Top 5 Ways to Care for Your LED Display

Top 5 Ways to Care for Your LED Display and Increase its Longevity

• Keep Ventilation in Mind

Make sure that your LED display is properly vented (whether that’s on the side, back, or front of the sign.) LEDs give off different levels of heat depending on the factory of origin when run for extended periods of time. So, it’s imperative that the air is able to freely move in and out of your sign in order to keep the components cooled and operating at the highest level. Review the factory manual or ask your Sign Specialist for model-specific guidance. Some LED vendors will actually try to nullify your warranty if you don’t properly vent their project. We are very familiar with the large range of products in the market, and this is why we quote the proper display to allow for proper ventilation in your unique situation.

• LED Sign Content is Important

Limit the amount of pure white background you use. LED’s don’t just “die” one day and never turn back on again, like a normal light bulb, for example. LED’s are effective in outdoor displays because they shine bright enough to compete with the sunlight. That’s why you can’t just buy a regular old indoor TV and put it outside (aside from those also not being warrantied for outdoor use) and have it be effective. LED diodes degrade over time, and the rate of that is determined by the quality of the LED diodes. White is the color that requires the most output on LED displays, so if you limit those, you can extend the lifespan of your LED display.

• Optimize the LED Sign’s Schedule

Through your sign’s control software, set the sign on a schedule, so that it’s running during high traffic hours, and maybe less so later into the night, for example. Running your display 24/7 is a surefire way to degrade the LED diodes the quickest. Organizations typically have an idea of when the majority of their “traffic” is coming throughout the day. Setting your sign to turn on at 7am and off at maybe 8pm will help you not only save money short term, but also extend the life of your sign. Careful scheduling like this can save you years of use on your sign.

• Physical Maintenance

Clean the boards with regular dish detergent (a few drops per gallon of water) every 6 months. These displays are meant to stand up to extreme conditions, but it never hurts to help the situation a bit. Depending on the display, the more connection points you have in your LED display, the more potential “failure points” you have. The less debris and other contaminants you can keep off of and inside of your sign, the better. 

NOTE: Do not pressure wash your sign. It potentially pushes water past barriers and/or into connections that are otherwise protected from the elements.

• Restart/Refresh the LED Sign’s Controller

Shut the sign down and reboot it once every few months. A lot of companies update their software throughout the year, and the best way to make sure you’re up to date is to power the sign down every once in a while. This way, you know you’re up to date on your software, so that won’t be an issue when troubleshooting in the future. 

NOTE: Do not restart or refresh your sign by manually cutting the power to the sign. Always follow the guidance in the manual provided by the factory.

If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our team of sign experts!