Water between glass of double glazing

Jan 04, 2007 9 Replies

Dear all, happy New Year!



Hopefully someone with expertise can point me in the right direction please ...



There is a significant amount of water gathered between the glass of the double glazing of our back door.



I don't know how it got there but presumably condensation which is not draining away? or rain which has got through a hole in the rubber edging?



I suggested filling it up and putting fish in but the wife wasn't keen on that idea ...



Anyway I dont know how to remove it and whether I need to replace the door, or window unit or whatever?



Any advice much appreciated!



Regards, John



The sealed unit has failed. The ali spacers around the edge of the unit are filled with desicant to keep the air dry inside and thus condensation free but if a glass seal fails eventually the desicant will become "water logged" and condenstation will appear within the unit.

If out of warranty you'll need to get another made and replace the duff one. Look carefully around the frame, one side will be fully moulded the other a clip in piece. Get a thin, wide and strong lever into the gap between frame and clippy bit (must have a real name that iludes me at presnt) in the center of the longest side and you should be able to pry it out. Repeat for the other bits, note the position and size of any packing peices, the sealed unit stops the door dropping via these packing bits...

You can replace it or dry it out. To dry it, drill 2 small holes in the

2 bottom corners with a glass/tile drill and use a fish tank air pump and some desiccant to pump dried air through there. Once dry block the holes with a soft non-water based glue. It will mist up again in the end, and the procedure can be repeated.

NT

Through toughened glass, which a door is likely to use? Perhaps through the spacer, but that would mean removing the unit.

Yes, toughened glass can be drilled. Its a common myth that it shatters. Toughened car windscreens shatter because they are prestresses to make them shatter, ordinary glazing and other toughened glass items are not normally prestressed.

NT

After many years in the glass industry I must say that this statement is utterly false.

ALL toughened glass is "stressed" by the production process and will shatter if an attempt is made to drill or cut it.

A simple Google search will reveal the scientific evidence.

Dear all,

Many thanks for your time in making comments.

I had a front door unit replaced which wasn't too costly so worst comes to the worst I can do that.

Kind Regards, John

That's what I would have said too, but perhaps what the OP has drilled is actually laminated glass.

Why then do I have chipped pieces of toughened glass that show no interest in shattering?

NT

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