Why do only some of my house lights flicker?

I had this problem. It was caused by a bad spot where the breaker for that circuit contacted the "rail" in the box. This was a lighting circuit and it affected all the lights on that circuit.

If it happens at just one outlet, it's that outlet, OR it's the wiring in the next "upstream" (closer to the breaker box) outlet on the circuit.

Sorry but this is in the category of "if you have to ask, you shouldn't do it yourself." I'm a DIY-er and believe me, I *hate* saying that, but you could kill yourself or burn your house down if you do it wrong.

Before calling an electrician, double check ALL the outlets to be sure the problem isn't at other outlets too. Figure out which circuit the outlet is on, figure out which other outlets are on that circuit, and check them in particular.

Do not plug your laptop or any other sensitive electronics into the affected outlet(s) until it's fixed. You're subjecting them to very irregular voltage. (Although, any damage would most likely be confined to the power adapter.)

Assuming the water heater is electrical powered, and the heater is the two electric powered or has an electric powered blower, that is to be envisioned that lighting fixtures will dim fairly whilst those products turn on. inspite of the incontrovertible fact that, if the lighting fixtures fixtures are flickering thoroughly off, or in the event that they are flickering randomly at the same time as those different instruments are using electrical energy, then it must be a extra significant issue with the wiring. If it occurs everywhere in the domicile, examine with your pals, to work out in the event that they are seeing an identical problem. if so, it must be further out out of your place. If that is constrained to in basic terms one room, examine the easy bulb, the socket, and the change (wiggle it, circulate the lever in direction of the off place a sprint, etc). If those efforts do no longer exchange the symptom, you need to get an electrician to envision the connections at the back of the curtain, because it sounds such as you will have a bad connection. notice that undesirable connections are a ways worse that short-circuits. Shorts will holiday the breaker, undesirable connections in basic terms get warm as hell, and would ignite interior of reach flammable substances (that is why all connections must be encased in an authorized electric powered field.

You need the skills and knowledge of an electrician to find the problem. If you don't know yourself, the electrician will.

What you could do is kill the circuit at the breaker panel, and check all the outlets and switches on it for loose connections, and tighten them. If that is beyong your capabilities, that is what you pay the electrician for.

If you've ever worked on house electricity, put on some heavy duty gloves and open that socket and tighten up the wires on it. Otherwise hire an electrician and pay the $300 instead of waiting for a house fire to take away all your options.

Probably bad wiring. Well how old is you house's wiring? First of all, find relatives or friends that can do that. Thats what I do usually. Hope that helps. (probably not):