Why Do My House Lights Blink?

Central air conditioning and heat pump condensers may cause a noticeable slight dimming when they start. Lights may flicker or dim due to startup of some appliances or motor driven equipment.  A slight flicker or very brief dimming that corresponds to appliances turning on (or stormy weather) can be normal, but if it has become more pronounced, the causes could be numerous.  For example, flickering lights could be caused by:

• loose wire connections
• poor electrical supply to the house
• not enough amps running to the house
• poor grounding
• overloaded circuits
• animals such as birds and squirrels on the line
• trees growing into the lines
• transformer malfunctions

Jackson Purchase Energy coordinated a team to research the frequency and causes of blinks experienced by its members.  During the second week of January 2012, the eight-member team devoted 100% of their time for the entire week to address blinks, their many causes, and what JPEC would do to minimize the blink count.

Many benefits have already been experienced.  We have located issues in the field, tracked them down, and addressed them before they caused further problems for our customers.  This is one more example of JPEC proactively addressing our members’ concerns.