What makes neon signs glow

Leaving a sign switched on for prolonged periods can shorten its lifespan, and leave it at risk of overheating or sustaining damage from electrical surges.

All neon signs must conform to BS EN, a British Standard that dictates how luminous discharge tube installations such as neon lights must be manufactured. Neon signs must also meet the requirements of the IET Wiring regulations, another British Standard known as BS that sets out specifications for how these types of electrical installations should be wired. Before you buy a sign, always check that it has been stickered and marked to show that it complies with the necessary standards.

Businesses have a legal duty to carry out fire-safety risk assessments regularly and take measures to limit any risks as much as possible. A neon sign would be checked as part of any assessment but likely deemed to carry little risk in terms of potentially causing a fire. Below, we look at the differences between neon and LED, and compare the pros and cons of both types of lighting.

Where neon relies on a chemical reaction between gases and an electrical current, with LEDs light emitting diodes, in full the reaction occurs when electrons pass through a semiconductor, which is typically a material known as aluminium-gallium-arsenide.

When used in signs, the LEDs are placed in close proximity to each other so they produce a steady source of light similar to the effect of neon gas glowing inside a glass tube.

For the best experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser. Neon signs—how they work, how they perform and are there alternatives? On this page, we explore some of the technical aspects of neon signs, including: how traditional neon works how flexible they are in terms of functionality—can it change colour, or dim?

Quick links: How do neon signs work? Changing colour Dimming Are there issues with how neon signs perform? Do they burn out? Do they get hot? Are they dangerous? There is an electrode at either end of the tube. A neon light actually works using either AC alternating current or DC direct current , but if DC current is used, the glow is only seen around one electrode. AC current is used for most neon lights you see.

When an electric voltage is applied to the terminals about 15, volts , enough energy is supplied to remove an outer electron from the neon atoms.

If there is not enough voltage, there will not be enough kinetic energy for the electrons to escape their atoms and nothing will happen. The positively charged neon atoms cations are attracted to the negative terminal, while the free electrons are attracted to the positive terminal. These charged particles, called plasma , complete the electric circuit of the lamp.

So where does the light come from? Atoms in the tube are moving around, hitting each other. They transfer energy to each other, plus a lot of heat is produced.

While some electrons escape their atoms, others gain enough energy to become " excited ". This means they have a higher energy state. Being excited is like climbing a ladder, where an electron can be on a particular rung of the ladder, not just anywhere on its length. The electron can return to its original energy ground state by releasing that energy as a photon light.

The color of the light that is produced depends on how far apart the excited energy is from the original energy. Like the distance between rungs of a ladder, this is a set interval. So, each excited electron of an atom releases a characteristic wavelength of photon. Hit pause on the video. Tap the 3 vertical dots on the top right corner of the view window. This will slide up a sub-menu where you will choose the quality setting of your video stream. Choose "s.

This will present the video full screen in prep for the Cardboard viewer. The screen is now divided into 2 halves, separated by a thin white line that runs halfway up the screen.

Make sure to rotate your phone so that this thin line is coming from the bottom of the screen. This ensures proper stereoscopic depth.

Insert your phone into the Cardboard viewer and press play. The video will begin. If you do not have access to a Cardboard or smart phone, you can watch on your browser. Use your mouse to drag and explore the space above, below, and behind you. Some come with demo modes, dynamic modes, autosave, brightness adjustment, and speed adjustment functions that can be controlled using a remote.

Take note, though, that the more functions you want your LED light to have, the more expensive it will be. There are appropriate LED lights for architectural purposes, events, ambient lighting, and others. Knowing what application you will be using your lights in will help narrow down your choices. If you are going to make neon texts, consider the font you will be using. Do not choose fonts that are hard to read.

It is even better to avoid cursive fonts. Choose large fonts instead. Lastly, consider the size of the neon light. The dimensions of the most appropriate LED light for your application will depend on the size of your desired lighting project. Different LED light sizes are used in smaller designs and in large scale designs. The size of your neon light will affect the overall appearance of your lighting project so make sure that you choose the right sizes.

Also, you need to ensure that your LED light will fit in the space where you are going to install it. It is best to measure the available space first before buying an LED light.

LED neon lights are used to highlight dark areas. A good accent lighting brings life to boring displays and is an effective way of beautifying areas. You can use them in almost every application including the following:. You can use LED neon lights in any architectural application. Whether it is for lighting up staircases or bringing accents to sculptures, LED lights can give life to any architecture. Artists can use LED lights to bring their works into life.

The versatility of LED lights allows you to use them in various media applications. Aside from using power-saving LED lights to illuminate your work, you can use them as parts of your art itself.

The first applications of neon lights were for automobile lighting. LED lights are ideal for retrofitting your trailer, RV, or vehicle because they do not consume a lot of power. LED lights are also used in a wide range of marine and boating applications. Using LED lights gives a power-efficient and ultra-bright solution for any marine lighting application. LED lighting is great for special event planners, designers, caterers, audio and visual specialists, DJs, and others.

LEDs make events more exciting by lighting the place up with color-changing LED lights and adding an accent or ambient lighting to areas.

You can save a lot of energy and repair expenses by switching from fluorescent signages to LED lighting options. LED lights can last up to 50, hours and only require little maintenance. They also offer great flexibility and advanced control systems so you can easily create or design any LED exhibit lighting or signage you desire.

RGB LED lights are excellent for ambient lighting, task lighting, special racks, window displays, nightspots, clubs, bars, and other aspects of your business that you want to highlight.

They produce eye-catching colors that can help you attract new customers. Lastly, you can customize LED neon lights to decorate your home. Converting your existing lighting to LEDs will not be easy but you can significantly reduce your energy consumption while still having an awesome lighting design.

As an important part of our homes, gardens also need our careful design. LED neon lights is a great option to decorate your garden. Lighting up some funny gardening quotes with the LED neon lights will make your garden more attractive. When you renovate your small area also pay attention to no dig landscape edging.

Aside from energy savings, LED neon lights create visual appeal in your products or business. This is a good way of attracting potential customers to increase your overall revenue. Plus, they are wicked cool. If you want to have a visually attractive business area but also want to save on your expenses, you can buy neon lights in wholesale quantities and even request for custom-made lighting.

Buying in wholesale quantities can save you a lot of money because you can get neon lights at much cheaper prices compared to buying in small quantities. Custom neon lights are common in creating stylish interior designs. Neon lights can greatly enhance the appearance of any area, whether it is a store, a bar, a hotel, and others.

Neon lights come in various styles and designs. They can be formed into objects, animals, or texts. Thus, adding a unique personality to any area in an instant. Have you decided to buy neon lights and are wondering where you can get them?

Below are your options:. The easiest method would be to buy neon lights from online stores. Buying from online stores is the most convenient option because they can deliver your orders right at your doorstep. All you need is to make an order through the website of your chosen online store. Below are some of the most popular online stores you can check out:. Neon lights are awesome, but they can be costly if you want a customized design.

If you cannot afford pre-made neon lights or did not find any neon light that matches your taste, you can create your own neon lights. You just need the following:.