Sign Retrofit to LED

What You Need to Know Retrofitting your sign to LED

The real trigger for most to retrofit is maintenance. It makes sense to convert rather than fix. The life of Fluorescence Lamps, the cost and difficulty to repair neon and the life of the repairs all point to retrofitting rather than fixing. The energy savings benefits of LEDs are obvious and immediate. The energy costs drop by a factor of 7-10.

Business Signs -Marquee Letters called Channel Letters for Allstate

Business Signs for Allstate

Business Signs for Allstate When a company like Allstate rebrands, needs maintenance, closes one branch office, and opens another they need a central National Sign Company to manage the 12,300 agents and offices in the US. That company is Philadelphia Signs. They are not in San Diego (or Encinitas or El Cajon or Carlsbad or

Read More »
custom signs, retrofit fluorescent to led signs for Flama Lama

Retrofit Fluorescent to LED Pylon Signs

Retrofit Fluorescent to LED Pylon Signs Signs for San Diego is a Commercial Sign Company that works on Pylon Signs and Monuments. New illuminated signs and custom signs are all LED lit. Older Pylon Signs are Fluorescent. 20 years ago, all Pylons and Monuments were Fluorescent so there are a lot of older signs out

Read More »
This is what LEDs look like in a neon logo box

Retrofit Neon to LED Sign Cabinet

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

Read More »
Marquee Letters or Channel Letters needing a retrofit to LED

Retrofit Neon to LED Marquee Letters or Channel Letters

Retrofit Neon to LED for Marquee Letters Signs for San Diego is a Commercial Sign Company that works on Marquee Letters and channel Letters. New illuminated signs and custom signs 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

Read More »
Sign repair and sign maintenance is necessary during the life of every custom LED sign

Pylon Sign Repair

Sign Repair – El Cajon Pep Boys needs a tune-up Signs for San Diego does sign repairs. When the bigger pylon signs and pole signs stop working – We get the call. In many cases other sign companies call us when they need fluorescent sign repairs (this is the case here) Sign Repair What Type

Read More »
This is what LEDs look like in a neon logo box

Retrofit Neon to LED Sign Cabinet

Retrofit Neon to LED 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

Read More »

What is A SIGN LED RETRETROFIT?

An LED retrofit is exactly what you might be thinking. We strip out the old lighting (Fluorescence or Neon) along with the ballast or transformers. We replace these with a power supply (outputting 12VDC or 24VDC. The LEDs take the place of the old lighting. Sometimes it is not practical to retrofit an existing sign – in those cases the existing sign needs replacement.

This is what LEDs look like in a neon logo box

What is an LED

LED (Light Emitting Diode) is normally a 12VDC or 24VDC device. The element within the LED module has changed. Today these are brighter than in the past. Still, they are not bright enough so there are 2 or 3 LEDs in a small module. Each module is wired to the next in a string. The bigger technical development is in a small lens over the LED. These lenses spread the light better. In this case wider over the years. The result is newer LEDs have a wider light output, meaning fewer LEDs can be used and the cost goes down.

How is color measured?

Color is measured in temperature in degrees of Kelvin (K) from 1,000 to 10,000. In your home the yellow “warm” color is about 2000 to 3500K. Home lighting is normally “warm white” and ranges from 2000K to 3500K. Outside or in a kitchen you may be using “white” Light, A “cool white” color. These are from 3500K to 5000K. Signage is more intense and bluer, white at 6000K to 7500K.  If this was in your home, you would feel it is a harsh light. Signs are much higher, normally 6500K, but up to 7200K. We use 6500K.

retrofit to led with power supplies
Cabinet NeonLEDConversion 1 Start

Cost Savings

LEDs are using electricity at a rate of about 1/7 – 1/10 that of Fluorescence Lamps. They last about 20,000 hours. They last a lot longer (ten times longer) and are much more efficient (about seven times) the result is energy savings. The average module is about a Watt. Most signs will be taken between 50 watts to 200 watts. This is much less electricity.

Does it make sense to retrofit?

It would be easier to say when it does not make sense. It the sign will be replaced in the next year – don’t retrofit. It the sign needs other work, and the cost of all the work exceeds the cost of a new sign – don’t retrofit. In all other cases, the maintenance, electric costs, quality of the light all point to retrofit. It makes a lot of sense.