replacement low-e windows: Can you get "No tint"?

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BrentinCT
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:02 pm
Location: Hamden, CT

replacement low-e windows: Can you get "No tint"?

#1 Post by BrentinCT »

We're looking to replace 4 large windows with vinyl replacement windows and would like to get a low-e, energy star window, but have been told that such windows always come slightly tinted. We have limited light and don't want anything that would further tint. I've searched the boards for "tint", but may be missing something obvious so my apologies if so. All house projects require more time to do the research than it takes to get it all done, and you get the oportunity to be ignorant with each new one. :)

XSleeper
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:57 pm

#2 Post by XSleeper »

The term used by the NFRC is "visible light transmittance". Even clear glass does not let 100% of the light through. If you made a stack of 50 sheets of glass, light would probably not pass through it. Suprising, but true.

LowE glass cuts down on the visible light transmittance a little bit, can't recall the exact figure... 10-15% seems to stick in my mind. It really does not appear tinted- not like LowE used to be years ago.

Tru_blue
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:21 pm

Re: replacement low-e windows: Can you get "No tint&qu

#3 Post by Tru_blue »

BrentinCT wrote:We're looking to replace 4 large windows with vinyl replacement windows and would like to get a low-e, energy star window, but have been told that such windows always come slightly tinted. We have limited light and don't want anything that would further tint. I've searched the boards for "tint", but may be missing something obvious so my apologies if so. All house projects require more time to do the research than it takes to get it all done, and you get the oportunity to be ignorant with each new one. :)
I'm going from memory, but I think I have these numbers correct:

Clear double glass, surprisingly, blocks about 18-20% of visible daylight (You'd think it would let through 100%). A single Low E coating is 24% blockage, and a double coat of Low E is 26% blockage. Therefore the "tinting" is virtually non-existent at only 4% to 6%. If people can not notice the 20% blockage; it obviously would be tough to discern the extra 4% to 6%.

Perhaps what you may be concerned about is a related but different issue. Some hardcoat single-coat Low E coatings, especially those of the 1980s, had a particular color bias to them. They are still around. They sometimes had pink and purple hues in them, and as they refected the sky on the outside they could look blue in appearance from the outside. Many Low E coatings nowdays are a neutral density and you won't see any discernable color. Low E is highly recommended; it keeps a house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

BrentinCT
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:02 pm
Location: Hamden, CT

#4 Post by BrentinCT »

Much thanks to you both. We only noticed this with one set of windows we were looking at, and were concerned that it was more general. My wife has a very fine eye for such things so she may be noticing the 6% difference :roll: However, it may be the one's we looked at were an older variety. I don't remember the brand name. We'll keep trying.
Thanks again.

chrisexv6
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:02 pm

#5 Post by chrisexv6 »

The window installer that came to my house to measure actually noticed a couple of my existing windows might be "Low E" because the tint was slightly different than the rest of the windows.

Ive been in the house for almost 5 years and never noticed. And I think the only reason he noticed is because they happened to be the only windows with white-backed blinds behind them, so it was easy to tell that he wasnt looking at pure white plastic anymore.

The important part is that I could never tell, and even now its hard to see. The sample windows I looked at (triple pane/double E no less) did not seem tinted at all.

-Chris

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