Owner of vinyl windows for 4 years...

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daddysouth
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:11 pm
Location: Charlotte NC

Owner of vinyl windows for 4 years...

#1 Post by daddysouth »

Hi, I have been an owner of SoftLite vinyl windows that have been installed for 4 years. I now notice that outside sounds can be heard much more clearly now than when the windows were first installed. I'm thinking the gas has escaped from the windows. We have contacted the company we bought the windows from to complain, but they insist there is no problem. The windows show no sign of getting cloudy.

Is there some kind of test that can check for the presence of gas? How long should I expect the gas to stay in the window?

Thanks for any advice.

eberry
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:00 am
Location: Central US

#2 Post by eberry »

Someone recently suggested measuring internal glass temperature on a known good window in the home and a suspected bad one. Do it when the sun has not been down for a couple of hours or more and outside temperatures are stable and similar at both windowsand it is cool outside. If there is a significant temperature difference between the two windows, one window might have a busted seal.

Most low and mid-grade windows I looked at don't seem to cover gas leakage in the warranty.

daddysouth
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:11 pm
Location: Charlotte NC

#3 Post by daddysouth »

Thanks eberry, I'll try that glass temp thing.

So gas disappearing after 4 years is to be expected?

eberry
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:00 am
Location: Central US

#4 Post by eberry »

I think gas leakage is fairly common for lower quality windows, and happens occasionally for higher quality windows as well. I'm not saying it should, but sadly it does. Search previous posts here and the web sites - some manufacturers claim 90% gas retention after 10+ years, but you never know who to believe. Many windows do not cover gas leakage under the warranty, though. If your windows do, you've likely got a high-quality window - but ask the salesman how you should determine if gas has leaked to cash in on your warranty.

FenEx
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:43 pm
Location: Illinois

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#5 Post by FenEx »

Actually.. I don't know of ANY window manufacturer that covers gas leakage... but I know of one that is about to. Most seal warranties will only state "obstruction of vision" otherwise known as fogging or condensation between the panes of glass. They do not state percentage of initial gas fill nor gas leakage. To state "gas filled" they only need to be partially filled in the first place. The desiccant filled spacers will keep them from fogging for years regardless of gas loss unless you have a complete blow-out of the seals.

eberry
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:00 am
Location: Central US

#6 Post by eberry »

I talked to a Schuco dealer today and he said that krypton/argon gas leakage was covered, but I'm also skeptical, know people make mistakes, and have not personally read their warranty papers to verify this. Also, it might be that the dealer warrants this (I would find that strange, but...). The dealer did mention they have done heat lamp tests onsite for a couple of customers that suspected a seal failure.

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