Flickering lights are one of those faults that range from completely trivial to a genuine fire risk — and telling them apart is worth knowing. Here is how to read what your lights are doing.
The harmless causes
- LED on the wrong dimmer — many older dimmers were built for halogens and make LEDs flicker or buzz.
- A brief dim when a big load starts — a geyser, pump or kettle kicking in can cause a momentary dip. Occasional and slight is normal.
- A loose bulb — sometimes it really is just a bulb not seated properly.
The warning signs
Take it seriously if the flicker is widespread, persistent or worsening, or comes with warm switch plates, a burning smell, or buzzing. These point to a loose connection in a socket, switch or the DB board — and loose connections arc, generate heat and start fires.
The LED fix
If only your LEDs flicker, the answer is LED-compatible dimmers or correcting the fitting — not reverting to power-hungry halogens. See LED conversion.
When the geyser dims the lights
A pronounced or frequent dim when a heavy load starts can mean an overloaded circuit or undersized supply — worth an electrician's check and possibly a DB-board upgrade.
Not sure?
If in doubt, get it traced — it is cheap peace of mind against a fire risk. See fault finding or book a callout.