flickering lights in our kitchen

[Stu from NYC]

For the past few months when we put on lights in the kitchen they flicker for about 20 seconds and than they are fine. There are 4 lights going on and they are all doing this.

Any idea why this should be happening and what to do about it?

Does not happen anywhere else in our house so scratching my head about this.

[villagetinker]

Try changing the light bulbs, I am assuming these are LED type, and I have seen strange operation when they are starting to fail. I would change all four bulbs and see if the problem is eliminated. Next would be changing the dimmer, once again I have seen strange operation with these. Double check that all wires are tight on the dimmer. The last item may require an electrician to check the wiring connection in the first light in the string of lights as i have seen intermittent operation that clears up when the connection heats up.
Does this happen all the time, at all times of the day? Are there any other electronic controls on these lights (Alexa, Apple,Ring, etc.)? Are all the lights the same, all LED or all incandescent?

[Stu from NYC]

Try changing the light bulbs, I am assuming these are LED type, and I have seen strange operation when they are starting to fail. I would change all four bulbs and see if the problem is eliminated. Next would be changing the dimmer, once again I have seen strange operation with these. Double check that all wires are tight on the dimmer. The last item may require an electrician to check the wiring connection in the first light in the string of lights as i have seen intermittent operation that clears up when the connection heats up.
Does this happen all the time, at all times of the day? Are there any other electronic controls on these lights (Alexa, Apple,Ring, etc.)? Are all the lights the same, all LED or all incandescent?

Believe they are all LED, been a few years since I put them in but when I replace them will know for sure. Does seem to happen late afternoon but the house has constant temperature via thermostat so would not think that was the problem, Thanks for the suggestions.

[Maker]

LED lights that are not designed to be dimmed, can flicker when on a dimmer switch. There should be words about that on the bulb itself.
If you have non dimmable lights, perhaps the dimmer switch got bumped down slightly from full brightness. The flickering can stop as the light heats up. That "heat up" effect is a bad thing, and a main reason why you never want to put a non dimmable LED light on a dimmer - it's fire risk.

[fishon]

Bulbs are worn out. Replace them.

[JoelJohnson]

I had a similar problem, called SECO (local electric co) and they found out that a vole had eaten the insulation on one of the main lines coming in underground. They patched it and it's OK now.

[Stu from NYC]

Bulbs are worn out. Replace them.

What confuses me is this flickering only happens around dinner time, and apparently started when we got daily temps in the 90.s.

Also how is it possible all four bulbs need replacement at one time?

[Keefelane66]

Keep it simple if all four lights are wired off one switch start there. Lights will be wired as a parallel circuit not in series. Power control starts at switch. IF switch is a dimmer it may be heating up and starting to fail. When dimmer is activated a resistance is applied to circuit “ Turning the switch gives a greater resistance, and hence a lower current through the bulb. However, the power that doesn't come out of the bulb is disappated across this resistor (it will get hot) most flickering is caused by an old, faulty or incompatible wall switch or bulbs that are loose or of poor quality.“.

[coffeebean]

I had a similar problem, called SECO (local electric co) and they found out that a vole had eaten the insulation on one of the main lines coming in underground. They patched it and it's OK now.
What is a "vole". Was that a typo?

[CoachKandSportsguy]

What confuses me is this flickering only happens around dinner time, and apparently started when we got daily temps in the 90.s.
Also how is it possible all four bulbs need replacement at one time?

That reads like low voltage in the distribution grid around max air-conditioning and dinner prep time. If that is the case, then its due to the more sensitive nature of LED bulbs versus incandescents and the energy demand is very near maximum energy purchased and being distributed. .

[Stu from NYC]

That reads like low voltage in the distribution grid around max air-conditioning and dinner prep time. If that is the case, then its due to the more sensitive nature of LED bulbs versus incandescents and the energy demand is very near maximum energy purchased and being distributed. .

Thought of that but if so would think others would be complaining about the flickering. Lets hope for some cooler days and see what happens than.

[Stu from NYC]

What is a "vole". Was that a typo?

Voles are annoying little creatures that eat things we wish they would not.

[tophcfa]

I had a similar problem, called SECO (local electric co) and they found out that a vole had eaten the insulation on one of the main lines coming in underground. They patched it and it's OK now.

