Lighting problems split cleanly into two categories — the lamp, and everything around it. Half the calls we attend turn out to be the lamp itself.
Six common faults and the test that confirms each
- Flickering — usually dimmer-LED incompatibility, or a loose neutral; swap the lamp for a non-dimmer LED to confirm
- No power, switch clicks — bulb at end of life, or a failed driver in an LED fitting; lamp swap confirms
- No power, switch silent — broken switch contact or loose terminal at the switch; verify with a continuity check
- Half-bright — neutral fault or a stuck dimmer; check at the lamp and at the switch
- Switch face warm — loose terminal behind the switch; isolate and inspect
- Buzzing from a dimmer — wrong dimmer-lamp pairing; specify a trailing-edge dimmer rated for LED
Why "swap the bulb first" is real advice
A modern LED fitting has a driver inside the lamp head, not at the ceiling. Driver failures present exactly like wiring faults — flicker, no light, intermittent. Try a known-good bulb in the same fitting before opening accessories. It is the fastest test on the list.
When to stop and call
- Burning smell at the switch or fitting
- Brown or yellow heat marks on the switch face
- Persistent flicker that survives bulb swap and dimmer removal
- Multiple lights on the same circuit all behaving strangely
- Any visible spark when the switch is toggled
A spare bulb is the cheapest test instrument
Keep one known-good LED bulb of each common base type in the home. Swapping it into a misbehaving fitting takes thirty seconds and confirms or eliminates the simplest cause before the electrician is called.