I specialize in repairing neon to its former glory.

Neon signs have a long life span up to and exceeding 10 years.

All neon signs will eventually go bad. Symptoms of bad neon:

• No light when plugged in and turned on.
• Dim light and HOT to the touch. All neon produces some heat but if it is working normal you should be able to touch the neon and hold the glass. If the tube is HOT that means that impurities in the glass have leeched into the tube and corrupted the gas.
• Only part of the neon is lit and other parts are darker. This is a problem with the mercury.
• If the sign flickers and does not light, it could mean the transformer has failed.

Broken Neon

• Neon tubes are glass tubes that are filled with either Neon or Argon Gas. The Tubes have a close to perfect vacuum in them. If the tube breaks, it must be heated and melted back together. Then the tube must be pumped with specialized equipment.

Aesthetic Concerns with Repairs:

• Older neon may have cracks in the blackout paint and can be touched up. The paint is a rubber based paint that resists head.
• Repairing tubes will require time to scrape off the blackout paint. The reason is that the paint will crack and sometimes conduct electricity after being pumped.
• Mercury staining will occur if you try to repair an old Argon/Mercury Tube. When the tube is being pumped there is a remnant of mercury left in the tube. This remnant of mercury will soak into the glass and cause a permanent dark spot.

• Painted tubes cannot be repaired because I won't be able to match the paint on the tube. I will have to remake the painted tube with colored glass.

Rewiring a Sign:

• Some sings are wired incorrectly. If they do not us the thick "GTO" wire with Electrode caps, it does not meet code and may cause a fire. Sign #1 Uses correct sized wire and Electrode Caps. Sign #2 uses incorrect thin wire and electrical tape. Sign #2 can cause physical harm to a person due to shock and could cause an electrical arc due to thin wiring.

• Some signs may not meet your exact specifications. Contact me and we can talk about how to make your sign specialized. Such as this sign said "Budweiser" and they wanted Baltimore Colts.

I can also reconstruct a broken neon sign. I have resources to get the pattern of an older sign and will make the repair to look like the original.

PLEASE NOTE: Affective Feb. 1, 2006 all Argon / Mercury filled signs will be remade and not repaired. The health hazard of repairing mercury filled tubes is to great a risk to me. Additionally, mercury in the tube may stain the glass in the pumping process and will hinder the aesthetic appeal of the sign.