Lights flicker every time the AC kicks on.
You got a call from a customer this morning. Said the lights in her dining room flicker every time the AC kicks on. She's had three handymen out, paid almost 800 bucks, and here you are.
Why do my lights flicker when the AC turns on?
Flickering lights when your AC starts up usually mean one thing: the compressor is pulling too many amps from a circuit that can't handle it. You got a 15-amp circuit trying to feed a 20-amp load. It's a math problem, not a request.
What does the AC compressor have to do with it?
When the AC compressor kicks on, it's like a jet engine firing up in your electrical panel. It needs a huge surge of power to start. If it's on the same circuit as other stuff—your refrigerator, your microwave, half your kitchen lights—it's gonna pull all the juice.
I had a ranch house in Raymondville last spring, built in 1987. The owner had the AC condenser and the disposal on the same 15-amp circuit. Every time the AC fired up, the disposal would trip the breaker. You gotta separate those loads.
What should I check first?
Check your breaker panel. See what circuit the AC compressor is on. Is it sharing with other high-draw appliances? That's your first clue. Then check the wire gauge. If you got 14-gauge wire on a 15-amp circuit and the AC is pulling 16-18 amps to start, that's a problem.
What's the fix?
The fix is almost always to put the AC compressor on its own dedicated circuit. Run a new line from the panel, 12-gauge wire for a 20-amp breaker. It'll cost you maybe 500 bucks depending on how far the run is. But it'll stop the flickering and keep your lights from dimming every time you cool down.
When is it not the AC?
Sometimes it's not the AC. Loose neutrals in your panel can cause flickering. Or bad connections in your switches or outlets. I had a taqueria in Pharr in 2018 where the owner had three subpanels stacked and not one of them was bonded. Flickering lights all over the place.
What about those YouTube guys?
The YouTube electricians will tell you to just put in a bigger breaker. That's a pendejo move. A 15-amp circuit is not a request, it's a math problem. You can't put a 20-amp breaker on 14-gauge wire. Code is a floor, not a ceiling.
When the local angle does not matter
Most of the time, flickering lights when the AC kicks on is just bad circuit design. You could be in an old farmhouse or a new McMansion. If the AC is on a shared circuit, it's gonna cause problems. Defaults apply here.
Final thoughts
Put your AC compressor on its own dedicated circuit. Use 12-gauge wire and a 20-amp breaker. It's the right way to do it. And if you're still having issues, call a pro. Don't try to be a hero with your electrical panel.
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Code is a floor, not a ceiling. Never forget that.