It’s a fact that old fenestration products are energy drains. If you think replacing them is a significant expense, they could cost you money anyway until you finally retire them. If you ask Renewal by Andersen® of San Francisco, here’s how old units can quietly raise your gas or electric bills:
Air Infiltration
Buying new windows is an effective way to make your home more weathertight. Decades-old units probably have worn-out frames, which allow drafts and conditioned air to escape through the cracks. This spells trouble for your indoor comfort. Without replacing your drafty units, you might as well use your AC outdoors.
Gas Fill Leakage
Double-pane units usually have a gas fill pumped in between their sheets of glass. It contributes to thermal insulation, improving the ability of the product to reduce heat transfer. Although insulated units are generally guilty of leaking out 1% of gas yearly, this phenomenon shouldn’t cause performance issues for at least 20 years.
However, seal failure increases the rate of leakage. Thermal pumping, spacer movement and sealant defects are some of the usual suspects behind it. When you start noticing condensation forming between the panes, it’s a sign you need to get a new window.
Conductive Framing Material
In addition to the glass and other minor non-glass components, the window’s framing material also plays key roles in reducing heat transfer. If the frames of your units, regardless of their condition, are a good conductor of heat and cold, they silently waste your energy. Aluminum is notorious for high thermal conduction; while it was regarded as a bad framing material in the 1950s, many homeowners still use it today.
Antiquated Glass
Today’s standard is double glazing with Low-E coatings. If your current units only have one piece of clear glass each, now is the time to switch to high-performance windows. You will be surprised how much double-pane units can effectively abate heat (and noise) transfer from inside your home to the outside and vice versa.
Let Renewal by Andersen of San Francisco help boost your home’s energy efficiency with window replacement. Call us at (866) 609-5033 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation in San Francisco or any nearby community.
