Question servicing standard channel letter

[Bradley D]

What are the most common things to have to service on a 2-7 year old set of front lit channel letters with LED modules, removable face with trim cap, and a power supply located inside the building of a section sign?

I'm especially interested in how often the LED modules themselves actually need to be serviced and the longevity of the trim cap.

 

[Manuel Upton]

Most of our jobs the transformers are usually the first to go, usually 3-5 years. I've never seen any LED's themselves die. The trim depends on what glue was used, I've had some that the trim was falling off before we even put them up. I don't think people realize there are specific glues for poly and specific glues for acrylic. We have some pretty harsh winters here in upstate NY and I've serviced signs we've put up 10 years later and the trim is still fine.

 

[TaraW]

Service on LED channel letters more times then not is the power supplies. The modules themselves not so much unless they are a cheap crappy POS brand, and we've seen that too.
If the letters were made right the trim is not usually an issue.

 

[Rocco G]

I agree about the power supplies. They may state a zillion hour life span for the modules themselves but the power supplies can be garbage. One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes a shop will try to add in a couple more modules than the supply is really supposed to handle. it might work when everything is new, but after time components age and don't work as efficiently as when new.

i have had modules themselves go bad but usually they are the low end units.

Trimcap, when it's near the ocean, tends to not last as long but 7-10 years isn't really too much to expect. I guess it's the salt in the air. I do agree that sometimes people don't know that there are different adhesives for Acrylic VS polycarbonate.

One thing to keep in mind is that some brands of power supplies are more voltage sensitive than others. If you have supplies going out often check to make sure there is proper voltage.

 

[kgirl]

The LED power supplies because they're electronic....electronics and heat don't go well. Magnetic power supplies last much much longer but who wants to pay $300 for a 12v 60w power supply? With any thing made in China expect 3 - 5 years.....on the LEDs, most fail. Not catastrophically where the individual diodes burn out, but a lot of LED modules degrade in light output pretty fast and are 75% by 15,000 hours then can be gradual or nose dive straight down.....red LEDs even faster. This is why when you drive around town those once bright faces now hot spot...their dimming and you now definely see the module through the face....again from most Chinese modules, even the big names...their China too