A local dental clinic contacted 3Sixty Sign Solutions for advice after several channel letters stopped illuminating. The sign had already been serviced once to correct a lighting issue, but three more channel letters had since stopped working.
Rather than simply replacing the failed components, 3Sixty Sign Solutions agreed to assess the sign and identify what was causing the recurring problem.
3Sixty Sign Solutions was responsible for:
The assessment found that the sign had been wired poorly, with many missing connectors. These failed connections were contributing to the immediate lighting problem.
The technician was able to correct the failed connections during the initial assessment and restore illumination across the sign. However, the inspection also showed that the sign needed to be completely rewired to address the broader electrical issues.
The wiring wasn’t the only problem. LED power supplies should run at no more than 80% of their rated load. For example, a 60-watt power supply should power only about 48 watts of LEDs. That margin keeps the supply from running at its limit.
This sign had four power supplies, and each was operating at almost 100% capacity. Power supplies pushed that hard tend to fail early, which meant more outages were likely even after the connections were repaired.
3Sixty Sign Solutions recommended a complete rewire, replacement of the four existing power supplies, and two additional power supplies so the LED load could be spread across six units instead of four.
The corrective work cost the business owner $2,500 after the original sign had already been supplied and installed.
For the business owner, the issue was not simply finding a lower-cost sign. The expectation was that the original sign would be properly supplied and installed. The repair demonstrated the importance of looking beyond the appearance of a finished sign and considering the quality of its electrical and installation work.
The completed work addressed the documented problems found during the assessment:
While correcting the wiring, the technician discovered that one side of the sign was not bolted to the building raceway.
The technician drilled the necessary holes and attached the appropriate engineer-approved fasteners to secure the sign. 3Sixty Sign Solutions did not charge extra for this work. This additional correction addressed an installation issue that could have created a safety concern if the sign had become detached from the building.
3Sixty Sign Solutions repairs a lot of signs, and almost all of those repairs trace back to poor-quality materials and poor workmanship. When asked why they didn’t call the original provider, owners often say that the company is out of business or won’t return their calls.
Saving money on the initial price of a sign often means spending more later to bring it up to proper working standards. Before choosing a sign provider, it’s worth asking:
3Sixty Sign Solutions provides a lifetime warranty against manufacturing and installation defects and a two-year parts and labor warranty on illumination. We also have a journeyman electrician on staff for installations.
At 3Sixty Sign Solutions, we assess illuminated signs to identify the underlying cause of lighting and installation problems. If your channel letter sign is experiencing repeated outages or other issues, contact us today to discuss an assessment and determine what corrective work may be needed.
