As the US and the Philippines recover from the after-effects of devastating storms Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut, we’ve come across an interesting blog from Watchfire Signs (hat tip to Invidis for this one) about what can be done to prevent damage to digital-out-of-home advertising display equipment in such extreme weather conditions.
First, Watchfire recommends leaving any signage equipment on, saying, “When the internal electronic components are powered up, enough heat will be generated to prevent condensation from forming inside the cabinet, providing that power is not disrupted for an extended period of time. In fact, CRG Advertising’s Charles Ghione kept his Watchfire digital billboards on without issue when Hurricane Sandy’s 85 mph winds hit the east coast”.
Of course, one of the key uses of DooH equipment is the ability to display public safety announcements and information regarding the storm itself — not much good if screens are powered down. With certain kinds of storm, there is an inherent risk of damage from lightning strikes or crossed power lines, but the effects of these can be mitigated with surge protection technology, Watchfire said.
The company also advises against covering the display, saying, “While your instincts may be to cover the face of your LED sign to prevent damage to the LEDs or louvres, this is not recommended. Covering the face can inhibit ventilation”.
