Flickering bathroom lights indicate a problematic situation that needs to be fixed quickly. Many people do not know about the possible causes behind the blinking bulbs, and they try to fix them only by twisting.
Why Does my Bathroom Light Flicker? Bathroom light can flicker due to poor quality bulbs and the defective dimmer switch. In addition, the overloaded circuit, humidity, and poor electrical connections can be the reason behind blinking lights. The old switches, bad breakers, and loose bulbs can also interrupt the flow of electricity. Furthermore, you can fix the issue by replacing the old bulbs, reducing the humidity, and using a switch that does not require dimmers.
A blinking lamp does not indicate a minor issue when frequently dimming, as it can lead to severe electrical problems.
You have to assess the faults quickly and fix the issue to avoid any bigger loss.
What causes my bathroom light to flicker?
Lights can flicker due to problems in the electrical system or the wires. Additionally, a loose and poor-quality bulb can also blink due to overloading.
Poor electrical connections
One of the main reasons is the poor electrical connection that can also occur due to water.
The moisture content is usually higher in the bathroom than in other house areas like the living room or bedroom.
The moisture drops can affect the paint of metallic parts and convert them into dull metal. Such metal cannot conduct electricity efficiently.
So, the poor electrical connections affect the flow of electricity and cause the bulb to glow infrequently.
Therefore, the electricity cannot reach consistently into the filament through a discolored metal.
Incompatible dimmer switch
The dimmer switches need to be compatible with the bulb for a better glow.
When you add an incompatible dimmer like a non-LED dimmer for LED bulbs, the light flickers.
The reason behind their incompatibility can be the use of low-voltage products.
However, the dimmers are known to handle high voltages, and they can efficiently manage heavy electrical loads.
So, it is better to use compatible switches to avoid the problem of an inconsistent supply of electricity.
However, you can also use new product types that do not require dimmer switches.
Furthermore, the old and faulty switches can also lead to a similar issue, so you need to replace them with a new switch.
Excessive humidity
Humidity in the bathroom can affect their working as drops of water accumulate on the metallic parts.
Furthermore, these water drops react with the metal and oxygen present in the air and result in corrosion.
This corrosion can damage the electricity transfer quality, and the discolored components cannot avoid the flickering issue.
Loose light plugs
The plugs get loose over time, and the wiring can create an issue in their working when it gets old.
A loose plug can result in arcing, which occurs due to jumping electricity between two points.
This process increases the temperature to a higher extent and can cause fire or sparking.
Poor quality bulb
The quality of these bulbs determines their longevity as cheaper products can lose their working quickly.
On the other hand, high-quality products like LED bulbs tend to remain intact for a long time.
They can manage the stress of load and tolerate extreme conditions efficiently.
These are the most used lights, and people make them switch on and off many times a day.
Their excessive usage demands the use of better quality products that can manage stress efficiently.
Furthermore, they tend to blink when you do not consider compatibility. It cannot tolerate excessive use and gets warm quickly.
It is essential to use high-quality bulbs for a long time. Therefore, you do not have to focus only on their type; instead, choose the one with good quality that can remain for longer.
Overloaded circuit
The circuit can get overloaded when you use appliances beyond its limit.
These bulbs keep blinking when you turn on the heavy appliances like a fridge or a microwave oven on the same circuit.
You should check everything properly if this flickering exceeds more than 3 to 5 seconds.
After that, you have to check the circuit and turn off the appliances beyond their capacity to manage.
Ask for professional help when you have assessed a problem in the circuit.
An electrician can do the task properly without posing any risk to your safety.
I have faced the issue of overloading a circuit that connects with bathroom lights and the washer.
They started to blink whenever I tried to turn on the washer, so I asked an electrician to fix it correctly.
The breakers that cannot handle the heavy load of current can get faulty when you put an excessive load by using high-wattage appliances.
Sometimes, multiple lights start to flicker at once, which indicates a problem in the primary circuit or the wires.
Removal of insulation on the wires and overloaded circuits can cause them to blink.
Loose connection between the socket and bulb
The proper tightening of a bulb in the socket ensures the adequate flow of electricity inside it.
However, loose contact between the socket and the device disrupts the current flow and causes this problem.
Sometimes, overtightening affects the current flow, so it is better to tighten up the bulb correctly in the socket.
Can a flickering light bulb cause a fire?
It doesn’t seem very pleasant to see them blinking all the time.
Moreover, it can lead to a dangerous situation as the flickering light can cause a fire. You can consider it as a warning that something unwanted could happen anytime.
Therefore, it is better to assess the reason by checking the wiring, circuit, bulbs, etc., and call a professional electrician.
How can I fix a flickering bathroom light?
It is not difficult to fix the flickering bulb when you figure out the exact cause behind it. Try to fix it by using one of these methods below or ask for professional help to do the task for you.
Use occupancy switch
Some new switches are available that do not require a dimmer to operate. Occupancy switches are suitable to use in places like the bathroom.
One of my friends has an occupancy switch in his bathroom that controls lights’ turning on and off with the help of a sensor.
Similarly, it brings modifications to the temperature by modifying the ventilation system. So, it detects motion, turns on the lights, and turns them off when the person goes away.
Reduce humidity
You have to make efforts to reduce humidity to avoid corrosion.
So, switch on the fan when you go inside to shower as it reduces the accumulation of water drops on the walls, tiles, and switches.
Avoid switching on the fans unnecessarily because the excessive use of switches can also damage them before time.
Try different socket
One of the methods that I tried to fix the blinking lights was testing bulbs in different sockets. It can help detect the problem with the socket or wiring.
The problem can be with the wiring, so assess the wiring system and look at the circuit.
Swap bulbs
Swapping a bulb can help tackle the problem quickly without any professional charges. However, twist it in the socket to check that it is properly tightened or not before swapping.
Twist it and remove contact with the socket, then twist it back and again revive the contact.
Upgrade faulty switches
The incompatible or old switches do not work efficiently when added to an LED light bulb.
Check the mismatch between the bulb and switches and bring its compatible component.
Therefore, install a new dimmer and replace the old one to fix this problem.
Does the bathroom light flicker when turned off?
Some bathroom lights start blinking even when turned off due to the charging of the circuit inside the compact fluorescent lamps.
It can occur due to electricity bouncing when a small amount of current is present inside the bulb before turning it off.
Moreover, it does not leave a connection with the circuit sometimes when you turn the switch off. Instead, it leads to the transfer of some current into it that makes them flicker.
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