#U value vinyl doublepane window windows

U-Values indicate the overall performance in retaining heat and preventing it from escaping to the outside.

#U value vinyl doublepane window windows

The typical U-Values on windows is a measurement of heat loss and the rate at which it is lost. The molasses limits you from moving easily just as all the components added to the triple-pane windows limit the transfer of heat.What are U-Values and what are Window Energy Ratings? Running from one end of the pool to the other becomes nearly impossible. When you add on components like low-e coatings, spacers, seals, and insulating gas, as each component is added, imagine the molasses getting higher. Try running from one end of the pool to the other. Conversely, in the summer, when the sun is baking your home, the solar heat has a much more difficult time entering your home through your windows.įinally, imagine yourself in the same pool, this time with molasses, up to your knees. So in the winter when your furnace is pumping, the heat has a much more difficult time escaping through your windows. The water limits you from moving easily just as all the components added to the double-pane windows limit the transfer of heat. Running from one end of the pool to the other becomes much more difficult the deeper the water gets.

However, when you add on components to your double-pane windows like low-e coatings, spacers, seals, and insulating gas, as each component is added, imagine the water getting higher. This is how double-pane glass windows perform. It’s not as easy as it was when the pool was empty. Now try running from one end of the pool to the other. Now imagine yourself in the same pool, this time with some water, let’s say up to your knees. And in the summer when the sun is at it's peak, all that solar heat is pumping inside your home. They allow heat to transfer easily meaning in the winter when your furnace is pumping, that heat goes right out the window. This is how single pane glass windows perform. It’s easy because there isn’t anything slowing you down. Now try running from one end of the empty pool to the other. Imagine yourself standing at the bottom of an empty swimming pool. Triple-pane windows offer a third layer of protection and insulation, and like double-pane windows, the same add-ons are utilized for even better performance and energy-efficiency.ĪNSWER:To the layperson, it is hard to understand exactly how adding things like Low-E coatings, spacers, seals, insulating gases and multiple panes of glass to windows reduce the transfer of heat to make your home more comfortable.

It’s these add-ons that help make windows more energy efficient. In the winter, the heat from your furnace transfers easily through the glass right outside your home and in the summer, the heat from the sun transfers through the glass to the inside of your home.ĭouble-pane windows have a second layer of protection and insulation, but to get better performance from double-pane glass windows, additional components are needed like a Low-E coating, spacers, quality seals and insulating gas, typically argon, between the panes. Single-pane windows keep the rain and snow out but do a poor job of keeping the temperature consistent in your home. By nature, glass is a poor insulator, but it is abundant, easy to work with, transparent and allows light to pass through which is why it's used as a building material. ANSWER: The simple physical difference between these windows is 1, 2 or 3 panes of glass.