Stop first if
- Some lights get brighter while others get dimmer.Keep sensitive gear off if that can be done without risk, and call a licensed electrician now.
- A burning odor comes with the flicker.Leave the area, call emergency services and make no resets.
01
Ask on the call
5Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.
- What starts at the moment the lights dip?
- Is it one room, one circuit or the whole house?
- Do any lights ever get brighter than normal?
- Has any large equipment been added lately?
- Is the affected area far from the panel, such as a garage or outbuilding?
02
Bring
5- Rated multimeter
- True-RMS clamp meter
- Plug-in receptacle tester
- Flashlight
- Phone for photos
03
Check on site
6- Note what starts at each dip. A brief dip at motor start points toward normal inrush.
- Note whether the dip reaches one room, one circuit or the whole house.
- A qualified person reads each leg to neutral through a load swing. Line-to-line alone can hide a neutral problem.
- A qualified person reads voltage at the panel and at the load at the same moments.
- Note long or undersized runs. Voltage drop grows with current and resistance.
- Treat overload signs as a screen only. A load calculation by a licensed electrician answers the question.
04
Keep on the record
4- What started at each dip, with the time
- Voltage at panel and load at the same moments
- Each leg to neutral during the load swing
- Size and rough length of the affected run
General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.