What causes a lamp to flicker?
Many things can cause the light bulb in a table lamp to flicker: • Loose bulb(s). 🙂 • Squashed center contact in socket. With the plug pulled or power off, use a small flat blade screwdriver of similar tool to gently bend the center metal piece so it is raised from the base (at about a 20 or 30 degree angle). Then, DON’T tighten the bulbs down all the way – just so they are a snug fit in the socket. • Bad switch. These do wear out particularly if multiple high wattage bulbs are being used. If gently jiggling the switch results in flickering this is the most likely cause. • Bad connections. These could be anywhere but the most likely locations (where only a single lamp is involved) would be either at the screw terminals on the switch or from a plug that isn’t making secure contact in the outlet – check it. • Voltage fluctuations. Occasional flickering when high wattage appliances kick in is not unusual especially if they are on the same branch circuit but could also be a symptom of ot
