The bulb that will not quite go off, or shimmers at low dim. Almost always the dimmer or switch — quick to fix.
Three causes cover almost every call we get for this.
Old dimmers need a minimum load LEDs do not provide. Flicker, buzz, a narrow dim range.
Switches that need power to run their electronics take it through the bulb when "off".
A long switched wire beside a live one picks up a few volts. Harmless; fixed with a bypass.
Takes a minute, costs nothing, fixes it more often than you would think.
Read the bulb. If it is not marked dimmable, that is the whole answer: replace the bulb.
Still happening? That's our job.
We fit an LED-rated dimmer matched to the bulbs, pull a neutral into the switch box for a proper smart switch where one is missing, or add a bypass at the fixture for induced glow — and set the dimmer's low-end trim so the flicker at low settings stops.
Online or by phone. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
Traced to the box or device it lives in. Exact price before any work, you approve it first.
Right parts, tested under load, next connection checked so it does not come back.
LED bulbs flicker or glow faintly when off for reasons that did not exist with incandescent bulbs. LEDs need so little current that a dimmer designed for incandescent loads cannot control them smoothly, and a smart switch or illuminated switch that powers itself through the bulb can make an LED glow when it should be dark. Less often, a long switched wire picks up enough induced voltage to light an LED faintly. The fix is a dimmer or switch rated for LEDs and matched to the bulb, or a small bypass device at the fixture.
One marked CL, ELV or LED-compatible, ideally on the bulb maker's list. We carry the common ones and match them on site.
Usually, yes. That lets you use a proper smart switch and removes the glow.
Exact price before any work starts.
Usually within a day or two. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
Licensed electricians across South King and Pierce County. Exact price before any work starts.