Lights Not Working or Flickering: What It Can Mean
One light has gone dead and a new bulb has not fixed it? A whole floor of lights has gone off, the lights trip the fuse box, or they keep flickering? This guide explains what each of those can point to, which checks are safe to make yourself, and when it needs an electrician.
Send a short message and a photo of the light and the fuse box to start.
Why lights stop working
Lights are fed from the fuse box on lighting circuits. What has stopped, and what still works, says a lot about where the problem is.
One light is out. If a new bulb of the right type does not bring it back, the fault may be in the fitting, the switch or the connections to it.
Several lights are off at once. When a group of lights goes off together, the lighting circuit has often switched off at the fuse box, or there is a fault somewhere on that circuit.
The lights trip the fuse box. A breaker or RCD that keeps switching the lights off is reacting to something. Electrical Safety First says a tripping RCD is likely to point to a fault that needs investigating, either with an appliance or the wiring itself.
The lights flicker or bulbs keep blowing. Electrical Safety First says flickering lights should not be ignored, because they can be a sign that the electrical installation needs to be inspected.
Safe checks before you call
Try a bulb you know works, of the type the fitting takes. If the light still does not come on, the bulb was not the problem.
Check what else has stopped. One light, one room or several rooms? Note it down, because it helps narrow down where the fault is.
Check the fuse box. If the lighting breaker or the RCD has tripped, the RCD keeps tripping guide explains when one reset is reasonable and when to leave it off.
Do not take a fitting or switch apart. Behind them are mains connections. Leave anything inside a fitting, switch or ceiling rose to an electrician.
Leave it switched off if a fitting or switch smells of burning, shows scorch marks, buzzes or crackles. The burning smell guide explains what heat and scorch marks can mean.
These checks follow guidance from Electrical Safety First.
When it needs an electrician
If a new bulb has not fixed it, the lights keep tripping, a whole circuit stays off after one reset, or anything flickers, buzzes or smells hot, it needs an electrician. Electrical Safety First advises contacting a competent registered electrician to investigate suspected electrical faults such as flickering lights.
How a fault is traced and put right is explained under fault finding and repairs. If the fitting itself needs replacing, lighting installation covers new and replacement fittings.
Lighting faults AJS has fixed
Eleven AJS jobs reviewed on Checkatrade involved lights that had stopped working, a faulty or broken fitting, or lights that kept tripping the fuse box. They include a landing light, three bathroom ceiling lights after a loss of power, and an old lighting circuit that kept tripping and turned out to need rewiring.
Every review here is copied word for word from Checkatrade. You can read the full list on Checkatrade and Google.
A landing light
“Fantastic work. Explained every process. Professional. Tidy. Reliable and reasonable. Definitely recommended.”
Checkatrade review, landing light not working, KT20
Lights that had stopped working
“Good quick response to call. Fast diagnosis of fault and repairs.. also manganged to to fit some light fittings. Kept up-to-date and explained work carried out tidy and punctual happy with work carried out”
Checkatrade review, diagnosis of lights not working and fitting of lights and switches
Common questions
One light has stopped but the others work. Why?
If a new bulb has not fixed it, the fault is likely to be local to that light: the fitting, the switch or the connections to it. It still needs an electrician to find it.
Why have several lights gone off at once?
Usually because the lighting circuit has switched off at the fuse box, or there is a fault on that circuit. If it trips again after one reset, leave it off and get it checked.
Are flickering lights dangerous?
Not always, but they should not be ignored. Electrical Safety First says flickering lights can be a sign that the electrical installation needs to be inspected.
Is a dead light an emergency?
Not usually. If there is a burning smell, scorch marks or water getting into a fitting, switch it off at the fuse box. For anything urgent, the emergency electrician page explains how a call-out works.
What should i send?
A photo of the light or switch and the fuse box, with a note of what has stopped and what still works.
Lights stopped working?
Send a photo of the light and the fuse box on WhatsApp with a note of what has stopped, or call. It is the same process whichever of the electrical services available you need.