While I do run a business that manufacturers church signs and I absolutely hope you’ll do your own research, I have to get this off my chest…
The vast majority of church LED skeptics are people who’ve never used a church sign and don’t plan to in the future.
Sometimes you hear a rumor and wonder how such wildly inaccurate piece of disinformation has managed to get spread far and wide across the Internet.
Well, I have five such nuggets of wisdom to share with you today about church LED signs. Let’s separate the fact from the fiction, shall we?
Church LED Signs Are Too Dull During the Day
Church LED myths gets thrown around a lot, and it’s usually paired with the equal but opposite myth that LED signs are blindingly bright and distracting at night.
So it’s too dull to be seen during the day, but totally blinds drivers at night? I’m not buying it.
First of all, most traffic lights and other displays you see driving down the road every day are made with LED technology. So why is this “inferior” and “dull” light source being used so much? Don’t you think the government wants you to see traffic lights as easily as possible?
Of course, that also means traffic lights must be causing huge distractions to drivers as they focus on stoplights like a deer in the headlights, causing endless pileups and collisions at night.
The fact is, neither of these statements are true. LED signs are clear and bright during the day and at night, and neither too dull nor too distracting.
Church LED Signs Aren’t Energy Efficient
OK, let’s be fair…LED signs are not some magic machine capable of running without power. But compared to many other options, church signs are incredibly energy efficient.
Sure, you might not solve climate change by plugging in your new LED sign. But LEDs use a comparatively miniscule amount of electricity compared to incandescent or halogen light bulbs.
Church LED Signs Get Really Hot
One extreme of this myth is that LED signs generate a tremendous amount of heat. The other side (often touted by church LED manufacturers) is that LED signs generate NO heat. Neither are true.
If you look at the front of your church sign, you’ll immediately notice that the LEDs themselves are not emitting heat. That’s incredible when you compare LEDs to something like an incandescent bulb, which converts less energy to light than it loses to heat.
Incandescent bulbs are basically small glass heaters that happen to create a little light.
Unlike light bulbs, which lose much of their energy as heat, the conductive heat of LEDs is distributed efficiently throughout the sign or stored in a heat sink, leaving your sign at a safe a comfortable temperature.
Because LED signs are designed to convert a much higher percentage of electricity into light than traditional bulbs, they emit far less heat.
Myth busted—you’re not going to be able to fry eggs on your church signboard.
Church LED Myths – Signs Last Forever
Two sides of the same coin—LED opponents say that signs burn out after a couple years, while dishonest manufacturers claim their signs will last until the end of the world.
The truth, as always, lies in the middle. Church signs produced by quality manufacturers will last you a long time, but everything will wear out eventually. On the other hand, the people who claim LED signs last just a year or so were probably ripped off by a dishonest manufacturer.
Each individual LED in your sign is meant to last over a decade with 24/7 usage before they dim to the point where it’s noticeable.
While your sign probably won’t stand for a hundred years, it’s definitely going to last a long time.
Church LED Signs – The signs are Expensive
Everything is relative. For some congregations, purchasing an LED sign just isn’t the best option. For others, an LED sign pays for itself in just a few months.
The biggest, sharpest LED signs cost significantly more than entry-level options, but not every organization needs the biggest option. Choosing the right sign for your unique church is the key to maximizing your return on investment.
The fact remains that there’s an LED sign out there for just about any budget.
However, that doesn’t mean you should just choose the cheapest option and call it a day. Many of those “too good to be true” prices are just that, and come from overseas factories with very lax quality standards.
Once you’ve found a manufacturer you trust, finding the best church sign should be a piece of cake.
The Truth Lies in the Middle
Snake oil sign manufacturers and LED skeptics are two opposite ends of the spectrum, but both push half-truths and outright lies about the LED sign industry that need to be corrected.
Church LED signs are not dangerous. They’re not ineffective. They don’t destroy the environment. They don’t overheat and cause fires. They aren’t only affordable by the rich.
You get the idea.
Getting the real truth comes down to asking real businesses, organizations and congregations how they like their LED signs. From what we gather, most people fall in love with their new signs and never look back.
