Are my windows energy efficient?
Windows and doors plays a major part in heat loss in a property. Having energy efficient windows and doors will surely reduce the gas or electricity bill. It is important to ensure all windows and doors are fully draft proof, however fully functioning windows and doors is not enough to retain the heat at home. As soon as the sun sets, a well heated home will lose heat rapidly through the windows and door as the air outside the home is cooler than the air inside, causing the heat particles from the home to diffuse out through the windows and doors.
What is Insulated Glazing?
Insulated glazing is manufactured with glass in a range of thickness from 3mm to 12mm or more. Insulation is mainly created using double pane or triple pane glass separated by a sealed air or gas space to minimize the transfer of heat across a particular area of a building. There are two effective additions to insulated glazing, including the use of argon gas and Pilkington K Glass.
What is Argon Gas?
Argon gas is one of the most common gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Argon gas remains stable under extreme temperatures and doesn’t bond with other elements which makes it very stable. Argon gas is colourless, odorless and it’s also nontoxic. These special properties makes this gas the most suitable to place in between two panes of glass in a double glazed unit to reduce heat loss.
How does Argon Gas work?
In an argon gas filled double glazed window, the air in the gap between the two panes of glass is replaced with argon gas. The benefit is that argon gas is 34% less thermally conductive than air. This means it helps to retain more heat during the winter as the heat particles inside the home find it difficult to leave the home through the windows. Argon gas makes it difficult for heat particles to diffuse into the house from outside during summer days, as a result living and working conditions becomes more comfortable the whole year around. This phenomenon results from the fact that the density of the gas is greater than the density of the air.
Why should I use Argon Gas?
Argon is the perfect gas to use in a double glazed window because its non-toxic, colourless, non-flammable, non-reactive, odourless and chemically inert. Air filled double glazed windows include oxygen, which corrodes the window material, however argon gas does not corrode it due to it’s chemical properties. You will not have to worry about the gas leaking because it can be used throughout the year in any weather condition. Furthermore, the raised internal temperature of the argon filled window minimizes the risk of condensation settling on the internal surfaces of the glass.
What is K Glass?
K glass has a very intelligent low emissivity coating on the glass surface (referred to as low E) that makes the window heat-reflecting. It is a microscopically thin coating that reflects heat energy, similar to a mirror. The coating is either a very poor conductor of heat or a very good insulator. The sun radiates light that exists outside of the rainbow spectrum that naked eyes can see, such as infrared and ultraviolet light. They are either of very long wavelengths or very short wavelengths, and can be referred to as heat energy. K glass recognises and treats heat energy and visible light in different ways due to their difference in wavelength; they reflect ultraviolet light and infrared light and allow visible light to pass through.
How does K Glass work?
Sunlight enters the home as normal, however heat energy is reflected back out. Even when the sun isn’t shining directly on the window, objects can be warmed by ultraviolet radiation from the run and re-radiate infrared radiation, which K Glass also reflects. With K Glass, there is less heat energy entering your home in summer so you don’t need to use air-conditioning, which helps cut your bills. In winter, central heating radiates heat energy at different wavelengths and about a quarter of the energy produced in the home leaks out through normal glass in windows. If your windows have K Glass, the radiated heat energy produced in your home would instead be reflected back into the room which keeps the home warmer.
Why should I use K Glass?
K Glass is energy efficient because they reduce heat loss and encourage warmth in the home during winter, which significantly reduces the amount of central heating required to keep a room warm in winter. It is also energy efficient in summer because it keeps heat energy outside the home so there is less need for air conditioning. Therefore, the most obvious benefit is that it reduces energy bills and minimises the use of natural resources. Furthermore, using K Glass is an ideal way to adhere to some building regulations that are in place for windows in conservatories and replacement windows to help the environment.
What’s the best way to make windows insulating?
At Fast Repair London, for full insulation for your windows, we advise you to opt for both argon gas filled double glazed glass with low E coating (K Glass). This is the best way to reduce the amount of heat energy passing through your windows, whether it’s summer or winter. The K Glass will reflect heat energy and any radiation that manages to get through the low E layer will face the argon gas filled gap, giving the radiation another obstacle before getting to the second glass that is also low E coated.