[EsmaFingerpin]

Hello Everyone,

My Bedroom light seems to been getting dim then going back to bright then dim every few mins I'm not sure how to source this issue or what's going on.


I live in Manitoba, Canada and there's a breaker that controls everything downstairs by deep freezer.



I haven't checked that to see if maybe that is the issue or how to even check that or anything.


I'm currently renting this place but the landlord is very hard to get a hold of and tough guy to get a hold it can sometimes take weeks to get a hold of him about anything at all

 

[hkstroud]

Most likely there is some other electrical appliance on the same circuit as the bedroom light that is coming on and going off.

Do you have any type of electrical heater in the bedroom?

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Most likely there is some other electrical appliance on the same circuit as the bedroom light that is coming on and going off.

Do you have any type of electrical heater in the bedroom?

No we have heating included with our rent and the thermostat is sitting at 71 right now and sits at 74 during the day cause my roommate being asthmatic and gets colder then the rest of us do.

1st Outlet to Wall Switch: Nothing is plugged into it as I might plug my cell phone charger there sometimes but not always.

2nd Outlet in room: I have 1 Fan plugged in and then my Internet Box Modem

3rd Outlet in room: 1 Power Bar and 1 exention cord that has a power bar plugged into it so I can charge my phone during the day

4th Outlet in room:1 Fan plugged in and 1 Power bar plugged in and I don't now which i just took from the wall outlet and plugged into the power bar.

5th Outlet in room: Will plug phone charger in there sometimes if I take my cell phone to bed with me if I'm on a Skype call with my husband to be

There was a small little heater (bought from Walmart for $20.00) plugged in I forgot about as we had no heat for a few days months ago but has not been turned on for at least a few months if not longer

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

I forgot to mention that 1 power bar on the 3rd outlet has this into the power bar itself going from near the switch on power bar to the end - Acer Laptop (3 years old), 37 Inch TV, Small Cable box, and Custom Built Computer Tower

The Laptop has been turned off just kept plugged in since I bought the Custom Built Computer Tower

 

[hkstroud]

What type of heating does the house have?
How long has the dimming/brighting of the light been occurring?

 

[lenaitch]

Is the light controlled by a dimmer or a simple on-off switch? Does it have an incandescent bulb or LED/CFL? Is it just a light or is it part of light/ceiling fan?


You've been itemizing the outlets in the room but do you know if the ceiling light and room outlets are on the same circuit? If they aren't, there could be other things on the ceiling light circuit that are causing the dimming.

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Central Heating I guess it looks like a big box type heating thing in the basement that heats the entire house but I have my radiator covered with one those covers you can buy otherwise my room will get hotter without that even both fans on me wouldnt keep me cool.

I been with my husband to be for 2 months today and hes the one that been noticing it throught my camera on my phone then I did notice if happening in my room too.

 

[AllanJ]

Dimmers can become erratic when they are wearing out or with some kinds of fluorescent or LED lights.

Otherwise flip the switch on and off twice, waiting 5 seconds between flippings. Does the dimming behavior stop?

Do you still have some incandescent lamp bulbs? Put one in a table lamp fixture and plug that into one of the bedroom receptacles you think or know is on the same branch circuit. Does that light dim and brighten in unison (in rhythm) with the ceiling light? Try plugging into different receptacles.

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Is the light controlled by a dimmer or a simple on-off switch? Does it have an incandescent bulb or LED/CFL? Is it just a light or is it part of light/ceiling fan?


You've been itemizing the outlets in the room but do you know if the ceiling light and room outlets are on the same circuit? If they aren't, there could be other things on the ceiling light circuit that are causing the dimming.

Its controlled by a simple off and on switch and it's one of those white bulbs not transparent bulbs with a thing around the base of it, it's hard to describe.

No ceiling fans in this entire house

I have no idea this house has werid wiring like for example if you run the deep fryer and Microwave plugged into the same wall but different outlet's it will blow the kitchen breaker and you will have to flip that breaker back to get power back in kitchen.

To use both at once you have to plug 1 of them in to little small outlet that the stove has on it.

So your guess would be as good as mine whoever did the wiring on this house was crazy.

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Is the switch a dimmer switch? If so, all bets are off. Dimmers can become erratic when they are wearing out or with some kinds of fluorescent or LED lights.

Otherwise flip the switch on and off twice, waiting 5 seconds between flippings. Does the dimming behavior stop?

Do you still have some incandescent lamp bulbs? Put one in a table lamp fixture and plug that into one of the bedroom receptacles you think or know is on the same branch circuit. Does that light dim and brighten in unison (in rhythm) with the ceiling light? Try plugging into different receptacles.

No I lived in this house for over 5 years never been an issue unless the bulb was going

And what do you mean incandescent light bulbs??
This is what the one looks like in my bedroom - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/10-pk-60w-led-light-bulbs/A-p8806978e

Unfortunately no lamp fixtures in this house at all that I can think of to even test that theory

 

[hkstroud]

Take note as to whether the dimming/brightening occurs at the same time as the central heating comes on/goes off.

