Flickering Light Troubleshooting

If your light bulb is flickering, here are a few simple things to try to figure out what might be wrong.

For safety, always turn the power off to a light before working with it. This will also ensure that no electrical arcing will damage the terminals or the bulb.

The fixture itself may be causing problems. Try to rule out the socket receptical first. If possible, try swapping a different bulb into the same socket. Try a new replacement bulb, or one that works in other sockets or fixtures. If another bulb also flickers in the same socket, the problem is not the bulb.

If the light fixture is a standard screw type socket, try cleaning the electrical terminals. If there is visible corrosion on either or both of the terminals, try cleaning them. Remove the bulb, and make sure to turn off the power source first! With electrical contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol. A dry cloth, or q-tips, can be used to remove any corrosion that may have built up.

If the fixture is a fluorescent tube light, the problem may be the starter or ballast in the fixture.

If the same bulb flickers in a different socket, or a new bulb works correctly in the same socket, the problem is most likely the bulb itself.

A common problem that causes flickering lights is that the bulb is not fully contacting the electrical terminals. Tightening, or re-seating, a bulb may be enough to fix flickering.

Try cleaning the contacts on the bulb. If arcing or corrosion is causing a poor electrical connection, flickering may occur. Clean the terminal contacts with electrical contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol and a dry cloth. This may fix the flickering.

If the socket and bulb terminals are clean and corrosion free, but the light continues flickering, the bulb itself has most likely failed. Replace it.