We recently lost power to everything in our home that ran on 240 volts, and things running on 120 volts flickered and dimmed, because of a bad underground line coming into our home. SECO seriously cheaps out on underground lines, they direct bury aluminum wires. The proper way is to bury copper wire inside a conduit, which costs more in the short run but prevents expensive fixes in the long run. Over a long enough period of time, just about all direct bury aluminum lines will eventually oxidize and fail.

[Michael G.]

What is a "vole". Was that a typo?

Vole Identification, Habits & Behavior | Florida Pest Control (https://www.flapest.com/pest-info/nuisance-wildlife/vole/)

I never know there was since a rodent in Florida

[Pinball wizard]

The house is haunted. Sell it and buy a 4 bedroom.!
:MOJE_whot::ho::welcome:

[Stu from NYC]

The house is haunted. Sell it and buy a 4 bedroom.!
:MOJE_whot::ho::welcome:

Want to trade?

[Bilyclub]

That reads like low voltage in the distribution grid around max air-conditioning and dinner prep time. If that is the case, then its due to the more sensitive nature of LED bulbs versus incandescents and the energy demand is very near maximum energy purchased and being distributed. .

Thought of that but if so would think others would be complaining about the flickering. Lets hope for some cooler days and see what happens than.


My bathroom vanity led's have been doing it a little in the afternoon. Thought it was old age.

[Bzemom22]

Vole is a rodent ... like a mouse.

[CosmicTrucker]

I have had this same issue since day one. My vanity lights in the bathroom would do this flickering at random. Found the culprit to be the bidet as it was heating the small water tank. If I ran an extension cord to the bidet from a 15 amp circuit such as in the bedroom I would see the flicker with the bathroom lights that are on the same circuit. If I plugged the bidet into one of the plugs around the bathroom sink which is a 20amp circuit no flicker in the lights.

[chappy]

Try changing the light bulbs, I am assuming these are LED type, and I have seen strange operation when they are starting to fail. I would change all four bulbs and see if the problem is eliminated. Next would be changing the dimmer, once again I have seen strange operation with these. Double check that all wires are tight on the dimmer. The last item may require an electrician to check the wiring connection in the first light in the string of lights as i have seen intermittent operation that clears up when the connection heats up.
Does this happen all the time, at all times of the day? Are there any other electronic controls on these lights (Alexa, Apple,Ring, etc.)? Are all the lights the same, all LED or all incandescent?
I changed the first bulb and the problem went away,

[amdubuc]

If you use LED bulbs with a dimmer switch.
The bulbs must be dimmable.
The switch must also be dimmable LED BULBS.
I had this problem. Changed circuit breaker and switch. No help.
Finally was advised to get a SWITCH FOR LED DIMMABLE BULBS.
Problem solved.

[dewilson58]

For the past few months when we put on lights in the kitchen they flicker for about 20 seconds and than they are fine. There are 4 lights going on and they are all doing this.

Any idea why this should be happening and what to do about it?

Does not happen anywhere else in our house so scratching my head about this.

Try not drinking for 48 hours and see if it goes away.

[garytoh]

Happened to me, I replaced the original dimmer switch with a new high quality one. Problem solved.

[villagetinker]

I changed the first bulb and the problem went away,

Thank you for getting back to me, I have seen interactions between LED bulbs and dimmers a few times.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The lights in our kitchen are fluorescent. There's definitely a wiring problem on one of them, sometimes it'll light, sometimes it won't. Sometimes I'll have the lights turned on, that one will be dark, and 20 minutes later all of a sudden it'll light up. And sometimes it'll light up when I flick the switch, and 20 minutes later it goes dark again. We already replaced the bulb so it's obvious that the problem is with a loose wire somewhere. We'll just live with it, the other bulbs light up the kitchen nicely and when that one fires up it's just a bonus.

[Whitley]

Try not drinking for 48 hours and see if it goes away.

Ummm, never mind. I can live with the flickering.

[wamley]

Sounds like something has to warm up a bit. Low voltage transformer possible.

[mntlblok]

What is a "vole". Was that a typo?

No doubt the Blue Tongued Mango Vole

[Vermilion Villager]

For the past few months when we put on lights in the kitchen they flicker for about 20 seconds and than they are fine. There are 4 lights going on and they are all doing this.

Any idea why this should be happening and what to do about it?

