warranty question: double-pane windows with moisture between the panes

grab the warranty coverage now on 1-2-3-4's and hope your 5's dont fail soon after warranty expires.

Your warranty will state the condition . Pellas 20yr warranty states "a permanent material obstruction of vision'" in the warranty. I see it as any obstruction-moisture, indicates seal failure. So 1-4, no matter how small the issue. If many are defective, they all may soon be bad.

When the seal breaks, the argon gas that is normally sandwiched in between the panes will escape rendering the insulation value to nearly nothing.

Any indication of moisture is too much. There should not none at all.

Well, it might become an R2 window.

Nick

Over 20 yrs 10% of the argon is expected to leak out resulting in only a few % reduction in R value.

What's the written guarantee say?

Nick

Which, it bears mention, is only slightly worse than the insulation value of argon gas! Gas is not a terribly good insulator.

The biggest problem with seal breakage is the appearance of the moisture, and as another poster said, any appearance of moisture is too much.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

It's not bad. Neither is air.

Nick

Second that! Get what you can while you can. If you stay there you will have plenty of time to pay later.

Colbyt

Note to all of my firends.

R-values have no place in the window industry, because the resistance value of the glass pack and the frame are always compromised by the air infiltration around the opening and the amount of passive energy from short wave radiation (light).

The window industry therefore uses U values. Though they are basically

Any moisture inside the glass pack indicates seal failure. It is up to the window manufacturer to honor his warranty.

Odds are, that the warranty does NOT include installation or removal of the old window. Odds also are, that the manufacturer will ignore you.

You might be best to request replacement sahes (the parts that hold the glass. If your windows tilt in and out, you will be able to replace these yourself very easily.

U values have no place for most of us in window rating. U values are the mathematical inverse of R values. So an R value of 2 equals a U value of .05 or 1/2. I use R values they are a logical comparison instead of throwing in U values as a comparitor. U value to R for most is like metric with feet, or scones to Decibels, confusing and unessary. And what is that 1/ R comparitor you posted, its wrong.. So is air infiltration as an R factor. R or U just convert it, its measured the same.

No. U = 1/R. :-)

Nick

Nick please show the math conversion formula expressed out, so I can do it.

The window manufacturer is replacing all of the 1-2-3-4's under warranty including labor :)

So far the only cost to me is my time.