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Neon Maintenance Considerations and Cautions!
i) Neon and Water: Neon can be sensitive to heavy rains and high moisture resulting in high voltage arcing and transformer burn out. There are more neon service calls after a few days of rain or a round of heavy thunder storms. Repairs can be costly, especially if access is limited, or hard to get to possibly high up, creating the need for special lift equipment each time there is a repair.
ii) Neon glass repair - Neon tends to be custom in nature, if unit(s)
are burnt out in your sign it will not be fixed that same day.
Bad unit(s) of glass have to be removed, taken to the neon shop, repaired
or remanufactured usually in 1-4 days, then scheduled back out to get
reinstalled. If a key part or few letters of your store name goes out
they can usually jump the neon to operate most of your sign. You may be
inconvenienced though as your sign can be out for a week or more.
iii) Temperature: Blue argon based neon colors are sensitive to cold weather.
This includes all white neon which many companies want to use as base
illumination color for multi-colored corporate logos. Now with the advent
of LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) LED's provide the best white light source
to use in cold weather climates.
iv) Neon Transformers: There are three main parts to the neon channel letter -the neon unit, wiring/GTO and the neon transformers. Being the most expensive component, most service trucks have a variety of 120 volt transformers on the truck, possibly one or two 347 volt transformers so they can replace a transformer on site. Some neon signs have rarer transformers that are not on the truck. Neon signs that are 347 volt or use HPF (high power factor transformers) that improve white neon illumination in cold weather are harder to get transformers. This will add to your service call cost if not on the truck as added travel is needed to drive to the supplier or come back in a few days once the transformer is in-stock.
v) Neon Service: Having the original drawings of your sign, schematic with voltage and size of transformers at your finger tips can save you money. Advising the service company of your special needs - i.e. 347 volt power transformers and/or HPF (high power factors) transformers, they can bring transformers from their shop stock just in case, saving you added travel costs and reducing your neon down time.
Couple of other service cost notes: Try to deal with a sign company which does their own neon in house. This will save you travel costs to and from the neon wholesaler, added mark up on neon and result in shorter turn around on service calls. The closer the sign company is to your store can lower your repair bill(s).
With 2 men and truck at over $ 125 per hour, a store
one hour away will add extra travel time. To travel out to the store and
back to the shop will be at least 2 hours or $ 250. With neon signs, one
can double this travel cost component to least a minimum of $ 500 as it
is not uncommon to have a neon unit out or transformer is out of stock.
Types of Neon Channel Letter Signs!
Neon Beer & Liquor Sign Repair and Neon Maintenance!
Last Minute Sign Repair & Maintenance Program!
Last Minute Sign Repair & Maintenance Program Solutions!
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