I was vintage shopping when I found a big neon sign- a W! Which is perfect since my last name is Wilson. We bought it for $35 and it came home with us. Now my goal is to get the neon to light up so it can be cute decor for my backyard. Here’s how to wire a vintage neon sign so you can bring it back to life.

how to wire a vintage Neon sign

quick history on neon

Neon gas was discovered in 1898 by British scientists Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers. It is found in the Earth’s atmosphere (similar to helium) and is lighter than air. When neon is under low pressure, inside a tube, with an electrical current passing through it, a bright orange-red light is emitted.

Note, if you see neon lights in different colors than a crimson, it’s because the neon has been mixed with different gases, the glass tube is coated with phosphor powder, or tinted glass is used.

The name neon comes from the Greek word “neos”, which means “new.” This new light had never been seen before and was an exciting discovery! The first neon sign was unveiled in 1910 during the Paris Motor Show. Neon signs gained traction and became popular in the 1920’s.

Classic neon signs have a metal base. Then glass tubes are filled with neon gas that will glow when electrified. The glass tubes are custom shaped to create text or graphics. They are made by a professional glass blower who custom shapes the tubes of glass for each sign.

Why is the glass tube important? It safely contains the neon gas while creating a protective barrier for the electrical current needed to illuminate it.

The cool thing about neon signs is that they can last for decades! Depending on how long they stay lit up, if the electrical component is well maintained, and the glass tube isn’t broken- they can have a long life.

understand your light

First things first, it’s important to understand the neon light you have.

When I first got my neon light, I figured the white side was where the light would shine through. So I painted the metal trim so when it was hung, the sides that were black could be pink and more my style.

But after testing (which you can easily do by holding a flashlight up to the neon sign), the blue side is meant to be seen with the neon lights being visible. And the white side doesn’t have light coming through.

Turns out, it is common for the neon lights to be seen on vintage signs.

Some signs have a clear or translucent cover on the top of the sign so the light will shine through that.

Shine light through your sign so you can understand how it works before starting any work on the neon sign.

If you want to wire a vintage neon sign, first make sure the glass tube isn’t cracked or broken. Then check if there are two insulated wires leaving the sign. If these two things look good, continue with the instructions on how to wire a vintage neon sign.

SUPPLIES

how to wire a vintage Neon sign

step 1- paint the sign

If you don’t like how your neon sign looks, paint it!

We took off the glass tube and carefully set it aside and then spray painted the blue metal to be a champagne pink. It took a few coats and was a simple way to help it fit my decor.

Once the paint is dry, add the light tube back inside the metal sign. Ours had metal wires to hold it in place.

step 2- test the neon sign

Next, we ordered an affordable transformer to light the sign. Why do you need a transformer? Because the neon needs the correct voltage to ignite the gas that a standard household outlet doesn’t have. The transformer also helps limit the electric current so the glass tube doesn’t overheat and burn out.

My light did not come with a transformer. Some lights might have one that can be plugged into the wall. Because mine didn’t, I thought about retrofitting the sign with LED lights. But after learning about neon signs and how cool they are, I wanted to see if we could light up the neon sign.

Before hanging it, we decided to wire the transformer to the neon light to test it.

Each neon light should have two electrical wires coming out of the glass tube. Why? Because electricity must travel in a complete, closed loop to flow. One wire carries the high-voltage electrical current into the tube to excite the trapped gas, and the second acts as the return path to the transformer to complete the circuit.

Attach it to the two wires on the transformer. It doesn’t matter which wire from the neon sign is wired to the transformer.

Plug it in and see if it lights up. If it does, you’re in business! At first ours flickered and then it lit up!

Note, for the test, we used standard plastic wire nuts to cover where the two wires are connected. Do NOT use these to permanently wire the neon light. The high voltage coming through the transformer can be a fire risk with the plastic wire nuts.

When we tested our light, it was so exciting to see it light up! It actually worked!

step 3- wire the sign

And now, hang the sign on the wall. We used exterior screws to attach the neon light onto the outside of the shed. There were already holes from where it was previously hung. The shed seemed like the perfect placement because the inside has a plug.

Our neon sign came with two round holes in it, so that’s where we drilled the holes for the wires to be fed through.

Inside the shed we wired the neon sign to the transformer. Note, you always want the wiring to be inside to prevent fire risk. For the wiring at this point, we used heavy duty porcelain wire caps which can handle the high voltage.

Now we can turn it off or on easily when we’re outside having a bbq or sitting around the fire. There’s a metal chain to turn it on and off inside the shed.

after

I cannot express how exciting it is to have the neon light up and working!

At first I was going to just use LED lights, but I think it’s SO much cooler to have the vintage sign up and functioning.

It looks so cool at night. It’s not too bright and is the perfect ambiance for a party outside.

The pink W is very cute and looks nice when it’s not on either. As the night went on and it got darker, it was fun to see how great the sign looked once it was installed.

price breakdown

For this project, we spent $35 on the neon sign, $45 for the transformer, and $3 for the porcelain wire caps. I had the spray paint on hand. In total, it cost $83 for my neon light.

time spent

This wasn’t a time intensive project, just took some time to figure out issues. I spent probably 30 minutes over 3 days to paint the neon light. Then 30 minutes to test the light. Finally, it was 45 minutes to fully install and wire the neon sign and get it in working order.

There’s something so satisfying about bringing an old piece back to life instead of replacing it. I love that this vintage sign gets to keep doing exactly what it was made to do- even after all these years. Every time I flip it on, it makes our backyard feel a little more magical.

Safety Tips for Wiring Vintage Neon Signs

Always unplug the transformer before making wiring changes.
Never use a cracked or damaged glass tube.
Use a transformer that matches the voltage requirements of your sign.
Use porcelain wire connectors- not plastic wire nuts for permanent high-voltage connections.
If you’re unsure about the electrical condition of your sign, have it inspected before powering it on.

If you’ve been lucky enough to find an old neon sign at a thrift store, flea market, or antique shop, don’t be intimidated by the wiring. As long as the glass tubing is intact and you use the proper transformer and high-voltage connectors, it’s absolutely possible to get a vintage neon sign glowing again.

I hope this tutorial gives you the confidence to rescue one of your own. If you do, I’d love to see it! Tag me on social media so I can cheer you on.