Flickering light socket

RSKY · 2025-09-13T18:39:47-0400

In our kitchen we have three single bulb pendant light fixtures hanging over the sink. The one on the right flickers. Not bad but noticeable. I have swapped the left and right bulbs around thinking it was the LED bulb going bad. The new bulb in the right fixture flickers, and the one from the right that is now in the left does not. So I swapped them around again and put the center bulb in the right side and it flickers.

I am at a loss to solve this problem. Any ideas?

RSKY

ponytug · 2025-09-13T19:33:39-0400

Have you checked the socket and fixture wiring? Usually, it is a loose wire, but I have seen a few sockets that cracked and weren't making a good connection.

All the best, Peter

FullMetalBucket · 2025-09-13T20:07:42-0400

Do you have a dimmer on it, and if so rated for LED?

EddieWalker · 2025-09-14T09:54:35-0400

Since you have confirmed that it's not the bulb, then it's in the fixture, or the switch. It's extremely rare for it to be the wire itself.

In my experience, it's fairly common for the wire to be cut just a little too much when stripping it to bare copper. Over time, that cut leads to a break that's barely held together and when you start looking for the problem, it comes apart.

I've also seen older switches crack on the back side and barely hold the metal parts together. Same with outlets. Whatever that hard, dark materials used to make them is, it sometimes just cracks for no reason over time.

On newer light switches, if they pushed the copper into the little hole on the back of the switch, it sometimes doesn't have a 100% connection. Using the screws on the side will solve this.

ponytug · 2025-09-14T10:21:24-0400

FWIW: The hard black plastic material is usually some type of Bakelite, one of the very first plastics. It is often found in electrical gear do to its low conductivity and heat resistance.