Lighting Repair in Miami: Flickering Lights, Switches and Dimmers

Licensed electrical contractor EC13012832

When Lights Flicker, Fail or Won't Switch

Flickering lights: one fixture or many?

The first question is how far the flicker reaches. If one fixture flickers, the cause is usually close by: a bulb, the fixture's socket or wiring, the switch, or a dimmer that does not suit the bulbs. These are ordinary repairs.

If lights flicker in several rooms, or dim when a large appliance starts, the cause is further upstream: a loose connection on a shared circuit, at the panel, or in the service coming into the house. Widespread flicker, especially with lights getting brighter as well as dimmer, can mean a lost neutral, and it should be checked promptly. See partial power outages for the related warning signs.

LED bulbs and dimmers

A great deal of modern flicker comes from pairing LED bulbs with dimmers designed for incandescent bulbs. The result is flicker at low settings, buzzing, lights that will not dim smoothly, or lights that never fully switch off. The fix is a dimmer rated for the LEDs in use, or LED bulbs labeled as dimmable and compatible with the control, and sometimes adjusting the dimmer's low-end setting.

A dimmer that is slightly warm is normal. One that is hot, buzzes loudly or smells should be replaced.

Light switches that fail

Switches wear out. Common signs are a switch that has to be held or jiggled, a light that works only sometimes, crackling when you flip it, or a switch plate that feels warm. Three-way and four-way switches, where one light is controlled from two or more places, add more connections and more ways to fail, and a miswired replacement is a frequent cause of lights that only work from one location. We trace the switching, replace the failed device and leave every location working.

Recessed lights that cut out

Older recessed cans have a thermal protector that switches the light off when it gets too hot and back on when it cools. If a recessed light goes off after a while and comes back later, the protector is doing its job: the bulb may be too high a wattage, insulation may be packed around the can, or the fixture may be failing. Replacing the bulb with the right LED often solves it; sometimes the better answer is an LED retrofit or a new fixture rated for contact with insulation.

Exterior and landscape lighting

Outdoor lighting deals with sun, rain, irrigation and salt air. Typical problems are a tripped GFCI on the exterior circuit, a failed photocell or timer, a low-voltage transformer that has died, corroded connections, and buried cable cut during landscaping. We test the whole run, from the circuit to the transformer to each fixture, and repair what failed rather than replacing the system.

If repairs no longer make sense, or you want more or different lighting, our lighting installation page covers interior, exterior and landscape lighting and LED upgrades.

A fixture that stopped working

When a light stops working and a new bulb does not help, the cause is usually the switch, the fixture's socket or internal wiring, or a loose connection in the box above it. Ceiling fan lights add a pull chain, a light kit and sometimes a remote receiver, each of which can fail.

We test at the switch and at the fixture to see where power stops, then repair or replace the failed part. If the fixture is old, damaged by heat or simply not worth repairing, we can replace it with a fixture you choose. Ceiling fans have their own page: ceiling fan installation.

What to note before the visit

Tell us which lights are affected, whether they share a switch or a room, whether the problem comes and goes, and whether it changes when large appliances or the air conditioning start. For outdoor lighting, note whether it fails after rain or irrigation. Those details often point us to the cause before we arrive.

Same-day service in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, South Miami and Miami Beach

KRW Electric offers same-day service for lighting troubleshooting and repair in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, South Miami and Miami Beach when scheduling permits. Call (305) 359-7312 and describe what is happening: which rooms or devices are affected, when it started, and whether you have noticed heat, a smell or any sound. That description usually tells us how urgent it is and what to bring.

If a same-day slot is not available, we tell you so on the call and give you the earliest time we have, along with what is safe to leave until then. If something you describe sounds dangerous, we will say that plainly too, and our emergency electrician page explains what counts as an emergency.

What customers say

“Kyle was amazingly responsive, came the same day to give a quote and then fixed the issue the following day. So happy to have found him!”

Nicole S., Google review

“Very professional, gave us a quote on the day of our appointment and fixed the issue same day.”

Allan P., Google review

“Called them to take a look at an issue we were having. Very professional, quick, and courteous. Most importantly honest and reasonable!”

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