Retrofit Neon to LED in a Sign Cabinet

Signs for San Diego is a commercial sign company that works on business signs and electric signs. New illuminated signs and sign cabinets are all LED lit. We convert fluorescent to LED and retrofit Neon to LED making your electric signs more reliable, efficient, and cutting your maintenance costs dramatically. Here is how we do it

EXAMPLE This is an older sign cabinet that was a Neon Sign, that is it was custom neon sign with neon tube elements in it. The methods to do an LED Retrofit for this sign cabinet would be similar for all fluorescent sign cabinets and neon signs. It start with stripping out the old lighting elements leaving a sign cabinet without any lighting at all. In this case the glass neon tube supports attached with rivets  and we just left them there.

Older LED in a LED Sign
Cabinet NeonLEDConversion 1 Start

WHY DO IT? The reason to retro fit neon to LED is obvious to companies with Neon signs. Neon is notorious for going out. Repairing and replacing neon is getting harder and harder. We still service Neon. The normal issues are in 3 areas:

  1. Neon tubes are incredibly fragile. They crack, break, leak or suffer other damage. We pull them out, repair them and put them back. A 2-trip process. (expensive)
  2. Transformers burning out. They have a useful life; most neon installations are now older and most transformers are too. Typically, they fail after a period of lowered voltage. We replace transformers all the time, and the replacements repower the neon to their original voltages – causing burnout issues on the old neon. A circular service call issue.
  3. The last area is the wiring, moister in the connections, pull or corroded wires fail. One connection will fail and we will repair it, but all the connections are similar in age and corrosion. The first failure is the first in a series of future service calls.

None of these issues are difficult on a shop table, but hide the wiring, place the transformers in a confined space and place the cabinet up high makes the whole process and expensive that goes back to multiple service calls. Unless you are in love with Neon Signs, bias tires, hula hoops and bell bottom pants, it is time to change.

LEDs have caused Neon and fluorescent obsolescence

Is a LED retrofit for you? Should you retrofit from Neon to LEDs in your channel letter sign? This is really a question about payback and how long you will use the sign. If the sides (returns) are in bad shape, the faces (Acrylic) need replacement, then it is likely better to buy new. However, if the sign being basically good shape, or if getting a permit to replace the sign will be difficult then a retrofit is the answer. In all candor, if the sign will be there in two years or more – do it. It is in your best interest. The energy and Maintenance costs savings are accumulative, so the payback is the cost to retrofit / the savings. A 2-5-year payback is common.

Want to get an estimate? Signs for San Diego is a commercial sign company that works on business signs and electric signs. New illuminated signs and sign cabinets are all LED lit. We convert fluorescent to LED and retrofit Neon to LED making your electric signs more reliable, efficient, and cutting your maintenance costs dramatically.

We do a lot of retrofits, here are a few:

  1. Retrofit Fluorescent to LED Pylon Signs
  2. Retrofit Neon to LED Sign Cabinet
  3. Retrofit Neon to LED Marquee Letters or Channel Letters
  4. Retrofit Neon to LED Sign Cabinet
  5. Retrofit Fluorescent to LED

We do a lot of retrofits for customers that are looking at a “repair or replace” decision. Give us a call and let’s get going!

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