Does not happen anywhere else in our house so scratching my head about this.
This is what happens to LED lights when they start to fail. Unfortunately with the rise in the popularity of LED lighting a lot of cheaply made ones have made their way into our homes, with most coming from China. Given the high initial cost that is no longer offset by the longer lifespan I'm almost considering going back to standard lightbulbs.:mornincoffee:

[pikeselectric]

Hey there Stu, Casandra with Pike's Electric here. I see a few people have recommended you to check the light bulbs first. :agree: If they are incandescent or LED, a flickering issue can come from old bulbs needing changed. OR if you have recently changed the bulbs with new, if the lights are on a dimmer, the dimmer could be having compatibility issues with the bulbs installed. A few things that you can trial on your own first. If it continues - We would be happy to help. Give us a ring if so (352) 748-6251. Have a great day!

[villagetinker]

The lights in our kitchen are fluorescent. There's definitely a wiring problem on one of them, sometimes it'll light, sometimes it won't. Sometimes I'll have the lights turned on, that one will be dark, and 20 minutes later all of a sudden it'll light up. And sometimes it'll light up when I flick the switch, and 20 minutes later it goes dark again. We already replaced the bulb so it's obvious that the problem is with a loose wire somewhere. We'll just live with it, the other bulbs light up the kitchen nicely and when that one fires up it's just a bonus.

If these are the older fluorescent lights, they typically have a "starter" and these do tend to fail, also the fluorescent tubes start to fail slowly, so you may not have a wiring problem as it may just be a tube or starter.
One word of caution, I have no experience with the new LED replacement tubes, but a couple of neighbors did have problems trying to do this. The other option is to just replace the entire fixture with a new LED type.

[pikeselectric]

If these are the older fluorescent lights, they typically have a "starter" and these do tend to fail, also the fluorescent tubes start to fail slowly, so you may not have a wiring problem as it may just be a tube or starter.
One word of caution, I have no experience with the new LED replacement tubes, but a couple of neighbors did have problems trying to do this. The other option is to just replace the entire fixture with a new LED type.

Hi there! Most fluorescent fixtures have an internal ballast - Could be described as the starter which powers the fluorescent tubes. Replacing the bulbs and still having the power issue could indicate an internal ballast failure. We recommend installing LED ballast-bypass tubes, wired in by a licensed electrician, to the existing fixture. This way, you do not have to replace the entire fixture. Otherwise, yes, LED integrated fixtures or a new style-flush mounted light can replace the existing. Then changing bulbs are a thing of the past! LED integrated fixtures have a better life expectancy in most cases over the old-style fluorescents. Have a great Thursday to all! - Casandra from Pike's Electric

[DonnaNi4os]

Vole Identification, Habits & Behavior | Florida Pest Control (https://www.flapest.com/pest-info/nuisance-wildlife/vole/)

I never know there was since a rodent in Florida


I seriously thought it was a typo. Thanks for the info. I love to learn something new everyday.

[rsmurano]

We have this in our new house on 3 circuits, all with led lights and dimmers. The lights can flicker when you initially turn the lights on. Have had galaxy out a few times and they made some adjustments internally in the dimmer switches and it still flickers only at startup, it has been cut down by quite a bit after they made these changes. I think the issue will be solved when I change out the bulbs

[pikeselectric]

Hi rsmurano, Definitely consider the bulbs/compatibility to the dimmer. The standard grade LED dimmer installed at construction has its limitations however we suggest a Lutron DVCL dimmer for aftermarket service installations. Let us know if we can help, - Casandra from Pike's Electric

[villagetinker]

We have this in our new house on 3 circuits, all with led lights and dimmers. The lights can flicker when you initially turn the lights on. Have had galaxy out a few times and they made some adjustments internally in the dimmer switches and it still flickers only at startup, it has been cut down by quite a bit after they made these changes. I think the issue will be solved when I change out the bulbs

Make sure the new bulbs are labeled "DIMMABLE", you will pay a couple of dollars more but these are well worth it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If these are the older fluorescent lights, they typically have a "starter" and these do tend to fail, also the fluorescent tubes start to fail slowly, so you may not have a wiring problem as it may just be a tube or starter.
One word of caution, I have no experience with the new LED replacement tubes, but a couple of neighbors did have problems trying to do this. The other option is to just replace the entire fixture with a new LED type.

