Why is the power flickering in my Brisbane home?
Lights flickering when nothing's wrong with the storm? Here's what flickering actually means, and the four causes I see most often.
Flickering lights are one of those problems where the cause matters more than the symptom. Some are harmless. One of them will burn your house down. Here's how to tell.
When flickering is harmless
A single flicker when a big appliance kicks in (fridge compressor, AC, pool pump) is normal. The motor draws a momentary in-rush current that briefly drops the voltage on the circuit. Older homes with limited circuits show it more than new ones.
If it only happens when you can clearly identify the appliance, and it's a single dip, you can usually leave it alone, or split the load with a switchboard upgrade that gives big appliances their own circuit.
Loose neutral (the dangerous one)
This is the one I'm driving to first. A loose neutral connection, at your switchboard, your main supply, or up at the pole, causes the voltage to bounce around as different appliances switch on and off. You'll see lights flicker randomly across multiple rooms, the fridge cycle weirdly, and the kettle take ages to boil.
A loose neutral is a fire risk and an appliance-killer. Switch the main isolator off and ring 0411 054 811. If you smell anything warm at the switchboard while you're there, leave the room.
Big AC / pool / pump start-up
If the flicker happens only when a specific appliance starts (and stops once it's running), the appliance is starving the rest of the circuit. Solutions:
- Move that appliance to a dedicated circuit
- Reduce its in-rush current (soft-starter, VFD)
- Upgrade to 3-phase if it's really hungry
Most Brisbane homes can fix this by adding a dedicated circuit at the switchboard.
LED + dimmer mismatch
Probably the most innocent cause. Some LED lamps don't play nicely with old leading-edge dimmers, and you'll get a flicker at low brightness. The fix is a trailing-edge LED-rated dimmer (Clipsal Iconic, HPM Excel), about a 15-minute swap.
Supply-side problem
If your whole house is flickering, including streetlights and your neighbours' lights, it's an Energex problem, ring 13 62 62. They'll send a network technician to look at the local transformer.
If only your house is flickering and your neighbours are fine, the issue is between the network and your main switch, ring me.
, John
I'm John, local Camp Hill sparky, fully licensed, fixed-price quotes, lifetime workmanship warranty. Ring me direct on 0411 054 811 or send a quick message.
Keep reading
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