There are a few reasons why your porch light might blink all the time. Usually, it comes down to a faulty light bulb or wiring. Replacing the broken part helps. You may also have the wrong type of bulb or a loose connection.
If your light is blinking, you’ll want to correct the issue as soon as possible.
Many people believe a flashing porch light to be a distress signal, so your neighbors may come to check on you.
Luckily, blinking porch lights are usually easy to fix.
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Why is My Porch Light Blinking?
There are a few reasons why your porch lights won’t stop flickering.
You just need to change the bulb out for a new one most of the time. However, faulty wiring could also cause the problem.
Here’s everything that could cause the problem:
The Bulb is Worn Out
First of all, it’s mostly likely to be a worn-out lightbulb.
You might also hear it buzzing as it flickers, or the light might become very dim.
If you’re going to replace your bulb, you’ll want to use a new one that has between 40 and 80 watts.
These bulbs produce a perfect brightness for lighting up your porch during the night. Most people prefer to use ones closer to 40 watts outdoors.
Overall – Check the bulb first! You won’t need to check the wiring if only the lightbulb has gone bad. If you don’t check the bulb, you might needlessly meddle with your wiring.
There’s Faulty Wiring
This issue is a little more complicated to fix.
A loose outlet or light switch can cause flickering lights because they connect with the electrical system.
Before checking your wiring, make sure that you turn off the power, so you don’t shock yourself.
If you’re unfamiliar with wiring, you should ask a professional electrician to stop by. They’ll be able to fix the problem for you immediately, and you don’t have to touch the wires.
You can fix loose wiring by tightening the wire that goes into the bulb socket. You’ll need to press the parts of the wire together to connect them.
The Bulb is Loose
It’s also possible that your porch bulb is loose.
When the bulb isn’t against the base, it opens the electrical circuit slightly, causing flickering due to the bad connection.
A loose bulb could be the culprit if your porch light flickers while you have the switch off.
You need to screw the bulb in tighter to correct this problem. You’ll want to check for a loose bulb when you inspect your lightbulb.
Often, tightening is all you need to do to make the flickering stop.
There’s an Overloaded Circuit
Your porch light might be on an overloaded circuit.
If you have too many items connected to that circuit, the lights can flicker because they can’t draw enough power to stay on.
This problem tends to happen more frequently in older homes.
You’ll need to contact a pro immediately if you suspect that this is the problem.
Electricians can add more outlets or rewire circuits to make your home safer.
You Have the Wrong Bulb
If you have a bulb using a higher wattage than what the porch fixture can support, it could overheat and flicker.
Using the wrong light bulb can also cause fires, so you’ll want to make sure you remove it right away.
You want to check that you’re putting the right bulb in the socket before turning on the light.
Any wattage under 60 is good for most porch lights most of the time.
The Socket is Faulty
Lastly, you may need to check that you don’t have a faulty socket on your hands.
A faulty socket can cause flickering, but they’re dangerous- you won’t want to fix them alone.
If your home is old, it’s likely that it also has old sockets. You may need to replace them before your porch light can return to working normally again.
Overall, there are many reasons your porch light can flicker constantly. It could even be a combination of all the above reasons.
If you can’t determine the problem, you should contact an electrician for help. Some electrical problems can be very dangerous to you.
Is It Bad For a Porch Light To Blink All the Time?
You shouldn’t ignore flickering lights!
They can be a sign that something’s wrong with the bulb or wiring. Electrical issues can be fire hazards, so you never want to leave them unaddressed for very long.
If you can’t take care of the problem right away, you should shut off the power to the porch light.
While the blinking might seem harmless, it could mean something bad will happen with your electricity.
Plus, flickering porch lights also mean that there’s an emergency occurring at that address- your neighbors might keep coming by until you’ve fixed the problem!
You wouldn’t want to have an emergency later on, and your neighbors think that it’s just your lights flickering again.
In Short – While it might be bad for the lights to blink, this means that something else is going wrong with your power. You won’t want to leave problems like these because they can quickly become fire and electrocution hazards for you and your family.
Can Bad Weather Cause Flickering Porch Lights?
Bad weather can also cause your lights to flicker.
In some cases, your porch lights might flicker more than the other lights inside your home.
High winds can cause problems with power lines, leading to issues with lights at home.
You won’t need to do anything for the lights to return to normal most of the time.
If the storm causes the problem, you’ll likely notice that other people on your block have the same thing happen to their porch lights.
Overall, if there’s a storm outside, that could be the cause.
When the storm ends, you should check on your porch lights. If they’re still flickering, you’ll need to find the true root of the problem.
Final Thoughts
Usually, it comes down to a faulty light bulb or wiring. Replacing the broken part helps. You may also have the wrong type of bulb or a loose connection.
Electrical issues can be fire hazards, so you never want to leave them unaddressed for very long.
So, If your light is blinking, you’ll want to correct the issue as soon as possible.
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