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If a lamp flickers, this is not only annoying, but can also damage the lamp in the long term. You should therefore rectify the fault quickly – you can find out the best way to do this in our home article
Lamp flickers: What you should do
If you want to repair a flickering lamp, your options are unfortunately limited if you are not an electronics engineer or specialist. However, the flickering can usually be fixed with simple and quick steps. This is how it works:
- Switch off: First of all, switch off the power to the lamp. If it is a lamp that has a cable and a mains plug, pull the mains plug out of the socket. For ceiling lamps or other lamps that are supplied via the mains, switch off the fuse for the area. Only after the power has been completely switched off should you touch the lamp or turn it out.
- Screw out: Unscrew the lamp completely from the socket. Then slowly screw it back in again. Then switch the power back on and check whether the lamp still flickers. If the flickering is gone, the contacts were not properly aligned, causing a loose contact
- contacts: If the lamp still flickers, turn it out again as soon as the power is switched off. Then take a screwdriver or a pair of pliers and straighten the contacts in the socket a little. They may be bent and therefore not make sufficient contact with the lamp. Once you have straightened the contacts, screw the lamp back into the socket and switch the power back on.
- Replacement: To find out whether the fault lies with the lamp or the socket, you must insert a different lamp into the socket. If the newly screwed-in lamp flickers, the fault is in the socket and must be rectified by a specialist. If the lamp does not flicker, the reason for the flickering is in the lamp itself. In this case, it is worth buying a new lamp and replacing it
- Note: Do not allow the lamp to flicker for too long, as this can damage it unnecessarily. As soon as a lamp flickers, you should troubleshoot and rectify the fault. If you cannot find a fault and notice flickering in several lamps, contact an electrician. There may be a more serious problem
