Energy savings with window replacement

[j.tobias88]

I live in the Seattle, WA area. A triple-pane window company promises 40% energy savings with their replacement windows, and I find that unbelievable. What should a person really expect in savings, replacing an average window with a new vinyl multi-pane? (Yes, I KNOW it will vary, according to spacers, gas between panes, et. al. But, "Ballpark", please, eh?).

[Windows on Washington]

Depends entirely on the home. Any window company that claims that kind of energy savings without having any building science background testing is pulling "facts" out of thin air.

I am sure there is some sort of fuel savings guarantee but read the fine print. It is mostly smoke and mirrors. Trust me.

[Skydawggy]

It's difficult to say how much you will save. A lot depends on how bad your existing windows are. If your old windows are leaking a lot of air or are single pane glass, you may very well save 40% or even more. OTOH if your old windows are less than 10 years old and fairly tight, it's doubtful. Like WoW said, read the warranty carefully. More often than not, these types of pledges only guarantee that if you only save 30% the first year and are able to prove you only saved 30% (good luck with that) they will pay you the difference. Of course, this is only for the first year and you must jump though a lot of hoops like having your furnace and A/C "tuned up."

[TheWindowNerd]

Usually "fuel pledges" have a maximum cap of say $500. The companies that do that overcharge so much that the $500 is built into their cost. As Sky said you would wear yourself out trying to jump through all the hoops.

[markf57]

If you a looking for a ballpark, google resfen. It is a free software program that allows you to use the specifics of your house to measure usage with your existing windows and then plug in any you are interested in purchasing.

Large energy savings for new windows are mostly hype, but if you have single pane aluminum windows and what to change to triple pane, you will see a large difference.

I used that software and it told me I would save about 7%. Since my windows are in, the thing I noticed most is the comfort. But I still need to get though a Colorado winter to see the real value.

[pondscum]

After getting my windows replaced last fall, I also noticed that the main improvement was comfort rather than energy savings. It's no longer 5 degrees colder upstairs than downstairs!

[bierhere]

I'd agree with others. The house seemed more comfortable, but the energy savings themselves seemed small and it was difficult to measure given he different ranges of temperature/prices of fuel. I replaced aluminum double pane with a Okna double pane. The condensation is gone on the frame, the draft is gone in my daughters room, the windows can be opened because they have working screens, but the energy savings seemed small.

[HomeSealed]

I recommend that you run from any company with an "energy savings guarantee". There is a guy in my market who guarantees 40%-- what a crock.... You can expect to save money on energy and see a substantial difference in comfort, but 30- 40% savings is highly unlikely and imo, it is highly unethical to mislead consumers with such claims.