Neon Manufacturing (Exposed)
Neon
is a hand-made "light bulb", and all neon is not created
equal!
Unlike most sign
companies, Signs Manufacturing manufactures neon (and
Cold-Cathode lamps).
We use the highest
quality glass and nickel-flex electrodes with Dumet alloy
inner leads, heavy-gauge solid-nickel corrosion-proof
7-strand exterior leads and ceramic collars, the best we
can buy, because except for heat-cracking, most neon
failures are electrode failures.
Our artisans
carefully charge each neon tube for optimum brilliance
using the most sophisticated of neon pumping systems
because the third most frequent cause of neon failure is
improper pumping.
Even though all neon
dims in cold weather, neon manufactured by Signs
Manufacturing will dim less because we use gases specially
formulated for cold weather, which are unaffected by hot
weather.
The most common cause
of neon failure is heat cracking. This is caused by
improper installation (too much or too little neon footage
for the size [secondary voltage] transformer used), or by
the effects of high voltage on the shorter neon pieces.
It is critically
important to the long-life of both the neon and the power
transformers that each transformer has the proper
resistance in neon (loading) for its secondary voltage.
Signs
Manufacturing "burns in" each neon tube for twenty-four
hours to stabilize the neon, then meters the neon to be
connected to each transformer for both voltage and
amperage draw to insure a proper load, because even
identical neon letters will have different resistance.
Most competitors neither meter nor "burn in" their neon.
Well-made and
properly installed neon should average a twenty-year
lifetime (40,000 hours of use).
Neon is affected by voltage.
For instance, standard neon will burn nearly 100% brighter
if you double the power feeding it. The neon will
last about ¼ as long, however, making this alternative
quite expensive in total cost.
Our challenge is to give you a
brighter sign which attracts more customers, without
increasing your sign, energy, or maintenance costs.
Channel letters are
usually illuminated with neon. Our artisans
individually manufacture the neon for each letter after
the letter base is manufactured to insure a proper fit
that will evenly and brilliantly illuminate the entire
face of the letter without "shorting" against the metal.
Sign companies that buy their neon pre-made from neon
manufacturers cannot do this.
Multiple neon strokes
are added as required to insure even illumination.
We automatically employ neon
intensity control to give our customers the brightest sign
possible without increasing energy costs.
Neon Colors
Brighter Signs™ Neon
“Our (channel letter) sign is like
a star, a beacon in a universe of dull and dingy signs…it
lights up the whole area! We couldn’t be more
pleased.” Greg
Clark, Mom’s Kitchen (with Brighter Signs™ option)
New neon is available that increases
the light output of neon, without increasing
the energy consumption of the sign.
This new neon, incorporated into your
new sign, will make your sign significantly
brighter than all other signs in the area when lighted.
A 110% brighter sign. Potential customers will see
your sign first so it is the one that will make the
strongest impression!
The greatest testimonial to the
effectiveness of Brighter Signs™ on our customer’s bottom
line is that EVERY customer who has ordered Brighter
Signs™ technology for a sign has reordered it for every
sign from then on!
Ultra-Bright Signs™ Neon
We combine our Brighter Signs™
technology with neon intensity control and higher-power
transformers to create a 150% brighter sign.
This option may use up to 16% more
energy but its results can be worth it.