Improving and updating your window design is essential to reducing overall energy costs. Heat gain and loss through windows to help with half of your home’s heating and cooling needs.
Like gas-filled windows, efficient green windows help transmit minor heat and reduce your home energy output. Gas-filled windows are the best choice for modifying a home to improve energy efficiency.
What are Gas-Filled Windows?
Gas-filled windows are windows with special gases pumped inside their insulated glass units, the double- and triple-paned window assemblies or as IGUs, that improve thermal efficiency. These dense, slow-moving gases, typically Argon and Krypton, allow for less convection than ordinary air, minimizing convective currents within the window and reducing heat transfer across the window.
How to Identify Gas-Filled Windows?
Homeowners know that windows are gas-filled by checking the specifications on the window tag or original work order. It is usually found at the bottom inside the track of the window. Two small holes may also be seen along the spacer, where the gas enters the unit and the other for air exits.
What Gas Fills Are Commonly Used in Gas-Filled Windows?
Argon and Krypton are the gas used for filling gas-filled windows, mainly by window manufacturers, to replace the air between the panels in windows.
What is an Argon Gas-Filled Windows?
Argon gas-filled windows consist of double or triple glass panes and argon gas that fill the space between them. The argon gas improves the durability and insulation capacity of the window.
Argon comprises less than 1% of the Earth’s atmosphere and is non-toxic, clear, and odorless. It has a thermal conductivity of roughly 67% that of air, making it a suitable choice for gas fill.
What is a Krypton Gas-Filled Windows?
Krypton gas-filled window is a high-performing choice for Insulated Glass Units because of its density, as Krypton shares many characteristics with its fellow noble gas argon. However, it’s an even better insulator, making it more expensive to produce.
If you are considering cost and functionality, Argon is a more efficient thermal barrier choice in terms of per dollar cost, especially in oversized windows with ½-inch or 11mm to 13mm gaps for double-paned windows. In comparison, Krypton is commonly used for tighter windows with ¼-inch to 3/8-inch or 6mm to 9mm gaps for triple-paned windows.
Can a Combination of Argon and Krypton be Used?
Some manufacturers use a mixture of Krypton, Argon, and Oxygen gases to reconcile performance, quality, and price. Occasionally, Xenon and Nitrogen are used.
What are the Benefits of Gas-Filled Windows?
Argon gas is a stable gas with a weight more significant than air. The heavier weight of argon gas gives it several distinct benefits when sandwiched inside windows.
a. It possesses a thermal conductivity that is 67% lower than regular air, which lowers the U-factor of your windows. U-factor describes the relative thermal conductivity. Generally, the lower the U-factor, the better a material will do at insulating.
b. Argon gas-filled windows reduce the risk of condensation forming inside windows. It minimizes the likelihood of the window trim experiencing moisture-related issues, saving you from maintenance and replacement costs.
c. Argon gas improves the window’s capability to block noises or sound, enabling a quieter setting inside your home.
Do Gas-Filled Windows Leak?
Gas-filled windows may leak as much as 1% per year over time. It will depend on the window glass, frame, and installation quality. The location’s climate, exposure to the sun and the altitude, and other factors can also cause leakage. However, these windows usually perform adequately after many years of gradual depressurization.
According to experts, if 80% of the gas remains despite gradual leakage over time, gas-filled windows can be expected to maintain their quality and functionality. That means “even if 1% leaks out per year, the window would still be effective in 20 years.”
Should You Replace Gas-Filled Windows?
When the leak is significant, the window can no longer be an effective thermal barrier. It may require replacement if the fog inside the window unit shows that the gas fill has escaped and may have been replaced with moisture-laden air. You should clean the external part of the window to be sure that the observed moisture is, in fact, within the window interior rather than on its surface. The manufacturer or installer should be contacted if the window fails.
How Can Leaks Be Detected?
Leaks can only be detected with special gas-detection equipment.
Are Leaking Gas-Filled Windows Harmful?
You can have peace of mind knowing that leaked Argon or Krypton presents no health hazards to you, your family, and other occupants.
Do Gas-Filled Windows Collapse?
There is a rare yet shocking outcome of argon leakage; it is the sudden implosion of the window. With the molecular differences between Argon and the main parts of air, nitrogen, and oxygen, Argon, under pressure to escape a window, may escape the window seal faster than it can be replaced with air.
During this situation, the glass will bend inward to take in the moderate reduction in pressure within the window. If circumstances are right, window units have been reported to shatter with a sound of a bang or may sound like a gunshot. The busted glass typically stays within the unit or has broken with enough impact to send shards flying outward. However, this case is rare, especially in the latest window models with superior seals and proper installment.
Are there Other Concerns with Argon Gas?
Homeowners like you may be worried about the safety of argon gas in your residential or commercial facility because the term “gas” may have negative connotations. Fortunately, argon gas is entirely non-toxic. It poses little health risk to you, your family, and everyone exposed. When a glass is broken, you need not worry about exposure to argon gas as you remain safe.
Should I Purchase Argon or Krypton Gas-Filled Windows?
If you are wondering which energy-efficient windows you should go for, read their similarities and differences below:
- Both are odorless, colorless, and static
- Both act as an insulator and increase energy efficiency
- Both are harmless in case of a leakage
However, most homeowners prefer to save as much as possible when replacing windows. If you are also on a budget, we recommend argon gas-filled windows. It is a good choice as it is affordable because Argon is abundantly available, compared to Krypton, which is hard to produce.
On the other hand, the gas particles of Krypton are smaller than Argon, making it a better fit in every nook and gap between the window panes. This factor indicates Krypton has better-insulating properties and efficiently blocks the energy transfer through the windows.