That’s one of your lightbulbs flashing, nothing to do with the cams. Maybe your switch is loose or some wiring issue. Could have been doing it for a while, maybe the closer bulb is dead from all the flickering.
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I concur. If I slow the video down and look at it, the light definitely has the rounded shape of a bulb.
It’s past midnight here. Is that a fire hazard? Should I go down now? Or cut off the circuit?
Thanks very much.
Thanks. So do I start by just checking the bulb in the morning? And then if not that then electrician time?
I didn’t know a light could flash even when off. Got me freaked a little.
If you’re able to turn off that breaker without impacting other stuff, it certainly couldn’t hurt. I’m guessing whatever switch controls that light is worn out, and there could be some minor arcing inside the switch every time it flashes like that. Generally not a huge hazard if that’s the case, but better safe than sorry.
The other possibility, if it is an LED bulb, they have capacitors inside of them, it could be the capacitor incorrectly discharging a little bit every now and then (if that was the case it would stop doing it after a while of not being powered on, once the cap drains). If that was the case, it wouldn’t be a hazard, just a failing bulb.
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That was my thought, too. If you don’t have other stuff on that circuit, then just turning off that breaker for now should give you a little peace of mind.
Thanks. Do have dehumidifier on that breaker. Also in the crawl space. But nothing else. Will shut it off.
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Ignoring the possible paranormal implications 
The 3 cases i’ve seen a bulb doing that:
Switch is wearing out and isn’t turning “off” all the way. A vibration from someone walking by or even just build up of electricity causes it to spark inside the switch occasionally, completing the circuit just long enough to flash the light. While not “safe”, it also generally isn’t an emergency, just need to swap out the switch.
Failing LED bulb discharging the capacitor as I mentioned in previous post, which can happen even when powered off. A failing LED bulb can also do that same thing when powered on, but I don’t know if the closer bulb is dead or if they’re on the same switch (guessing they probably are).
Smart/wifi bulb losing its connection to wifi. Usually it will flash off and on for a while to denote it has an issue, but in theory if it was just a brief loss of wifi, maybe just one flash.
Depending on the type of bulb, one of those may explain it.
I can’t think of a wiring issue that would cause it to be off and flash on, BUT it could be the opposite, maybe the light is actually on, and a wiring issue (or dying bulb) is causing it to be off most of the time except when it vibrates or stores up enough charge to light briefly.
I’d turn off the breaker if you can just to be safe, then tomorrow get under there and check both bulbs. If they both work fine when the switch is on, unlikely to be a wiring issue. Swap the two bulbs and see if the closer one starts flashing (assuming they’re on the same switch). Then you’ll know if the problem is socket/wiring or bulb.
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Dehumidifier does have a pretty big inrush current when it kicks on. If that bulb is LED (possibly CFL, but never seen that happen), it could be enough feedback to flash it briefly. Not sure if the camera audio is sensitive enough to pick up the compressor kicking on, but if so, you might be able to correlate the two. But I highly doubt it would be enough to light an incandescent bulb unless there was something wired wrong.
I guess I should stop making guesses and wait to find out what type of bulbs they are, and if they both work when the switch is on.
Turning out to be quite the interesting mystery and nothing like what we were originally guessing.
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I wondered about something like that, too, which I think I’ve seen a couple of times with incandescent bulbs if a filament is loose/failing and is able to make a connection because of being jarred, but then that’s not usually repeatable because the filament just flashes and burns out pretty quickly.
Somebody tie a note to a pigeon’s leg and send it to Mike Tyson!
On it. Shut circuit off. And will check everything in the morning. Really appreciate the input.
I’ve tarnished the good names of not only wyze but also rats. Both appear to be falsely accused!!
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Thanks for posting the video. I think that really helped.
I’m sure the rats deserve it.
I spent 4 hours tracing out my check engine light on my truck (EVAP system, one of the most frustrating ones to solve) only to find this hidden way on top of the gas tank. It was only a $2 fix but the hours of frustration have re-ignited my war. Never saw a single one in 16 years before COVID but when all the restaurants closed they branched out into the neighborhoods, and now with everyone having compost, have decided it isn’t a bad place to stay. Normally I’m all about live and let live, but they’ve been causing havoc on cars and they carry a lot of disease. Now that they got MY truck, it’s definitely on.
A few years back when they were at their peak, they caused hundreds in damage to my neighbor’s brand new car’s wiring. Apparently many car manufacturers are using soy based coating on the wires to be more eco-friendly (and I’m guessing it is cheaper). Not sure what genius thought that wouldn’t lead to problems.
This definitely isn’t a soy based plastic hose. No idea what it was thinking. I wrapped the replacement piece and all tubing in the area in aluminum HVAC tape, but my luck that’ll just cause them to chew the brake hoses. Murdered by a rat. Fitting end to my life.
In all seriousness they have been known to chew wiring, though I can’t think of a chewed wiring scenario where the lights work normally when on but one flashes when off. Now if the switch is on and one light is totally out and the other flashes occasionally, that could certainly be explained by chewed wiring and would be a good idea to keep the breaker off until you have a better idea of the issue.
Keep us posted, we’re all invested in the mystery now
Ok. So I canvassed the entire crawl space. Checked every light. Switch and lights seemed ok but I switched a few out that I thought might be the culprits. And moved cameras around so that I could get a better view of the lights. Waiting game now.
Thanks again
Ps. As these things work. The pump on one of the dehumidifiers that had worked for months. Was showing an error message. Ay yi yi.
No rat activity though. So I’ve got that goin for me. Which is nice.
You caddied for the Lama?
We are showing our age with the caddy shack references (watched it recently. It holds up).
Re the rats (since we’ve all become fast friends here. Might as well drone on and on). So we gutted a row home in dc. And it came out really nice (I mean it took 2 yrs and I made a million project management mistakes. But the contractor was honest and did good work. Which I think in today’s world is a win).
Well I ignored the crawl space. Other than to accommodate my wife’s desires to be feng shui I had the ac ducts buried down there (as opposed to in the ceiling on the first floor).
Welp right around the closure of the project, we had just an inhuman smell in the house. Turns out the rats had been pouring in through my elderly neighbors crawl space. And one died. Dagger.
Ducts eaten into. Poop and pee everywhere. Was just a huge gut punch. Built a beautiful home on top of a disaster area (pretty sure there’s a Shakespeare reference in here somewhere).
So the idea of doing a true encapsulation and dig out just wasn’t in the cards. (I got a 100k quote among several other outrageous quotes. It is brutal work though. To dig out and seal a crawl space without pulling up the floors).
So fortified that common wall. Cleaned out the entire thing. Did a poor man’s encapsulation. Changed out flex ducts with metal ducts. And put cameras and dehumidifiers down there.
So far it’s worked. I mean you can’t declare victory on rats cuz they are cagey survivors. But hopefully they’ve decided it’s too much of a hassle.
Dehumidifier helps with smell but also read that one of the reasons they like crawl spaces is the moisture. They can get food anywhere. But water is a problem.
So that is the backstory. You are all caught up.
Seriously blown away by this forum. Was not expecting such over the top help. Very very very appreciative.
Last note. Wife thinks I’m nuts. Been so fanatical about this rat thing. Probably have spent 80 hours total down in that craw space. Shes like 2 plus years and you were laissez faire about the reno. Now all of a sudden you are failure is not an option.
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As of 135 eastern standard time. No bursts of light.
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