From charging your electronics to keeping the temperature where you want it, your home runs on electricity.
That’s why it’s frustrating when electricity doesn’t work as expected.
Lights flickering after their air conditioner or heater starts can cause homeowners stress. Does dimming or flickering lights at the start of HVAC cycles indicate a serious electrical problem? It varies. When your HVAC starts, you may notice a dimming that lasts a fraction of a second. Your home has a regulated amount of electricity it can use at any given time. You need a lot of electricity to start large appliances, like your HVAC system. Those appliances use more electricity when they are on. Your other appliances in your home, like your lights, won’t have as much power. If this is the only issue, your lights should dim for less than a second and quickly return to full brightness. Flickering lights may indicate a more serious problem. Don’t investigate yourself. It could be dangerous. If your lights continue to flicker, dim significantly, or trip the circuit breaker, contact a professional. When there isn’t enough power to support all appliances in your home, there will be normal flickering. A wiring issue could be the cause of flickering lights when you start your HVAC system. The effect of dimming is enough to make you notice a small, brief change. There may be something wrong with the outdoor compressor on your air conditioner if your lights suddenly dim. Your home’s electrical system relies on circuit breakers. When they trip and shut off power to a part of your space, they are protecting you from a problem with your circuit.