Exit Sign Cost and Benefits

If you have been charged with the task of purchasing new exit signs for your building and haven't given much thought to the subject before, you will be surprised to find that there are many sign nuances which can affect the outcome of your decision. Whether the decision be based upon decorative upgrade, energy efficiency, or simple code compliance, the process takes time and merits thoughtfulness as certain hasty decisions can have a long-lasting impact to your bottom line and can compromise building safety. In general, there are four types of signs available, Incandescent, LED, Self-Luminous (Tritium / Nuclear), and Photoluminescent (Glow in the Dark).

Energy Usage By Sign - Worst to Best

Incandescent: 15-25 watts per bulb

LED: 25-5 watts per LED

Photoluminescent : Absorbs light from room - though the sign itself is non-electrical

Self-Luminous (Tritium / Nuclear) : Does not require ambient light or electricity

Installation Considerations

Incandescent - Requires electrical wiring and electrician

LED- Requires electrical wiring and electrician

Photoluminescent - Technically requires consistent unfiltered fluorescent lighting on the face of the sign all times though we have found that most common sources of light, with the exception of metal halide and direct sunlight will amply charge the sign. A lighting meter is needed to ensure that ambient light will charge the sign.

Tritium: You can hang it like a picture "back mounted", top or side. Requires no electrician, and no lighting meter.

Maintenance needs over 10 years time

Incandescent Sign - Change the bulbs approximately 4-5 times, change the backup battery 2-3 times depending on environment)

LED Sign- Change the battery backup 2 times

Tritium- The manufacturer will dispose of your tritium exit sign after it has expired. They will process all necessary paperwork and assure that the product is recycled and reclaimed. They will not dump or store expired signs in landfills or other storage sites.

Photoluminescent Sign - No Maintenance, Rated for 10-100 years depending on model and manufacturer.

Design Variability

Incandescent - Is being phased out for LED, thus the designs are in decline. Chicago building codes are rumored to recently start allowing for LED signs though incandescent, fluorescent, and cold-cathode technology dominate the designs. They also come with versions coupled with emergency lights.

LED- Most sign variability - Signs can be found with basic thermoplastic lunchbox design to elaborate edge-lit designs. The housings of LED signs come in the greatest variety of colors, shapes, and hazard durability. Can be coupled with emergency lights.

Tritium- Nearly all look the same and come in only a few color variations on the face and frames. Face Colors: Green, Red, Black. Frame Colors: White, Black, Brushed Aluminum, Gray. Signs are available in 10-15-20 year models.

Photoluminescent Signs- Generally four types of construction, plastic, pvc, aluminum, and polycarbonate. Some signs allow for the arrows to be configured by the consumer, though most signs require the arrows to be decided at time of purchase. Signs are generally found with green, red, black, or white background colors with green letter strokes. The signs can be dressed up with a nice frame and bracket system. Some signs have a clear protective glass-like shield on the face, some are exposed on the face making the sign prone to scratching, especially with the pvc and plastic versions. The aluminum versions and polycarbonate versions that we carry can take a beating without scratching. The signs have a certified viewing distance of 50-foot, 75-foot, and 100-foot. 50-foot signs are the most common for photoluminescent. All states will allow for photoluminescent signs to be used in some way. New York City will only allow for photoluminescent signs to be used for low level egress pathway marking. Chicago has allowances for these signs for primary usage in lieu of electrical signs. The rest of the country will allow for photoluminescent signs to be used without exception.

What Next?

You will want to weigh out the benefits of each sign. Remember to consider electrician fees, maintenance time, replacement parts (bulbs, battery, disposal) and electricity costs. We have found that photoluminescent signs or Tritium Signs are the best option for instances that do not require coupling emergency lights. We then recommend the exit emergency combo units though the cost of a basic emergency light and exit sign purchased alone is less. You spend less time wiring, have only one battery to replace and perform routine testing on, costs less to ship and consumes less wall space. If you take time to select the right sign you can save money, day after day for years most likely to find that the signs paid for themselves in comparison to the energy consumption, installation and maintenance fees of the alternatives.

Incandescent Bulbs vs LED

It is estimated that nearly 80% of exit signs within the US use incandescent bulbs. LED technology is relatively new compared to the incandescent. LED bulbs are longer lasting and consume much less energy. Signs with incandescent bulbs are generally less expensive at the initial purchase due to the maturity of the technology and availability of manufactures for components. The total cost to power an incandescent fixture is significantly greater especially compared over the life span of the unit due to the bulbs needing replacement more often than LED and the additional power consumption. A typical sign requires two bulbs which are rated between 15 and 25 watts each, for a total wattage of 30-50 watts where as an LED bulb consumes between 1-5 watts depending on the color. (White, Red or Green). LED can last anywhere from 10 to 25 years, though most are rated for 25 years. The prices for LED versions continue to drop as more manufacturers, particularly foreign, continue enter the marketplace. At this time, there is not a significant difference between the pricing of incandescent and LED which is why we would caution you that certain retail chains are offering inferior incandescent sign models for extremely inflated prices. One example we recently came across was a red incandescent sign which exceeded the $100.00 mark. The sign had all the same specs and design markings of an LED sign, with the exception of the lighting technology. That fact is that most consumers don't know the difference and just assume that the store is selling the best products. So this covers the two most widely used bulbs within exit signs, there are others available such as fluorescent, and cold cathode but their usages are minimal in comparison. Next we will cover signs that don't use hard-wired electricity such as tritium or photoluminescent.