Why Do Your Lights Flicker When Your AC Unit Turns On?

When the air conditioner kicks on, it’s more than just an annoyance when the lights dim. It could mean that your air conditioner isn’t getting enough electricity, that something is wrong with the electrical connection, or both. Your air conditioner’s lifespan may be shortened if it is subjected to insufficient voltage during startup.

If the power draw is too great, it could potentially harm home devices that are susceptible to voltage drops caused by the air conditioner. You must take preventative measures if this is happening in your house.

Get in touch with https://www.socool.sg/ to have one of the licensed technicians like mitshubishi aircon Singapore visit your home for an in-person evaluation and repair. Don’t ever do any form of electrical work on your own. It’s not only unsafe, but it could also damage your AC and your house in other ways.

When I Turn On The Air Conditioning, Why Do The Lights Go Out?

When first turned on, air conditioners use the most electricity. Your air conditioner’s condenser contains a particular capacitor that takes and saves electrical power to make sure the system has sufficient power to get going. This prevents the air conditioner from overloading the circuit.

The simple answer to the article’s central topic is that it is usual for the lights to dim momentarily when the air conditioner is turned on. The power drain is so significant that even with a working capacitor, the lights will probably only dim for a fraction of a second. It’s possible to miss this entirely if you aren’t paying attention.

This “dimming” actually indicates that the air conditioner is struggling to get started and needs more power. During the split second it takes to turn on, less power is distributed to your home’s lights and appliances. Nothing bad will happen to your devices, but you may notice a slight dimming of the lights when the air conditioner kicks on.

Reasons for Light Flickering Often:

  • Wires That Are Loose Or Broken:

Damaged or loose wires could be at blame if your air conditioner causes your lights to flicker on and off frequently. Your lightbulb probably isn’t getting enough power because of this damage, which could be anything from discolored wiring to burnt wires.

Because of the temporary dip in voltage that occurs whenever an air conditioner is turned on, your lights may dim or flicker more than usual. Calling a professional AC repair agency is a good idea if you have any reason to believe that the wiring in your home has been damaged.

  • Faulty Or Insufficient Capacitor:

When your air conditioner kicks on, a 3-5% dimming of your lights is perfectly normal. However, if your lights dim by over half when the HVAC kicks on, a defective or weak capacitor is likely at blame. A capacitor supplies the necessary kick-start energy for your compressor’s motor.

Capacitors degrade with time, and when that happens, your air conditioner needs more voltage from other appliances to kick on. This significantly reduces the brightness of your light bulbs. Call an HVAC technician to inspect your capacitor and get it replaced if you find that your lights are dimming more than you consider to be normal.

  • Circuit Overload:

If your lights fade or go out entirely when the air conditioner kicks on, or if you hear a crackling or sizzling sound, you may have an overloaded circuit. In order for your air conditioner to work properly and safely, it needs to be plugged into a separate circuit. It’s possible that your air conditioner is malfunctioning due to an overloaded circuit.

This occurs frequently in older homes since they were not built to accommodate central air conditioning. Overloading a circuit poses risks of fire and electrical shock. If you think your circuit is overloaded, turn off all of the devices that share that circuit with your air conditioner right away.

After that, have a professional come out to evaluate your home’s electrical system and provide a remedy that won’t cause an overload on your circuit breakers if your air conditioner breaks down again.

Can A Fire Be Started By Lights That Flicker?

Due to the short duration of the phenomena, it is highly unlikely the the lights will start a fire. However, the possibility of a fire due to the flickering lights remains. For this to occur, one of three things must be true: (a) the bulb must be very hot; (b) an electric current must be flowing through the light’s filament; or (c) an object must be very near to the light source.

The filament would rapidly heat up and start a fire if an electric current were to flow through it. Paper or wood that was close to the light could also have caught fire. Although fires caused by flashing lights are possible, they are uncommon.

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This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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