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Take note as to whether the dimming/brightening occurs at the same time as the central heating comes on/goes off.

I don't hear it go on or off really just start to get warmer as I live on the top floor of the house as it's only a 2 story house.

It can be a 3 bedroom house honestly but my roommates and I treat it like a duplex living arrangements they live downstairs and I live upstairs.

Washroom, Kitchen are on main floor with my deep freezer too so I do go downstairs for that but forget to check it sometimes what it's at.

But it was doing it at 4am this morning with it at 71 until 7 am with my roommates in bed so it never went up or down of that temp.

 

[zhawkeye]

Quick question about one of your statements above...have you been in the room when this happens or has it only been observed on your phone?

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

Quick question about one of your statements above...have you been in the room when this happens or has it only been observed on your phone?

I have been in the room when it's happened but never noticed it really until my husband to be said something about it on Skype at the same time I started paying attention to the lighting in my room and did notice it getting dimmer then brightening.

 

[AllanJ]

A typical screw in incandescent light bulb has the glass bulb attached to the metal screw in base with no collar in between. If the bulb is not frosted you will see it is almost empty but has two straight wires up into the middle and a third wire of a different appearance connecting the first two, usually held in a curved or zigzag shape by yet more very thin wires. Just the third wire glows brightly when the light is turned on. The third wire will usually vibrate when you tap the outside of the bulb.

Unlike modern lamp bubs where you might see labeling such as 60 watts, uses 9 watts, an incandescent bulb that is labeled 60 watts will use all 60 watts. The former labeling such as "60 watts uses 9 watts" means, for example, that the LED or whatever bulb gives about the same light as the 60 watt incandescent.

If the bulb is frosted, there might be a few places near the base where the frosting missed and you could hold the bulb up to a bright light or the sun and peer in and might see the aforementioned parts inside.

Occasionally the third wire and the extreme ends of the first two wires are enclosed in a capsule, a second, "inner," bulb if you please. This is a tungsten halogen (not halide) lamp that is a kind of incandescent lamp bulb. If there is no third wire (the filament) between the first two wires, either the lamp bulb is burned out or it is of yet another kind of lamp bulb such as mercury vapor and must not be screwed into an ordinary lamp socket for more than ten seconds.

 

[zhawkeye]

It sound to me like the voltage is dropping for some reason as the others here have eluded to by asking what else is on the same circuit.
I'd suggest you get someone familiar with electricity to measure the AC voltages into the breaker box first...I had an issue with dimming lights and found voltage on one leg dropping to 72V at times...power company issue with the buried line to the house (didn't cost me anything).
If ok, make sure the voltage out of the individual breaker is OK. If not, it may be a problem with the breaker or a marginal connection at the breaker.
If it's not one of these, it'll be tough to track down, but with all the intelligent members here, I'm fairly confident it can be found...

 

[lenaitch]

Its controlled by a simple off and on switch and it's one of those white bulbs not transparent bulbs with a thing around the base of it, it's hard to describe.

No ceiling fans in this entire house

I have no idea this house has werid wiring like for example if you run the deep fryer and Microwave plugged into the same wall but different outlet's it will blow the kitchen breaker and you will have to flip that breaker back to get power back in kitchen.

To use both at once you have to plug 1 of them in to little small outlet that the stove has on it.

So your guess would be as good as mine whoever did the wiring on this house was crazy.

My brain isn't envisioning a "white bulb with a thing around the base". Maybe a photo.
Perhaps not so much as weird wiring but it may be dated depending on the age of the house (but likely still quite legal). Older wiring conventions often don't accommodate the number of high wattage kitchen appliances we now use.
Without knowing what else is on the ceiling light circuit, you may be chasing ghosts by assessing the outlets in the room. Other things on the ceiling light circuit could be in another room or even, if it is a house now divided up into apartments, another unit.


If nothing else, try a simple old-style incandescent bulb as see what happens.

 

[schreibdave]

My bet is a dying LED light bulb.

 

[EsmaFingerpin]

My roommates use the same kind of light in there living room such as that looks like one of these - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/10-pk-60w-led-light-bulbs/A-p8806978e

With no issues what so ever there in the kitchen as well with no issues what so ever so I don't know why they would be an issue upstairs especially when they have more plugged in to there living room then I do.

 

[lenaitch]

My roommates use the same kind of light in there living room such as that looks like one of these - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/10-pk-60w-led-light-bulbs/A-p8806978e

With no issues what so ever there in the kitchen as well with no issues what so ever so I don't know why they would be an issue upstairs especially when they have more plugged in to there living room then I do.

That's an LED bulb. They have electronic circuitry in them and it might be dying. If you like the illumination, take a note of the markings on the bulb (colour temperature and wattage) and find a replacement. They're supposed to last for thousands of hours but I've had them fail prematurely.