situation. When it happens, and unfortunately, this is quite a common problem that many homeowners can face with artificial lighting. Fortunately, Zoom Electricians is here to help you and ensure that the fixtures problem and other possible issues are properly checked and fixed.
The lights get dim and brighten due to faulty wiring or ballasts, circuit overloads, or power grid problems. Or the light fixture is already old. Fortunately, everything can be easily repaired other than the issues with the power grid. With our professional electricians, the issue can be checked properly and fix it correctly. Aside from this, we also cater to Recessed Lighting Installation.
Lights can dim and bright for different reasons. Before you can fix the problem, you must identify the cause. Here are the following causes why your lights dim and brighten.
1. Old Light Bulb
Bulb and lamp life hours indicate how long the bulb will last through use. It could be for a couple of hours, and it would be 750 to 2000. After its stated lifespan, a light bulb will only put out 70% of the lights as it used to or more. Different components wear out differently as the bulbs age, which causes them to dim or flicker.
2. Faulty Wiring
The lights can dim unexpectedly if the wiring of your home is old or not strong enough to handle the amount of current it uses. Older homes are not built to serve the current modern households, which typically feature different devices and appliances that use a large amount of electricity.
3. Incorrect Light Bulbs
If you notice unusual behavior from lights connected to dimmer switches, you may use the wrong type of light bulb. Most dimmer switches don’t work properly with compact fluorescent bulbs and cause the lights to blink or malfunction. To resolve the problem, replace any CFLs with the light bulbs that work the best with the dimmer switch.
4. Overload Circuits
Running energy-intensive appliances like the AC, microwave, and dryers causes the lights to dim or flicker. It can be an indication that the circuit is overloaded. You can determine the main cause of the problem by checking to see if the appliances in question run on the same circuit. Though overloaded circuits aren’t uncommon in older homes, consult a licensed electrician if the lights continue to dim after you have turned off competing appliances or if you suspect a much larger issue.
5. Power Grid Issue
Lights that dim for a certain period might result from a brownout or a problem with the electrical company. Contact your local utility to find out where the weather condition has caused the transformer to blow out or if significant weather-related demands have compromised the electric service in the area.
What Is the Best Way To Properly Clean The Light Fixtures?
Nowadays, there are different designs or styles of light fixtures in the market that will complement the overall design of your home and your preferences, and a professional electrician can help properly. They can help you to install them to ensure that no problems will happen, and an example would be flush mount lighting installation.
After the installation has been made, cleaning them is also important. Cleaning the fixtures throughout your home ensures that the bulbs put out the number of lumens they should and keep the ambiance of your home bright. The build-up of dust and dirt can make the bulbs appear up to 30 percent dimmer, and if the shades or covers are already too dirty, you decrease the amount of light even more.
Having the right away cleaning of the light fixtures in place is the first thing to have. You also need to schedule a regular cleaning. Here are some tips that you can use for cleaning the light fixtures in your home.
1. Gather The Right Materials – You must ensure the right tools are available before cleaning the fixture. The basic tool you may need is a microfiber towel. Microfiber is also ideal for picking up dust, so you might not even need to clean with more than one tool depending on the state of your fixture.
2. Check The Power – You never want to clean the fixture with the power on to prevent electrical hazards. The switch must be off, shut the breaker off, and completely cool the bulb itself before cleaning. A couple of times, people would ignore this step and accidentally get an electrical shock.
3. Consider Safety First- Aside from electrical shock, ensure that when you clean the fixture, you pay attention to other safety aspects. If you are working on the fixture without removing it from the ceiling for cleaning, make sure to use a sturdy ladder instead of a chair. Consider enlisting the help of someone for assistance.
4. Be Careful With Water Solutions – While most fixtures can be easily cleaned using a microfiber towel, you may need extra help if it hasn’t been cleaned for a long time. If you use a cleaning solution, mixing a mild cleaner like dish soap with warm water is best. It is important to note that you should never use water or cleaners near the electrical components or the wiring. It should only be used if needed to clean the fixture heads, which can come off from the fixture. Aside from the fixture head, never use water on bulbs.
5. Check The Hardware To Avoid Hazards – Once the fixture is clean and completely dry, you can replace it over the lamps. Make sure that you fasten any hardware to keep it in place to prevent safety hazards. A failing lamp cover can be dangerous and causes accidents.
Cleaning the fixture must be done properly and correctly to prevent accidents from happening and causing damage to the fixture itself. This is important to properly do the right method in cleaning the light fixtures to ensure your safety.
When you experience some problems with the electrical system, such as flickering or dimming of the lights, contact Zoom Electriciansto have it checked and fixed immediately.
