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A homeowner was tired of his old aluminum windows that condensated, so I replaced all of them with INSULATE vinyl windows. To my dismay the vinyl windows are condensating also. I have been installing windows for ten years now and have never seen this hapen. I replaced one of the INSULATE windows with a MILGARD window and it does not condensate. I told INSULATE of this but they told me that MILGARD is a inferior window and that the condensation on the window indicates that the window is working properly. The windows I use are low e, argon filled. The house has adequate roof ventilation, it’s bone dry underneath the house, has a vapor barrier, and is insulated. The only source of heat is an electric furnace. Is it the house? Is it the windows? I do know I won’t use INSULATE windows anymore. Tim K.
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Tim,
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Huh? I'm no expert, but that doesn't make any sense to me.
Are you sure they didn't say the windows are "working as designed?" If they said that, it would indicate that they designed a crummy window, efficiency-wise, and know it.
You might consider getting some relative humidty levels from the house (to completely rule out excessive humidty (say froma humidifier, or a lot of cooking or long showers or something) and call (or write) the supplier/manufacturer.
Let 'em know the facts and be persistent. Maybe they'll do something to make matters right.
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Personally, I hestitate to do business with someone or a company that trashes their competition. If they're unprofessioal in that area, where else are they screwing up?
Bob
*Tim, Bob is on the right track.......take some relative humidity readings in the house, What climate are you in ? This is kind of early in the season for condensation. Here in RI, you usually only see that on a single glazed window with a drafty storm window.You have a pre-existing condition-- the aluminum windows also had condensation. Were they insulated glass ?What is the temp. of the house inside and the outside temperatures.Even a poorly built window would rarely have the problems you are describing (low E, argon filled) what thickness is the glazing unit ? Do all the windows in the house do this, or just in some rooms, or just on one side of the house ?The house has an electric furnace, so is it a hot air system?If it is , this house shoud be bone dry and there will be NO MOISTURE VAPOR to condense, so that isn't the case so he must have a humidifying sytem in the heating system. Which goes back to Bob's point. What is the relative humidity ?Don't jump on the windows just yet, check it out , it may be an easy fix.
*Check the clothes dryer ventilation to make sure it goes outside.
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Iam with bob , i don't like competitors that "trash" each other, show me the pros and cons of your product , then stand behind them when they fall short. if the windows have the same specs, low e , argon, thickness of insulated glass and the milgard does not condesate, then i would think that INSULATE has a problem .
stay after them on this one. "superior" products should not only have qaulity manufacturing, but also qaulity customer support.
good luck ,
fgw
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Also ask about marathon showers, lots of open boiling water on the stove and or do they crank the heat up? ANY window can have this problem in the right conditions. Does the window have a weep system for condensation that allows wind to blow into the house? I've seen this do it too.
A quick & simple fix. Rain-X. The stuff for the windshield of your car. I realy like using it on skylites in Kitchens & baths. Warm moist air rises & hits cold glass. It gives condenstaion every time. The Rain-X will not allow the moisture to stick to the glass.
*Tim, I'm not clear on what's happening here. Is the condensation on the glass, or the window frames? I've seeen aluminum frames that were wet but glass is was okay. Nothing like that happening here in SoCal today, got the doors open front and rear. About 75*+ outside. Joe H
*I'd be real interested in any information you might come across about both these brands and hope you post it. I've used Milgard twice and thought they were very good for the money but my main supplier (who sells both) has really been pushing the Insulate brand.JonC
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tim i have had the same problem i got the same b s for the sales guy and the supply house were i got them. it does suck that tis happens but i just started replaceing mine thank god it was in my on home!
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Tim : come baaaaaaaack .
Tell us what you found out, Please !
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Mike, thanks for the advice. Other ideas I got are to check their shower habits, dryer ventilation, and cooking methods. I'm going to check these things next week, but where or how can I get a instrument to check the humidity inside the house? If it is the house and not the windows, I guess its Rain-x to the rescue. Thanks, Tim
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Tim,
Grainger sells cheap humidity gauges/thermometers for about $35.00.
*Tim: there are electronic humidity guages, but the old stand-by is a Sling-psychrometer, which has two thermometers, a wet bulb and a dry bulb, and a sliding scale that compares the two (hence relative humidity).It's a pretty indestructible instrument, and one of your air-conditioning buddys should loan you one. I find it invaluable when I'm trying to help homeowners understand what is going on inside their homes in the winter, or when they have condensation problems and they're blaming a new roof we just put on.You can get one from a Refrigeration supply house, or from Grainger's.
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Condensation is an act of nature. I can assure you that
the windows are fine and you'll find the air inside the
house humid. Another example would be what happens to a
cold glass of lemonade in the hot sun.......
*Condensation on the windows indicates that they are working.If you open the windows a small amount, this will create a draft and cause the condensation to evaporate. Just like a leaky window would.There are many causes for condensation to appear. Anything that involves water such as: washer, dryer, shower/tub, the furnace, cooking and breathing. When this moisture and/or water vapor strikes a cold surface it condensates forming water droplets. Think about it... when you go out on a cold day, and exhale you can visually see the water vapor.I remember a customer who had the same complaint, he also complained of the drywall in his closet turning black. He didn't take into account the 500 gallon aquarium in his living room. Might as well run the sprinkler in the house too.
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Tim,
I have vinyl windows installed by the previous owner. They too exhibit condensation on the interior glass, mostly in the corners. I found it was from minute air leaks where the two sashes of the double hung window meet. Cold air is forced past the seals by wind pressure or sucked in by the fireplace draft. Only a problem in sub-zero weather. More of an irritation than a problem for me. Check your seals with some smoke on a windy day. There's a chemical sold with a puffer attached that generates smoke and is used by people that do energy audits. I don't know if its widely available outside the industry though. Hope this helps.
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A homeowner was tired of his old aluminum windows that condensated, so I replaced all of them with INSULATE vinyl windows. To my dismay the vinyl windows are condensating also. I have been installing windows for ten years now and have never seen this hapen. I replaced one of the INSULATE windows with a MILGARD window and it does not condensate. I told INSULATE of this but they told me that MILGARD is a inferior window and that the condensation on the window indicates that the window is working properly. The windows I use are low e, argon filled. The house has adequate roof ventilation, it's bone dry underneath the house, has a vapor barrier, and is insulated. The only source of heat is an electric furnace. Is it the house? Is it the windows? I do know I won't use INSULATE windows anymore. Tim K.