Yeah definitely not the tube (I mistakenly called it a bulb). We replaced it over a year ago when we noticed one day that it actually lit up. We didn't notice, for the past two years, that it did -not- light up. The lighting sort of wraps around the kitchen area in a U shape so it gets pretty bright in there even with the broken side. Then one day it was like "woah - it's so bright in here all of a sudden!" and that's when we realized we'd been living without 1/3 of our kitchen lighting for the past two years.

It still does that. Usually it doesn't illuminate. But once in awhile it will.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

One word of caution, I have no experience with the new LED replacement tubes, but a couple of neighbors did have problems trying to do this.

I have done a couple of conversions with LED replacement tubes, very simple and easy to do if you have done any simple wiring projects. .

[villagetinker]

I have done a couple of conversions with LED replacement tubes, very simple and easy to do if you have done any simple wiring projects. .

Let me clarify, a couple of the neighbors tried these, and there was some compatibility problem, the LED lamps would NOT work in their fixtures. Per the instructions (as i recall) these were remove old and replace with new, no wiring changes.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I have done a couple of conversions with LED replacement tubes, very simple and easy to do if you have done any simple wiring projects. .

Heh - the previous owner was big into DIY and screwed up a LOT of things that we had to fix. I'm afraid if we try tinkering with the wiring in the kitchen ceiling we'll end up with an expensive renovation job.

[Stu from NYC]

We started with bulbs how did tubes enter into the discussion?

In any case today with lower afternoon temp no flickering.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We started with bulbs how did tubes enter into the discussion?

In any case today with lower afternoon temp no flickering.

Because fluorescent lights flicker, and this is about kitchen lights, and I have kitchen lights, and some of them flicker. This is a thread about flickering kitchen lights.

[Ross]

Switch must be rated for led/incandescent.

[Stu from NYC]

Realized that lights are controlled by two switches. Will watch to see if flickering occurs on one outlet.

[darkim]

For the past few months when we put on lights in the kitchen they flicker for about 20 seconds and than they are fine. There are 4 lights going on and they are all doing this.

Any idea why this should be happening and what to do about it?

Does not happen anywhere else in our house so scratching my head about this.

Is this happening on a new home? I needed to replace all the bulbs in both bathrooms since the bulbs were a low quality and began flickering after about 2-months. Change the bulbs and you'll be fine

[BobnBev]

My electrician installed 5 LED lights in the kitchen, said that a dimmer is just fine. So be it.

[tophcfa]

All these flickering lights sounds like an episode of Stranger Things. Is there an upside down Villages?

[mraines]

Try changing the light bulbs, I am assuming these are LED type, and I have seen strange operation when they are starting to fail. I would change all four bulbs and see if the problem is eliminated. Next would be changing the dimmer, once again I have seen strange operation with these. Double check that all wires are tight on the dimmer. The last item may require an electrician to check the wiring connection in the first light in the string of lights as i have seen intermittent operation that clears up when the connection heats up.
Does this happen all the time, at all times of the day? Are there any other electronic controls on these lights (Alexa, Apple,Ring, etc.)? Are all the lights the same, all LED or all incandescent?
Not all bulbs can be used with dimmers. Make sure you have the correct bulbs. I am also having this problem in a spare room but I will be calling an electrician if the bulb change does not correct the problem.

[mraines]

All these flickering lights sounds like an episode of Stranger Things. Is there an upside down Villages?
The Villages is upside down.

[Vladimir]

Happened to me, I replaced the original dimmer switch with a new high quality one. Problem solved.

Where and what type dimmer switch did you get?

I had to change to LED bulbs in the kitchen overhead canister lights (since you cant get incandescent lights anymore). I then started having intermittent flickering once in a while only when opening refrigerator door or the oven or toaster oven cycles with the heating element.

I changed the dimmer switches to LED compatible ones which I obtained from ACE and Anixter supply house. I believe Lucent types and "LEV LED/CFL slides". ??
I also purchased expensive high quality LED no flicker Philips Ultra Definition Dimmable BR30 bulbs.

Guess what? Still get occasional flickering.

An electrician told me that LED's are highly sensitive to the electrical waves or fields or something like that which is why when an electrical appliance powers on or off it gives off interference...who knows?? I was also told that the new houses south of RT 44 have the same issues.

