Why is my new ceiling light fixture flickering?
A new ceiling light flickers most often because of a dimmer mismatch, a loose splice, or a bulb the fixture did not ask for. Check those before you treat the fixture as defective.
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Flicker only on a dimmer | Wrong dimmer, or the LED load is below the dimmer minimum |
| Flicker on any switch position | Loose wire connector, or a bulb not seated |
| Buzz or heat at the canopy | Shut the breaker off. This is a bad connection |
- Test with the listed control or a plain switch.
- With the breaker off, reseat each connector so no copper shows.
- Use a dimmable bulb on a dimmer, and an enclosed-rated bulb if the shade is closed.
Updated 8 October 2026.