PERMAGLO® SIGNS
COST COMPARISON between
PERMAGLO and CONVENTIONAL ELECTRIC SIGNSInnovative PERMAGLO signs (whether as Exit, Directional or Information indicators) are fully operational for 24 hours per day, 365 days a year for 25 years.
Traditional Swan/Edison electric units where the battery back-up units have a “charge life” of three [3] hours only can endanger life if a power failure lasts longer than that.
The present list price (in 2003) of a PERMAGLO [maintained] hydrogen sign is £250. Their initial cost is the only life-cycle cost apart from installation, which takes 2 minutes 15 seconds, costing say £5 and does not require a qualified electrician. Total cost £255.
The comparable life-cycle cost for an equivalent electric sign is £2874 [two thousand eight hundred and seventy-four pounds sterling]. These traditional costs comprise:
Electric Sign: Lifecycle Cost Breakdown £ (GBP) Casing [8 watt, fluorescent (maintained) polycarbonate body] 85 Installation and testing (3hrs 10 mins quoted) mains wired, cable/conduit [Qualified electrician (£40/hr) and assistant (£10/hr), Materials: cable and conduit, say 10m x £20] 359 Running costs [8 watts continuously over 25 years @ £0.10 perKwH] 175 Battery/Bulb replacement, say 130 Minimum Maintenance/Supervision [£85 per year] 2,125 Total Lifecycle Cost £ 2,874
Permaglo Sign: Lifecycle Cost Breakdown £ (GBP) Sign Complete [incl. tritium light sources, pre-assembled in anodysed aluminium housing] 250 Installation (2 mins 15 secs quoted) by handyman (£10/hr) 5 Running costs [continuously over 25 years] 0 Maintenance costs 0 Total Lifecycle Cost £ 255 The innovative sign PERMAGLO shows a saving of 91.25% compared with the traditional version, over its 25 year life. In the above figures, no allowance is made for inflation, which would produce a still higher percentage saving.
Issued with the knowledge of Douglas Williams
(Group President, Alsigns-Surelite Ltd)