NEMA Protection for Outdoor Digital Signage

Outdoor digital signage has to cope with a lot of demands that regular indoor signage systems do not. Weather systems such as rain can permanently damage an LCD system, as can snow, hail and windblown debris.

Outdoor environments are not suitable for standard LCD TVs and any digital signage system that is to operate outdoors needs to be adequately protected to ensure no liquid, moisture or debris finds its way into the system.

For this reason, outdoor LCD TVs and outdoor LCD enclosures are used. Both provide protection against the outdoor elements in the case of outdoor TV’s the entire TV systems is sealed whilst LCD enclosures protect standard televisions that are enclosed inside.

Whilst both types of outdoor digital signage systems offer protection from outdoor elements, for a consumer, the amount and type of protection can be assessed thanks to the NEMA standard often employed by these systems.

These standards are devised by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in the United States and can provide a good reference to assess the type of protection the LCD enclosure or outdoor TV offers.

The most common types of NEMA protection ratings associated with outdoor signage and LCD TV enclosures are:

NEMA 4 enclosures provide protection against rain, water splashes, hose down and the device will also function if ice forms on the outside.

NEMA 4X enclosures offers the same protection as NEMA 4 enclosures but also provide protection against corrosion.

NEMA 12 enclosures are designed to protect against dust clouds, falling debris, and dripping liquids and are well suited for industrial or factory use.

NEMA 13.enclosures provides protection against lint, dust, spraying of water and oil and are also used primarily in industrial settings.

NEMA standards are a great tool for consumers who need to protect outdoor digital signage systems and need to know the level of protection their LCD enclosures or LCD TVs can withstand.

For full documentation of the NEMA standards please refer to their website.