Transcript

💡 Why Do My Lights Dim When I Turn On My Appliances? · Lipps Electric Podcast

0:00
Questions come into the radio program. Are you ready to answer it for us? I sure am. Yes. Okay.
0:07
This happens a lot. And I'll tell you, when I was a kid, this happened all the time.
0:12
The lights would dim in the house when an appliance came on.
0:15
So someone has sent in an email, why don't my lights dim when my air conditioner turns on?
0:21
And I think the reason is, is because there's a big draw, but that's not normal,
0:24
right? It shouldn't do that.
0:26
Yeah, you're correct. You're correct. There's several answers to this,
0:30
but it really does start with that high startup current draw.
0:33
So when your AC kicks on, especially the compressor, the demand is large from
0:40
the electricity side. So it creates a short burst, which is known as inrush current.
0:45
And this sudden load can cause a temporary voltage drop, which will cause your lights to dim.