Are you having issues with your house lights dim every few minutes ? Are you wondering what could be causing it? Stick around we can help.
On average if you have problems with lights in your house dimming periodically then you are experiencing a drop in voltage to those lights. This is caused by loose connections in your electrical system. It is also caused by other power loads being on with the same circuit.
House Lights Dim Every Few Minutes
In order to understand this issue we have to learn a little bit about how our circuits are put together.
Our electrical system is actually a network.
Every circuit in the house has a network of wire. That wire goes from the light switch, power outlet, and other electrical devices to the main breaker that isolates the house from outside power supplies.
When power is lost to the circuit, it would stay dark for a moment.
The house would then drop the power and go back to normal.
Now, a lot of electrical devices are time limited so that they will automatically turn off after a set amount of time.
So, after the time has passed the dimming of the lights will continue to occur. Since the dimming is happening on an intermittent basis it is a power related problem.
House Lights Dim Every Few Minutes Then Stop For A While
This problem is a sign of a loose connection. It could be in your electrical system or it could be in the power line coming into the house.
Take note if it does this during a windy or breezy day. That means that you have a loose connection coming in from the street power.
Every time the wind blows and the line shakes, it causes the connection that may be corroded to become loose enough to give you the issue.
Contact your local power provider to come check the lines and the connections.
If it is not caused by that then it could be an issue with a connection inside the house. Take notes on exactly when it happens and what electrical circuits it happens too. This can save the electrician time and you money trying to find the issue.
House Lights Dim Every Few Minutes With Nothing Else Turned On
We have done all the digging that we can, to find out why this could be happening.
If this happens frequently then you could even get what’s known as a house brownout and lose power in your home.
This is why you should have a list of your electrical load and switch the loads to turn them off when you go out and switch them on when you come home.
Also, if you are noticing this for the first time, then the only thing to do is call an electrician.
They are able to solve a variety of electrical problems from simple problems to full-scale electrical emergencies.
There are a lot of reasons why you might be experiencing this in your house.
Will A Bad Ground Cause My House Lights To Dim?
No, a bad ground does not cause lights to dim.
A bad ground occurs when you have a faulty ground breaker that is pulled out of it’s socket.
Bad ground causes your house lights to dim as well as just being a loose connection in your wiring.
What is the Difference Between an Electrical Ground and a Unlit Ground? Both have a negative voltage rating and both can cause your house lights to dim.
What is important is you know if the two are live or not. When you run a current through a circuit with no current going through the ground the current is called a “bad” ground.
An electrical ground is the term used when an electrical load is connected to an electrical outlet but you have no current flowing through that circuit.
Why Do The Lights Dim When The Fridge Comes On?
We are not sure but at the very least the low voltage drop is a big enough to knock your lights out.
We suggest having a guy come out who has experience in these types of issues.
The fridge has what is know as a compressor inside. This compressor that runs the fridge draws a lot of power for a split second to start up.
We call this inrush current, one the fridge goes through the initial start up then the amps drop back down.
This spike in power is when you will notice your lights dim if you want to be sure get your electrician to verify that your fridge is on a separate circuit from your lights.
Lights Dim When AC Comes On
Every house that has Air Conditioning. In a typical home the amperage to the air conditioner is much higher than the line suppling it for a split second. This causes the light bulbs to dim when the power comes on.
Many times this will not happen, and you can forget about it.
But on other occasions you may notice that the dimming happens regularly or will happen right when you turn the AC on.
You may even find that your AC is not circulating.
We’ve had a few customers say that their television dims, or their DVD player does the same thing.
This is not a common issue but you can find some electrical problems that may be causing it.
It sounds like a simple issue but it really depends on the connection between your power and your electrical equipment.
We strongly recommend having a dedicated ac circuit installed for the unit itself.
How To Stop The Lights From Dimming
There are several simple steps you can take to solve the problem, ensure that your lights are working correctly.
It is a good idea to carry out a light test to make sure that they all work correctly.
The first step in solving this issue is to ensure that your lights work properly.
Some of the lights in your house will automatically come on at dusk or dawn but will not stay on until dusk.
Lights may come on but go off when no-one is around.
Some lights may come on and go off regularly, just like lights come on in the bathroom for a shower.
Most of the lights in your home should go off after dark. If you have house lights that stay on until someone switches them on then you may have loose connections or have power loads being on with the same circuit.
Also check your dimmers if you have them on your lights. These malfunction and need to be replaced.
What Causes The Lights To Flicker
There are three main causes for flickering lights in your house: Losing Connections:
When the wires in your wall become loose connections that lose the voltage that are connected to your light switches and fixtures.
When your lights start to flicker they are losing the voltage to your fixture.
Wiring Malfunction: When your connections in your circuit start to fail over time. The problem could be a loose connection, a wire breaking, or bad insulation.
The main way to find this out is by contacting the manufacturer of your house and have them send a technician out to check on the wiring. Mold Growth:
In humid or hot weather the growth of mold can often cause this condition.
Will This Problem Hurt My Appliances?
This is the question most likely being asked at this point in time.
At first glance you might think yes, it can actually hurt your appliances.
There is some truth to the statement that can cause surge protection issues with your appliances.
On average the energy used by a light switch is about 500watts. If you have 4 switches that each draw 1000watts then you can have surges from 4 switches when you have 1 or 2 connected and there is a power drop.
This can damage electronic devices.
Electronics are extremely sensitive to the issue of power flickers and brownouts. Make sure you have the proper surge protection installed.
Can It Cause Permanent Damage To My Electrical System?
No it cannot cause permanent damage.
Sometimes it is a product of aging of electrical system and sometimes it can be a problem with your house wiring.
All you have to do to fix the problem is have your circuit checked and fixed.
If this is not the case than you should contact an electrician to have your lights checked. What Causes House Lights to Dim and Brighten Up?
There are multiple reasons for this. First of all, all electrical systems have a natural wear out period and this is why we need to replace these systems on a regular basis.
Second, all electrical systems have a ‘buy time’ that is the period of time that these systems work without any overload or overloading.
Conclusion
This article just gave you a lot of great information on the topic. For more on the products we recommend