Why do my lights flicker in the house after a wind storm? If your lights flicker when you turn on an appliance with a high wattage, the reason could be because the voltage in your home is fluctuating too much. Flickering lights or household lights that dim periodically can be a nuisance, but usually there is a benign cause behind the flickering. The power company took a look and said everything was fine running into the house. I have run across flickering lights before and found that somewhere in the past a homeowner or other person had wired the lights and receptacles by only twisting the wires together and then taping them. Shut off the light at the circuit breaker before removing the fixture to double check the wiring. If the flickering lasts longer than the use of the appliance, this could be a symptom of a more serious electrical issue. When the washing machine starts in the wash cycle all of the overhead lights in the house flicker. And even after this, if you still haven’t found a reason for your flickering lights, call an electrician to evaluate your home's electrical wiring to be on … The most dangerous flickering indicates that "there is a loose connection in the house somewhere between where the electrical service enters the house and the light… If the fixture looks like it might be loose or insecure, it’s time to call an electrician. Lights flicker irregularly since storm We had a pretty major thunderstorm recently. If this is occurring in your home, it’s important to have an electrician look at your main electrical service as soon as possible, as this is a sign that you have some loose service conductors in your main electrical panel or in your meter base—both situations which could be fire hazards. Lights intermittently flicker in whole house. I have above ground wiring and we have been having a wind and rain storm with occasionally gusts up to 50MPH. Your home shares a transformer with surrounding homes, so a cause of flickering lights may be your neighbors’ heavy electrical usage, or damage caused by downed trees or power lines. 3. It might be normal for this to happen when there is a bad thunderstorm barreling through the area (in which case, you might want to install whole house surge protection). The timing of the flicker is consistent with the rhythm of the machine. Loose wiring is the most serious reason for flickering lights and a main cause of house fires. This issue is no longer a simple fix and instead requires help from a licensed electrician. Lights are flickering throughout the house and not associated with large appliance operations. With movement of the house during changes in temperature this could cause wires to … But if you have widespread flickering lights throughout your home, this is a symptom of a much bigger problem. At the same time, the lights on the red leg get brighter than they should because the effective voltage is greater than 120 volts. Flickering Lights & Intermittent Electrical Power Loss Diagnose & fix flickering or dimming lights or lost electricity. It’s probably the power lines swinging in the wind and either clashing together or clashing with tree branches. However, flickering lights can also be an indication that there is a larger issue with your electrical system, in which case ignoring the issue can have serious consequences such as home fires. Lights flickering in the house after a windy storm We had a very windy storm recently and ever since then the lights have been flickering intermittently in the house. It could be the fixture itself or in the electrical wiring leading to the fixture. When the load on one leg, say the black one, is greater than that on the red leg, the voltage drop causes lights on the black leg to dim. Week 2 we called the utility company and after 2 calls they came out an inspected the outside lines. Since it is intermittent, it took us a while to figure out what was going on and that it was not related to any appliance or the furnace. How to diagnose the causes of flickering or dimming lights at or in buildings. If the flickering lights continue after replacing the bulb, you may have a wiring issue. The lights in the house get brighter or dimmer according to the balance of loads between the red and black legs. Re: What Causes Flickers In Lights During A Storm Lightning strikes on the high-voltage lines hundreds of miles away can cause a slight surge in your voltage. All the Lights Flicker and Keep Flickering! Lights dimming and flickering in wind Today I noticed that my lights would flicker and dim and then Go back on to full strength. High winds can cause intermittent opens which will cause the light to blink off. Plenty of lightning and intense rain/wind, poles were knocked down, … The washing is plugged into a 20 amp dedicated circuit and the wiring connections are correct and tight.