15 Facts you didn't know about Neon - Part 3

Over the years we have seen quite a few installations of neon, some of a high standard, some.... not so much. One of the biggest factors in the longevity of a neon sign is it's correcyt installation. However one thing that has always given neon a bad name is the fact that back in the day (my old mans day, well, probably mine too if I am honest), customers would leave their malfunctioning neon sign on, even though part of it was not functioning, you know the one, it was usually the local off-license or video store. Instead of turning off a malfunctioning electrical device they would leave it running, you know, like you *would* do with a kettle or a toaster. This would always result in damage to the transformer but could also unfortunatley have the possibility of causing a fire. Luckily, transformers nowadays have safety devices put in place to avoid this sort of thing, that automatically shuts off the transformer. So if your neon sign has a fault, turn it off and call us out. What is the life expectancy of neon tubes? Is this affected by them being switched on and off? The life expectancy of a tube pumped with pure neon depends on a few factors; whether the tube stays sealed and unbroken, whether there are enough ions remaining in the tube for it to strike and as long as it does not suffer an electrode breakdown. This can be many years. However the argon pumped tubes can suffer from electrode erosion and have a useful life expectancy of over 40,000 hours. Tubes have been known to last a great deal longer than this. In 2012 an article in the daily mail wrote about some neon tubes that were found in the USA that had been running constantly for 77 years. Fluorescent coated Tubes do however suffer from a decrease in light output over time (lumen depreciation), LEDs also suffer from this as well, but are more greatly affected than Neon by heat. Switching Neon on and off repeatedly will have a negligible effect on its life span. Do Neon Signs explode? No they do not. Air pressure is 1013.25millibars at sea level, a neon tube is manufactured under a vacuum and then filled to a maximum pressure of up to 25millibars in small diameter tubes and around 5 millibars for larger diameter tubes. Therefore a neon tube when broken technically implodes and sucks air into the tube, however this is not a spectacular event and does not result in the expulsion of glass everywhere. Neon is high Voltage, is that not dangerous? When installed correctly the voltage from a neon sign is insulated from being touched. If contact is made with a live connection, transformers generally have protection devices that switch the unit off. Neon is generally classed as high voltage (above 990v), but the current is low on a neon transformer, in the milliamp (mA) range usually around 18-20mA. The socket in your house although only 240v can be as high as 30amps 30,000mA of current. Voltage makes less of a difference in the case of an electric shock, whereas current makes a massive difference, for example static electricity is in the range of 25,000 - 35,000 Volts, but the current (measured in mJoules) is extremely low and not constant. Current has the following effect on the body:- At 20-75mA of current someone would receive a painful jolt and loss of muscle control. At 75-100mA of current, ventricular fibrillation of the heart can occur (uncoordinated twitching of ventricles). At 100-200mA of current, Ventricular fibrillation occurs, often resulting in death. At over 200mA of current, Severe burns and severe muscle contractions occur, Internal organs can be damaged, and the heart can stop due to chest muscles applying pressure to the heart. However this clamping effect can prevent ventricular fibrillation, greatly improving the chances of survival if the victim is removed from the electrical circuit. Keep an eye out for the next article where we will answer a couple more questions. For more information about neon visit our showcase pages or visit our website https://www.a1designs.co.uk We manufacture all types of signage so if you have an enquiry please feel free to get in touch - enquiry@a1designs.co.uk