Replacing a Transformer

One problem that comes up often on older signs is a transformer over time that has stopped working and needs replaced and some customers are simply at a loss as to what to do.

Since the sign is no longer under warranty you will need to purchase the transformer and replace it on the sign yourself. This is a relatively simple task and if I can do it anyone can.

When you look closely at a neon sign you will see black rubber "boots" or end caps at the beginning and end of a word. When the end caps are gently removed underneath you will see the transformer wires and the electrode wires twisted together. This is how the neon is powered so it can light. If the transformer needs to be removed you simply untwist these wires and unscrew the transformer from the backing. This will detach the transformer from the electrodes and glass and can now safely be removed from the sign. Now you are ready to put the new transformer onto your sign. This will sometimes result in having to drill new holes for the new transformer. Over time some transformers are no longer available and the new ones are bigger, smaller or in one way or another simply will not match up to the existing holes. Once your new transformer is in place you will not be able to see the new holes that were drilled. Run the wires through the holes that the original wires ran through and attach them to the same electrodes as before. Do not cross wires from one side of the sign to another. In other words the wires on the left side of the transformer should stay on the left side of the sign and right on the right side. Once the transformer and electrode wires have been twisted back together securely make sure to place the end caps back over the exposed wires. Never work on the sign in the ON position. Once the end caps are securely in place you can turn the sign on to make sure it is now working properly. If you've done everything correctly your sign will light back up just like it did before the transformer failed and you are back in business.

Mercury Migration

I eat at this one Vietnamese place often and I noticed their pretty new OPEN sign when they first opened and I was impressed with how nicely it was done. Believe me when you do neon for a living you notice every neon sign out there and you can get rather opinionated about what you see. I have been steadily watching the border on their OPEN sign start to darken further and further down the tube as the weeks have gone by. It just goes to show that pretty doesn't always mean anything. Had the manufacturer of this sign used the Eurocom electrodes that we use when we blow glass this sign would still look as pretty as the day it was first hung in the window.

If you have a sign with these symptoms several things can happen when you talk to the manufacturer. They will tell you to take the sign down and turn it on each of its four sides for a few hours at a time and that once fully rotated the problem will be eliminated (it forces the mercury to roll back down the tube towards the electrode. True, this may take care of it for a little while but soon the electrode will be forcing the mercury back down the tube again and you'll be right back where you started. Sometimes sending it back in can have a similar effect just like the turning of the sign due to the vibration when being transported. The manufacturer gets it back, plugs it in and the sign looks fine. Kind of like when you take your car to the auto mechanic and it won't make that funny noise now! Frustrating!

So the next time your out and about and you see a sign with a section of the neon that has darkened you can say "I know what is making that happen".