Why Do My New Fluorescent Lights Seem to Flicker?

Cold Bulbs

• Fluorescent bulbs contain gases that produce light when electricity is run through them. The electricity has a harder time traveling through the gases when temperatures are below 50 degrees F, according to the Nemesis Lonestar website. If the air around your new fluorescent lights is cold, they will begin to flicker slightly. The colder the air temperatures, the more pronounced the flickering will be. Most lights warm up enough to stop flickering after a few minutes, but for lights used outdoors or in unheated buildings, plastic insulating sleeves will stop the problem.

Voltage Problems

• Light fixtures that use fluorescent bulbs require a ballast, which is a small device that manages the electricity flowing through the bulb, according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. When a fixture is plugged in an AC outlet in the home and something causes the voltage to fall temporarily, the ballast can't supply the bulb with enough electricity. This causes the bulb to flicker slightly. A malfunctioning ballast will also cause flickering from inappropriate voltage distribution.

Slow Cycles

• Fluorescent bulbs off all kinds, including compact fluorescent, refresh at a specific rate. This refers to the electricity within the bulb turning on and off rapidly to excite the gas. Long tube fluorescent lights, especially cheap or older models with magnetic ballasts, refresh at a rate of 60 hertz, according to the "Scientific American." The human eye can detect the refreshing pattern at that speed and will see it as a slight flicker. Newer bulbs refresh over 10,000 times per second and have no detectable flicker in most environments.

Improper Installation

• The bulbs in long tube fluorescent light fixtures, like shop lights, connect to the fixture with a number of small metal pins. These pins transmit the electricity the light needs to shine. If you don't align the pins correctly when installing a new bulb, or the fixture or pins are damaged and don't connect properly, the light will flicker, according to the Lighting Supply Company. Installing a bulb with a different wattage than the fixture is rated for also causes visible flickering problems.