How to Troubleshoot Automatic Timer Lighting That Is Flickering

Automatic timers aren't just handy devices; they're important for your family's security and safety at home, and for the security of your home itself when you are away. Automatic timer lighting is ideal for illuminating your surroundings as daylight turns to shadows, reducing falls and injuries; and it can serve as a theft deterrent: If a burglar thinks your home is occupied because lights come on or go off, he is less likely to bother entering it.

Automatic timers are useful for powering on Christmas lights, patio lanterns and other outdoor fixtures at set times each day. Many people apply automatic timer lights to come on shortly before they arrive home from work in the evenings so they don't have to enter a dark house from a dark driveway.

If the lighting that's routed through your automatic timer is flickering, troubleshoot to diagnose and potentially remedy the problem.

Flat-head screwdriver or wire pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the wiring on the automatic timer light to ensure it is not worn or damaged in any way. If so, it is best to replace the timer since a replacement is relatively inexpensive and a worn one is a fire hazard.
- 2
  Inspect the plug to ensure it is properly plugged in to the electrical outlet. If it is loose and not making contact, this causes the flickering.
- 3
  Force the prongs wider with your fingertips once you unplug the timer, particularly if it was not secure in the electrical outlet. This helps it maintain contact and stay in the outlet properly.
- 4
  Check the dial or switch settings on the automatic timer light. This dial or series of switches programs the timer to come on for a set periods; depending on the brand and the model's complexity, a timer might be settable in increments of 15 minutes or two hours, over a 24-hour loop or even a 7-day loop. If the dial, switches or other device is in between two settings, flickering can result.
- 5
  Twist the lightbulb gently in its socket, or in its setting otherwise, to ensure it is securely in place. If the bulb is not tight enough in the socket, it may not be making appropriate contact with the socket, which commonly results in flickering.
- 6
  Unplug the lamp or light from the power source. Remove the lightbulb and look inside the socket to see if the contact is depressed. This is often a thin piece of brass or other metal in the bottom of the socket opening. Lift the contact gently with the tip of a flat-head screwdriver or a pair of wire pliers if it is mashed down. Raising a depressed contact slightly sometimes solves a flickering problem.
- 7
  Test the automatic timer light in another electrical outlet in your home. If it works correctly in another outlet, call an electrician to diagnose the problem in the outlet that is giving you problems.

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