Low E windows

[Pat-inCO]

Waaaaa-HA!

Just spent a BUNCH of money on some new windows. No secret here that it is
HOT for quite a bit of the year. Well, my place had "Thermo pane" windows, but
they were about 1990 vintage. That means a LOT of heat came in all day long.
So much that you could walk by the living room windows and feel the heat.

Well it took about five hours and a LOT of money, but they are all replaced with
Low-E windows. Low-E, or low-emissivity, glass was created to minimize the
amount of infrared and ultraviolet light that comes through your glass. I have a
meter that measures the amount of light from a given source (sunlight) and the
difference is amazing. They reduce the amount of light (and therefore heat) by
over 50%. Keep in mind, that is measured, not some sales person's sales pitch.

My house is right where I like the temperature to be, and the A/C is running a LOT
less than it normally runs. Today, with the amount of time with several windows out
will doubtless not have saved any A/C money, but tomorrow should start getting
me back on track.

I have two years of utility history and I'm curious to see how it washes out. :wink:

P.S. I also notice it is a lot quieter than before. 8)

 

[Kevin]

Congratulations!

When we moved to Dallas, we got new windows for our house. The utilities dropped by around 30% from the previous owners. Then about two years later we had to replace the furnace and a/c unit.

Now our electric bill is about 1/2 of what the previous owners were paying. And yes, it’s much quieter.

I think we got the low-e windows as well. They were from Lowe’s, we did half the house and about 6 months later the other half.

 

[Pat-inCO]

The newer equipment is significantly more efficient. When I replaced the furnace
in CO, my (heating) bills there went WAY down.

The one thing that many (most?) do not understand is that if you purchase your
windows, heating units, cooling units, etc. from either Lowe's or Home Depot, you
are stuck with a 20% increase in cost. - - - YES, a 20% add on from either place.

They seem to think you should be willing to pay more for the convenience of the
"one stop shopping". - - - Should you have/know someone that works directly with
the manufacturer, you can save at least a portion of that 20%.

 

[blume357]

One issue with these new windows.... if they are installed in a home in one of these track neighborhoods where houses are stacked up right beside each other.... they will sometimes melt the vinyl siding of the house next door.....

the interesting thing is there is a simple solution to this problem... which probably would have solved the original problem with 'old fashioned windows' put a good aluminum bug screen over the window. But here in S.C. most of the new homes don't come with screens on the windows because people no longer open their windows.

 

[Mobuck]

"they will sometimes melt the vinyl siding of the house next door....."

OMG

 

[eveled]

Blume are you saying aluminum bug screens deflect light and keep the house cooler?

 

[WAYNO]

I have gone through the thermo-pane drill. All of mine leaked on the sunny side of my house and fogged up internally. Replaced them all. They were 20+ years old, but it still is an expensive ordeal if windows no longer last indefinitely. I think the old fashioned storm windows worked as well or better, and they didn't require replacement.

I also have a sunroom on the back of my house. All of these thermo-pane windows failed also. The thickness of the glass in the sliding frames is not standard, and is no longer available. Ended up replacing them all with single glazed panes.

Like so many energy saving products, whatever savings you might enjoy is quickly erased when they don't hold up and require periodic replacement.





.

 

[coach]

You think melted siding is a drag. This has happened to a car in London And a hotel in Vegas has created a “death ray” with its curved mirrored facade.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/when-buildings-attack-melted-cars-ruined-art-and-other-troubles-with-solar-convergence

 

[tinman]

"they will sometimes melt the vinyl siding of the house next door....."
OMG

Hearing more and more of these complaints........ :idea:

 

[Pat-inCO]

..... they will sometimes melt the vinyl siding of the house next door.....

I don't think I'll have that problem. My closest neighbor is 75 feet, to his garage,
and their brick exterior will probably handle it. Other than that, the closest is about
100 yards for one, and the rest are well beyond that.

Old style Thermo pane windows had air between the two layers of glass. If the vent
hole (required to allow for the expansion/contraction of the air with temperature
change) ever got plugged, they became a real problem. The Low-E units use a
metallic film to reflect the sunlight and are filled with inert gas that reduces the
expansion/contraction (from heat/cool) sufficiently that NO vent is required.

Just as an aside, it is over 100 degrees now, and my A/C is running about five
minutes out of fifteen. - - - - Seems to be working.

 

[powder smoke]

Been a builder for my entire adult life, That said I am not sure how many vinyl siding jobs I have
turned down. I simply tell folks it's junk, not worth the money and labor. There are premium siding
panel but have zero insulation value. It does not stop transfer of hot or cold air. Simply said it's a
house Band-Aide,

Low E Argon Filled Thermo Pain is best window technology out there in the window dept. You do want
the 5/8 or 3/4 thick Thermo Pain more protection from the elements. There are cheaper thinner widows
for the few extra dollars it's well worth it, especially in Hot or Cold climates Energy whether you are heating
or cooling is expensive. Over the years the extra thickness and the Argon will pay for itself. ps

 

[Mus408]

I had low E windows put in my den room since it gets the hot afternoon sun. They seem to work really well along with the slight tint they have too.
Have had no electric bill since April even with the A/C running along with the electric range and hot water heater and of course washer and dryer lately....solar working really well now.