I guess I have to live with this not ready to market new LED technology>

[jrref]

What confuses me is this flickering only happens around dinner time, and apparently started when we got daily temps in the 90.s.

Also how is it possible all four bulbs need replacement at one time?

Some LED bulbs are sensitive to temperature and are not rated for enclosed fixtures. I've also seen this before and if all the wiring and the dimmer is fine then it's the bulbs. The fact that its happening in the afternoon is because the attic is probably at it's hottest at that time of day.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Thought of that but if so would think others would be complaining about the flickering. Lets hope for some cooler days and see what happens than.

Take a look at this graph about the heat index consecutive days and you might find your answer there. . especially since the event you are noticing coincides with very high energy demand from the entire grid. .

Data source: Miami weather from
Brian McNoldy
Senior Research Associate at the Univ. of Miami Rosenstiel School. Hurricanes, climatology, & sea level rise... mostly.

[Keefelane66]

Take a look at this graph about the heat index consecutive days and you might find your answer there. . especially since the event you are noticing coincides with very high energy demand from the entire grid. .

Data source: Miami weather from
Brian McNoldy
Senior Research Associate at the Univ. of Miami Rosenstiel School. Hurricanes, climatology, & sea level rise... mostly.
Last I heard were in a 7 years cooling trend

[Stu from NYC]

Take a look at this graph about the heat index consecutive days and you might find your answer there. . especially since the event you are noticing coincides with very high energy demand from the entire grid. .

Data source: Miami weather from
Brian McNoldy
Senior Research Associate at the Univ. of Miami Rosenstiel School. Hurricanes, climatology, & sea level rise... mostly.

Hmm I see a chart but what am I missing?

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Hmm I see a chart but what am I missing?

high heat and high consecutive days of heat creates huge demand for cooling and power. Could validate your observation that the flickering is due to high heat and ergo power consumption near the limits of the supply provided.

[Stu from NYC]

high heat and high consecutive days of heat creates huge demand for cooling and power. Could validate your observation that the flickering is due to high heat and ergo power consumption near the limits of the supply provided.

If we are close to limit and they cut voltage thinking others would have noticed. Does seem to happen only when we are in the mid 90's.

If utility was close to limit would think they would ask people to voluntarily cut back on power usage.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

If we are close to limit and they cut voltage thinking others would have noticed. Does seem to happen only when we are in the mid 90's.

If utility was close to limit would think they would ask people to voluntarily cut back on power usage.

They don't cut voltage, there is just so much usage that the voltage drops slightly and the LEDS are sensitive to that drop. Happens up here in MA occasionally and my UPS starts beeping. These are just the ups and downs of heavy usage when its very hot

Voluntary cut backs is when there are known issues. . .

[Stu from NYC]

Just back from a cruise to the north pole. (Well not quite but pretty close) and met an electrician who was very knowledgeable about our problem with the flickering lights in the late afternoon.

For those of you who said it was an LED bulb or two causing this give yourselves a pat on the back. Apparently it is the electronics in led bulbs.

Changed three bulbs and problem has gone away. Would have changed the other two but that was all the dimable bulbs we had.

Thank all for your suggestions.

[fishon]

Wow, replacing the bulbs worked. A contractor visit and four pages wasted.

[Dusty_Star]

Just back from a cruise to the north pole. (Well not quite but pretty close) and met an electrician who was very knowledgeable about our problem with the flickering lights in the late afternoon.

For those of you who said it was an LED bulb or two causing this give yourselves a pat on the back. Apparently it is the electronics in led bulbs.

Changed three bulbs and problem has gone away. Would have changed the other two but that was all the dimable bulbs we had.

Thank all for your suggestions.

Thanks for updating your thread with the solution. I wish everyone would remember to do the same.

[Stu from NYC]

Thanks for updating your thread with the solution. I wish everyone would remember to do the same.

Thanks, since we got several valid suggestions thought it best to report on the outcome.

[patfla06]

I had the same problem with a lamp.
I don’t think those LED bulbs last as long as they claim they do.

[Stu from NYC]

I had the same problem with a lamp.
I don’t think those LED bulbs last as long as they claim they do.

I agree 100%.

[Altavia]

I had the same problem with a lamp.
I don’t think those LED bulbs last as long as they claim they do.

The LED lights with the simulated filaments installed during construction look nice but have sorry lifespans relative to other LED bulb designs.